Pan Am Circuit

The Pan Am Circuit, also known as the Pan Am Paintball Circuit, was an American tournament paintball series established in 1999 as the successor to the Great Western Series. The circuit organised five-player, ten-player and other competitive formats, primarily in the western United States.[1]

The series developed from the Great Western Series, founded in 1991 by Russell Maynard. Dan Bonebrake became involved in its management in 1997, with Liz Bonebrake and Jessica Sparks joining as partners when the Pan Am Circuit was established in 1999.[1]

History

Great Western Series

The Pan Am Circuit originated from the Great Western Series (GWS), founded in 1991 by Russell Maynard, the first editor of Action Pursuit Games magazine.

The GWS operated as a regional tournament series in the western United States.

Dan Bonebrake became a partner in the organisation during the 1997 season.[1]

Establishment of the Pan Am Circuit (1999)

In 1999, the Great Western Series was reorganised as the Pan Am Circuit.

Liz Bonebrake and Jessica Sparks joined the organisation as partners.

The new series initially expanded beyond its western American base, introducing tournaments across the United States.

According to contemporary WARPIG reporting, the expansion was not particularly successful in the eastern and central regions.

The circuit's comparatively inexpensive competition structure, including bring-your-own-paint arrangements and restrictions on paintball consumption, differed from the formats preferred by some established teams.

For the 2000 season, the Pan Am Circuit returned to a predominantly western United States tournament schedule.[1]

2001 season

The Pan Am Circuit operated a series of major and affiliated tournaments during 2001.

The season concluded with the Pan Am Las Vegas tournament, held from 28 November to 2 December 2001.

The event moved from the circuit's traditional San Diego finals location to the All Sport complex near McCarran International Airport.

The tournament incorporated five-player and ten-player competition, Young Guns, stock-class competition and a one-on-one event.

The Las Vegas tournament determined the final series rankings for the 2001 season.[2]

2002 season

The circuit returned to Las Vegas for its 2002 season finals, held from 4 to 8 December.

The tournament took place at The Sport Center, which incorporated indoor and outdoor playing fields.

The event featured five-player and ten-player competition, alongside Young Guns and individual events.

Contemporary WARPIG coverage described 2002 as the eleventh year of the competition's organisational lineage, counting its origins as the Great Western Series.[1]

Tournament structure

The Pan Am Circuit operated both major tournaments and affiliated events.

Major tournaments

Major tournaments were organised directly by Pan Am staff.

Teams earned points towards annual series championships through tournament participation and results.

The circuit incorporated several competitive classifications, including amateur, novice and rookie divisions.

Affiliated tournaments

The circuit also sanctioned smaller tournaments organised by participating teams, commercial fields and paintball retailers.

These events used Pan Am rules and player identification systems.

Affiliated tournaments contributed a limited number of points towards annual series rankings.

They also provided opportunities for participating teams to raise funds for travel and competition expenses.[1]

Competition formats

The Pan Am Circuit used several tournament formats during its operation.

These included:

Five-player paintball.
Ten-player paintball.
Stock-class competition.
Young Guns divisions.
Individual one-on-one competitions.

The circuit was also associated with bring-your-own-paint rules and limits on paintball consumption.

Unlike the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), the Pan Am Circuit did not operate a separate professional division during the 2001 Las Vegas tournament.

However, teams were permitted to include a limited number of NPPL-ranked professional players.

Contemporary reporting identified Bob Long, Oliver Lang, Alex Fraige and other professional competitors participating at the 2001 event.[2]

Relationship with other tournament organisations

The Pan Am Circuit operated alongside the NPPL and other American tournament organisations.

Its competition structure differed from the professional and amateur divisions used by the NPPL.

The circuit's system of affiliated tournaments and regional competition was subsequently reflected in the organisation of other western American tournament series, including the XPSL.

Dan Bonebrake was later associated with the XPSL, which operated as a regional development series connected with the NPPL.[3]

The available records do not establish that the Pan Am Circuit and XPSL were legally identical organisations.

References

External links