Raven Paintball
Raven Paintball, also known as Raven Paintball Gear and Raven USA, was an American manufacturer and supplier of paintball clothing, protective equipment and accessories. Based in Ventura, California, the company produced tournament jerseys, trousers, gloves, protective padding, equipment bags and goggles during the late 1990s and early 2000s.[1][2]
History
[edit]Raven USA was founded by Josh Cranford and Brandon Visel. United States trademark records document commercial use of the Raven Paintball Gear name from 2 January 1998.[1][3]
On 1 October 1999, Raven announced an expansion of its wholesale distribution network. National Paintball Supply in the United States and WDP in the United Kingdom joined existing distributor Air Concept Industries, which had begun distributing Raven products earlier that year.[2]
On 5 August 2000, Kingman International, manufacturer of Spyder paintball markers, announced the acquisition of a majority interest in Raven USA for an undisclosed sum. Kingman founder Arthur Chang became the company's chief executive.
Under the agreement, Raven's creative and marketing operations, including founders Cranford and Visel, remained in Ventura, while shipping and most operational functions transferred to King's facilities in Baldwin Park, California.[3]
Products
[edit]Raven produced competition and recreational paintball clothing alongside protective equipment.
Its product range included:
- Tournament jerseys and trousers – Paintball clothing produced in different colours and designs.
- Morphion gloves – Protective gloves incorporating flexible padding, reinforced palms and removable trigger-finger sections.[4]
- OBG Backpack – A multi-compartment equipment backpack with dedicated storage for paintball markers, barrels, goggles and pod harnesses. The design was also marketed towards other action sports.[5]
- NUVIS-1 – A protective goggle and face-mask system introduced at the Spyder Cup tournament in May 2000.[6]
Raven also offered protective knee and elbow padding and other paintball accessories.[1]
Tournament involvement
[edit]Raven sponsored the inaugural Spyder Cup at Three Rivers Paintball in Pennsylvania on 27–28 May 2000. Contemporary coverage documented Raven jerseys being sold to competitors and the tournament debut of the NUVIS-1 goggle system.[6]
On 14 May 2001, the World Paintball Federation announced a partnership with Raven USA to develop the WPF Referee Corps. The programme included plans for standardised referee uniforms, protective equipment and accessories manufactured and distributed by Raven.[7]
References
[edit]- United States trademark records – Raven Paintball Gear, serial number 75506715.
- WARPIG – Raven Paintball Gear Significantly Expands Their Worldwide Wholesale Distribution, 1 October 1999.
- WARPIG – A Perfect Match: Kingman International Corp. Purchases Majority Share of Raven USA, 5 August 2000.
- WARPIG – Raven's New Premium Morphion Hand Protection.
- WARPIG – Raven OBG Backpack, by Bill Mills.
- WARPIG – Kingman Spyder Cup, 27–28 May 2000, by Bill Mills.
- WARPIG – WPF & Raven Produce the WPF Referee Corps, 14 May 2001.