Editing Rob Maddox


'''Rob Maddox''' is a New Zealand paintball player, writer, website administrator and former paintball association official associated with the development of competitive paintball and online paintball communities during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Maddox played for the Auckland tournament team '''Kamo Karzi''' (also written '''Kamokarzi'''), which competed in major New Zealand tournaments including the [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]].

He was associated with the operation of '''Paintball.co.nz''', an early New Zealand paintball information website, and the '''NZ Paintball Message Boards'''. The website published tournament reports, results, information about paintball fields, articles about the sport and discussion facilities for New Zealand players.

Maddox authored contemporary accounts of the 1997 and 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, held at [[Actions Paintball|Actions Paintball Sports Arena]] in Te Atatū, Auckland. His reports provide surviving details of tournament results, participating teams, refereeing and the development of organised paintball in New Zealand.[1][2]

Maddox was also a former secretary of the '''New Zealand Paintball Players Association''' (NZPPA). In February 2004, he published an article discussing the association's activities and the regulation of paintball in New Zealand.[3]

== Paintball career ==

=== Auckland tournament paintball ===

Maddox participated in competitive paintball in Auckland during the 1990s.

At the time, New Zealand tournament paintball was organised primarily through commercial field operators, independent tournaments and regional teams.

Major annual competitions included the New Zealand Paintball Nationals, [[Northland Open]], South Pacific Championships and other regional events.

Auckland teams participated in tournaments throughout the North Island and occasionally travelled to events elsewhere in New Zealand.

Maddox was associated with the team Kamo Karzi, one of the established Auckland tournament teams competing during the late 1990s.

The team's name appears in the Valhalla national rankings maintained by the early New Zealand paintball website [[Mercenaries Star]].[4]

=== Kamo Karzi ===

'''Kamo Karzi''' was an Auckland tournament paintball team active during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The name also appeared in contemporary records as '''Kamokarzi'''.

Maddox played for the team during its participation in major New Zealand tournaments.

Kamo Karzi appears in the published Valhalla national team rankings for 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Kamo Karzi – Valhalla national rankings
! Year
! National position
! Ranking score
|-
| 1997
| 3rd
| 74
|-
| 1998
| 9th
| 43
|-
| 1999
| 9th
| 63
|-
| 2000
| 18th
| 59
|}

Sources: Mercenaries Star Valhalla annual ranking tables.[4][5][6][7]

These figures represent team rankings calculated from tournament performance during each season. They are not individual player rankings or finishing positions at a single tournament.

The records establish Kamo Karzi's continued participation in the national competitive paintball community between 1997 and 2000.

The team also appeared in historical directories of Auckland paintball organisations and websites.

== 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals ==

=== Tournament overview ===

Maddox competed at the '''1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals''', held on '''25–26 October 1997''' at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū, Auckland.

The event used a five-player centre-flag format and attracted 11 participating teams.

Each game had a maximum duration of ten minutes.

The tournament was associated with the original [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] (NPL), which had begun competition earlier that year.

Maddox wrote a contemporary report documenting the tournament, its organisers, participating teams, playing conditions and results.[1]

=== Kamo Karzi's performance ===

Kamo Karzi finished '''third overall''' at the 1997 Nationals with '''818 tournament points'''.

The team was also recorded as the First Division's leading Second Division entrant, winning the Second Division classification.

The principal overall results were:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals
! Position
! Team
! Points
|-
| 1
| Katipo
| 1,008
|-
| 2
| Saints Black
| 866
|-
| 3
| '''Kamo Karzi'''
| '''818'''
|}

Source: Rob Maddox's contemporary tournament report.[1]

Other teams competing at the event included Paint Contractors, Grey, Team Raven, Flashpoint, Syrian Suicide Squad, Red Alert and DaBayBoyz.

The result placed Kamo Karzi among the leading teams at the championship.

The Valhalla database separately ranked Kamo Karzi third nationally for the 1997 season with a ranking score of 74.[4]

The national ranking and Nationals result are distinct records, despite producing the same numerical position.

=== Tournament reporting ===

Maddox's account of the 1997 Nationals documented the competitive and organisational aspects of the event.

The report provided details of the tournament format, participating teams and the final results.

It also described the playing environment at Actions Paintball Sports Arena.

