Mare Island Paintball

Mare Island Paintball, also known as Mare Island Paintball Games, was an American paintball playing facility in Vallejo, California. Active during the 1990s, it was an important location in Northern California's recreational and tournament paintball scene, hosting competitions and providing practice facilities for several prominent teams.[1][2]

The field is particularly associated with the early careers of Oliver Lang, Alex Fraige, Ryan Greenspan and Yosh Rau, who subsequently helped establish IronKids and San Diego Dynasty.[1][2]

History

Playing facility

Mare Island Paintball operated near Mare Island in Vallejo, within the San Francisco Bay Area.

A 2006 retrospective published by the Los Angeles Times described the facility as covering approximately 40 acres (16 hectares). Its playing areas incorporated woodland and constructed obstacles, including a castle and an abandoned vehicle.[1]

The field catered to recreational players as well as organised tournament teams.

In 1996, Alex Fraige and Oliver Lang attended a large recreational event at Mare Island involving approximately 200 participants. Fraige later recalled renting a pump-action paintball marker for the occasion.[1]

Tournament competition

Mare Island hosted local paintball competitions during the 1990s.

An archival photograph identified by the Paintball History project documents players at the 1993 Bay City Open, held at Mare Island. The photograph includes Randy Kamiya and Mike Casady of CCI, alongside other stock-class players.[3]

In May 1997, the facility hosted the Mare Island Cup.

Among the participating teams were the Monkeys, featuring Alex Fraige and Oliver Lang, and the A-Team, featuring Ryan Greenspan and Yosh Rau.

Neither team achieved a leading result, but the tournament brought together four young players who would later become founding members of San Diego Dynasty.[1]

Eric Crandall and team development

During the late 1990s, Eric Crandall became involved in the ownership and operation of Mare Island Paintball.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Crandall acquired a substantial interest in the business with financial assistance from his parents shortly after completing high school.[1]

The facility was used by established and developing Northern California tournament teams, including the Ironmen, Outta Control, KAPP, Lofty and IronKids.[2]

Crandall introduced Ryan Greenspan and Yosh Rau to Alex Fraige and Oliver Lang through their involvement at Mare Island.

He subsequently arranged for the four players to compete together in the Great Western Series in Southern California.

Crandall also provided access to the playing facilities and equipment, enabling the young players to practise and develop their tournament skills.[1][2]

Connection to IronKids and Dynasty

The relationships established at Mare Island contributed to the subsequent development of IronKids, an amateur tournament team organised by Oliver Lang and Alex Fraige.

Crandall supported IronKids through tournament organisation, travel arrangements and sponsorship coordination.[1]

Other players associated with the Mare Island tournament scene included Angel Fragoza, who later joined IronKids and became a founding member of Dynasty.

Several former IronKids players subsequently established San Diego Dynasty in 2001, with Crandall serving as team manager.[1][2]

Mare Island's role in the development of this group has been documented in subsequent accounts of the origins of professional tournament paintball.

The independent documentary project We Could Be a Dynasty: The Story of the Iron Kids has also drawn upon archival footage of the Mare Island paintball scene recorded during the mid-1990s.[4]

Legacy

Mare Island Paintball is remembered for its association with Northern California's tournament community during the 1990s.

The facility provided a meeting and training location for players who later competed internationally, including several members of San Diego Dynasty.

Its historical role has been acknowledged by Field One Paintball, whose management includes former Mare Island operator Eric Crandall and Dynasty founders.[2]

The field is no longer operating. Its precise opening and closure dates have not been established from the available contemporary records.

References

Los Angeles Times – War Games, 7 May 2006. Retrospective covering Mare Island Paintball Games, the 1997 Mare Island Cup, Eric Crandall and the origins of IronKids and Dynasty.
Field One Paintball – Field One Team. Official biographies documenting Eric Crandall's ownership involvement, teams associated with Mare Island and the early careers of Dynasty's founders.
Paintball History – Archival photograph identifying the 1993 Bay City Open at Mare Island Paintball.
Film Independent – We Could Be a Dynasty: The Story of the Iron Kids. Documentary project description identifying historical footage of the Mare Island paintball scene.

External links