ZAP Paintball

ZAP Paintball, also known as ZAP, is a Canadian paintball equipment brand historically associated with the manufacture and distribution of paintballs, tournament sponsorship and the development of paintball markers and accessories. The brand was particularly prominent during the 1990s and early 2000s, when it sponsored the International Amateur Open, Skyball and events organised by the World Paintball Federation.[1][2][3]

ZAP's paintball products have included the Performance Plus, Pro Series, Chronic, AMP and Tork ammunition ranges, as well as the Mach 404 electronic loader.[4][5] The ZAP trademark subsequently passed through several corporate owners and is currently registered to Kore Outdoor.[6]

History

Early development

ZAP was established in Canada and became an established supplier of paintballs during the early development of organised tournament paintball.

A United States trademark application for ZAP paintball ammunition was filed on 16 January 1992 and registered on 12 October 1993.[6]

During the 1990s, the company developed a commercial presence in both Canadian and American paintball markets, supplying ammunition to recreational players, tournament teams and commercial fields.

Its activities expanded beyond manufacturing and distribution to include event sponsorship and tournament promotion.

International Amateur Open

ZAP became closely associated with the International Amateur Open, established in Pennsylvania in 1990 by Debra Dion Krischke.

Following the tournament's inaugural sponsorship by California Magnum, ZAP became the event's principal paintball sponsor.

The relationship continued for approximately ten years, with the competition frequently promoted as the ZAP International Amateur Open.

ZAP supplied tournament paintballs and participated in the event's equipment exhibitions and industry conferences.

In 2001, the company shared title sponsorship with 32 Degrees Paintball.[1]

Later that year, ZAP's sponsorship relationship with the International Amateur Open ended.

For the 2002 tournament, Diablo Paintball replaced ZAP as the principal paintball sponsor.[1]

Skyball

ZAP was also closely associated with Skyball, an indoor tournament held at Toronto's SkyDome between 1998 and 2003.

The company was a major sponsor of the inaugural tournament in March 1998.

Contemporary coverage identified company representatives Gordon Moore and Mike Ratco as participants in the event's organisation and operations.[2]

The event subsequently became known as ZAP Skyball.

In 2001, ZAP worked with the World Paintball Federation to produce the fourth edition, which attracted 193 five-player teams and offered more than US$100,000 in cash and prizes.[3]

ZAP subsequently assumed direct responsibility for organising the 2002 tournament, with Gordon and Steve Moore overseeing operations.[7]

The company also hosted Skyball VI in March 2003, when more than 200 teams competed on six Sup'Air Ball fields inside the SkyDome.[8]

World Paintball Federation sponsorship

During 2001, ZAP sponsored a series of tournaments sanctioned by the World Paintball Federation.

The programme was promoted as the WPF/ZAP Tour and included the National Indoor Paintball Championships in Harriman, Tennessee.

The 2001 National Indoor Championships attracted 50 teams and offered more than US$20,000 in equipment prizes.

ZAP supplied its Pro Series Tournament Paintballs for competitions on the tour.[9]

Paintball products

Paintballs

Paintball ammunition was ZAP's principal product category.

The company marketed ammunition for recreational and competitive use, including products intended for organised tournament competition.

Documented historical product ranges included:

Performance Plus – Paintballs supplied as part of tournament sponsorship and prize programmes.
Pro Series – Tournament ammunition used in World Paintball Federation events.
Chronic – Tournament paintballs marketed by ZAP by 2002.
AMP – Paintballs included in the company's 2002 product range.
Tork – A paintball range announced during the 2002 World Cup.

[3][5][9]

The ZAP name has remained in commercial use for paintball ammunition under later ownership.

Products marketed under the brand have included Cryptic, Attak and Chronic paintballs.[10]

Mach 404 loader

In 2001, ZAP introduced the Mach 404, an electronically assisted paintball loader developed with the involvement of Aldo Perrone, the founder of Brass Eagle.

The loader used a vibrating pendulum mechanism to agitate paintballs and help prevent feeding interruptions.

Unlike conventional motor-driven loaders with rotating paddles, the Mach 404 used an eccentric motor weight to move a suspended agitator inside the hopper.

The product was introduced at the 2001 International Amateur Open and reviewed by WARPIG in September of that year.[4]

The design was subsequently documented in United States patent 6,418,919, issued on 16 July 2002.[11]

Electronic marker development

ZAP also explored the development of electronic paintball markers.

At the 2001 International Amateur Open, Aldo Perrone presented the proposed ZXS-600E, a lower-priced electronic marker using a combination of moulded polymer and metal components.

Contemporary reporting described it as an attempt to bring electronic markers to a broader recreational market.[12]

Patents assigned to ZAP during this period document further development of electronically operated paintball marker mechanisms.[13]

Corporate ownership and trademark

ZAP's historical corporate identity included ZAP Paintball Corporation and ZAP Paintball Inc., both documented in Canadian and United States intellectual property records.

Patent assignment records show transfers involving Accucaps Industries Limited and ZAP Paintball Inc. in November 2000.

In April 2003, certain ZAP paintball-related patents were transferred to X.O. Industries Inc.[13][14]

Subsequent trademark records document ownership involving Procaps, G.I. Sportz and Kore Outdoor.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office identifies Kore Outdoor Ltd. as the current owner of a registered ZAP trademark, originally registered in 2006.[15]

The ZAP brand has continued appearing on commercially distributed paintballs. These later products should be distinguished from the operations of the original ZAP manufacturing business.

References

External links