The venue combined natural playing terrain with constructed obstacles, reflecting the tournament formats used in New Zealand during the late 1990s.

Maddox's report forms part of the surviving contemporary documentation of the original NPL period.

== 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals ==

=== Tournament overview ===

Maddox returned to the Nationals in 1998.

The tournament took place on '''24–25 October 1998''' at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū.

Fourteen teams entered the championship, an increase from the previous year.

Maddox published another contemporary tournament report documenting the event.[2]

The competition took place during the final period of operation of Actions Paintball's Te Atatū facility, before the business relocated its west Auckland activities.

=== Kamo Karzi result ===

Kamo Karzi finished '''11th among 14 teams''' at the 1998 championship, recording '''435 points'''.

The leading teams were Saints Gold, Paint Contractors and Saints Grey.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals – selected results
! Position
! Team
! Points
|-
| 1
| Saints Gold
| 1,290
|-
| 2
| Paint Contractors
| 1,008
|-
| 3
| Saints Grey
| 970
|-
| 11
| '''Kamo Karzi'''
| '''435'''
|}

Source: Rob Maddox's contemporary tournament report.[2]

Kamo Karzi's lower finishing position contrasted with its third-place result the previous year.

The team nevertheless remained active in national tournament competition.

Its Valhalla national season ranking for 1998 was ninth, with a ranking score of 43.[5]

=== Best Flag Pull ===

Maddox received the '''Best Flag Pull''' award at the 1998 Nationals.

The award recognised a flag pull he made during a game against '''Katipo One'''.[2]

In the centre-flag format used at the time, flag pulls were an important component of tournament scoring.

A player generally had to reach the central flag while competing against the opposing team.

Depending on the tournament rules, a successful flag pull could contribute points toward the team's score, with additional scoring opportunities for hanging the flag at the opposing team's station.

The award provides a documented example of Maddox's individual participation in the competitive play of the tournament.

=== Refereeing and administration ===

The 1998 Nationals was associated with tournament organiser [[Kyn Jackson]], who operated Actions Paintball Sports Arena.

Mike Sawyer served as head marshal, with Aaron Jay identified as an assistant.

Maddox's report recorded disputes and disagreements concerning aspects of the refereeing and tournament administration.[2]

These issues were part of wider discussions about improving tournament standards in New Zealand.

The original NPL had identified consistent refereeing as one of its principal objectives when it was established in 1997.

The contemporary report documents the concerns raised at the event but does not establish that every disputed refereeing decision was incorrect.

== Later tournament activity ==

=== 1999 season ===

Kamo Karzi continued competing during 1999.

The Valhalla national rankings placed the team ninth with a ranking score of 63.[6]

The leading teams in the published standings included Saints Gold, Paint Contractors, Psychosis and Grey.

The original two-division National Paintball League structure ended during 1999, although individual national and regional tournaments continued.

The surviving Valhalla records establish Kamo Karzi's participation in this period but do not identify Maddox's individual lineup or placing at every event.

=== 2000 season ===

Kamo Karzi remained active in 2000.

The Valhalla rankings placed the team 18th nationally, with a score of 59.[7]

The rankings included teams competing across New Zealand, including Saints, Team Crisis, Grey, Katipo, Tag n' Release and others.

The ranking database distinguished between individual tournament scores and calculated national season rankings.

Maddox's subsequent tournament activity is less completely documented in the surviving records.

== Paintball.co.nz ==

=== New Zealand Paintball Online ===

Maddox was associated with the operation and administration of '''Paintball.co.nz''', an early New Zealand paintball information website.

The site was also known as '''New Zealand Paintball''' or '''New Zealand Paintball Online'''.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, online paintball information was distributed through independent websites maintained by individual players, teams and commercial field operators.

Paintball.co.nz provided a central resource for players seeking information about tournaments, playing fields, equipment and paintball organisations.

Its functions included:

* Tournament news and reports
* Competition results
* Articles and interviews
* Information about paintball fields
* Discussion forums
* Paintball-related legal and regulatory information
* Links to other New Zealand paintball resources

Maddox's association with the website is documented through his published articles and accounts from participants in the contemporary New Zealand paintball community.[1][2][3]

The exact date when Maddox began operating or administering the website has not been established.

=== Early history of the domain ===

The Paintball.co.nz domain predates some of its surviving historical paintball community content.

An October 1996 directory of New Zealand organisations connected to the internet listed '''paintball.co.nz''' with the descriptive name '''Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland'''.[8]

This record establishes that the domain was associated with a paintball business or organisation by October 1996.

It does not establish whether Maddox was involved with that earlier operation.

The subsequent relationship between Paintball Express and the later New Zealand Paintball information website is not fully documented.

Maddox's association with the website should therefore not be taken to establish that he originally registered the domain or founded every operation previously using it.

=== Field directory ===

Paintball.co.nz maintained a directory of New Zealand paintball playing fields.

The directory provided a means for players to identify commercial paintball facilities and locations where they could participate in the sport.

At the time, paintball fields were spread across different regions and many operated without extensive national advertising.

Online field directories helped connect recreational players with commercial operators and clubs.

A contemporary Mercenaries Star directory specifically described the New Zealand Paintball website as having a useful field directory.[9]

The listing provides independent evidence of the website's role within the early New Zealand online paintball community.

=== Tournament articles ===

Paintball.co.nz published tournament reporting and information about organised competitive paintball.

Maddox's accounts of the 1997 and 1998 Nationals are among the historical reports associated with the site.

The surviving articles document teams, scores, tournament administration and observations from participants.

Such reporting complemented the results and schedules distributed by tournament organisers.

Unlike a simple ranking table, a contemporary tournament report could record details such as playing conditions, individual actions, refereeing decisions and organisational developments.

This material is particularly useful for reconstructing the history of tournaments held before modern online registration and scoring systems became widespread.

=== Articles and interviews ===

The site's historical article archive continued publishing material during the early 2000s.

An archived articles index from December 2005 includes articles originally published in 2003 and 2004.[10]

These included:

* An interview with NZPPA president M. Dannefaerd, dated 2003.
* ''What has the NZPPA done for me?'', dated February 2004.
* Material concerning paintball rules, regulation and events.

The article collection extended the website's coverage beyond tournament results to the administration and future development of the sport.

== NZ Paintball Message Boards ==

=== Online community ===

Maddox also administered the '''NZ Paintball Message Boards''', an internet discussion community associated with Paintball.co.nz.

The forum provided a place for New Zealand paintball players to exchange information about the sport.

Before widespread use of social media, discussion boards were an important means of communication between players in different regions.

Subjects commonly discussed in paintball forums included equipment, tournament entries, team recruitment, field conditions, event announcements and the organisation of the sport.

The New Zealand Paintball Message Boards provided a national forum for discussions that might otherwise have been confined to individual fields or regional player groups.

=== Contemporary directory listing ===

The Mercenaries Star website maintained a directory of New Zealand paintball resources.

Its listing for New Zealand Paintball specifically identified the site's moderated message board and noted that a chat facility had recently been added.[9]

The directory therefore independently establishes the existence of these community features.

It also distinguishes Paintball.co.nz from Mercenaries Star, which was a separate website associated with Neil M. Harris.

Although both sites served the same national paintball community, they had different published resources and administrative arrangements.

=== Chat facilities ===

In addition to its discussion forum, Paintball.co.nz introduced an online chat facility.

Mercenaries Star's directory described the chat page as a recent addition when the listing was written.[9]

The availability of message boards and real-time chat made the website a communication resource as well as a repository of articles.

These functions helped connect geographically dispersed paintball participants.

=== Later history ===

The NZ Paintball Message Boards and the associated website eventually ceased operating in their original form.

The precise date on which Maddox stopped administering the forum has not been established.

Neither the closure date nor the circumstances surrounding the end of the community can be determined conclusively from the surviving public sources.

The original website is no longer available through its historical content structure, although some pages were preserved by the Internet Archive.

== New Zealand Paintball Players Association ==

=== Association involvement ===

Maddox was involved with the '''New Zealand Paintball Players Association''' (NZPPA), an organisation concerned with paintball players and the development and regulation of the sport in New Zealand.

In February 2004, Maddox published an article titled '''What has the NZPPA done for me?''' through Paintball.co.nz.[3]

The article identified him as a '''former secretary of the NZPPA'''.

Maddox stated that he remained a member of the association but was no longer serving on its committee.

He also explained that the article represented his personal perspective rather than an official statement issued on behalf of the association.

These distinctions are important when interpreting his account of the organisation's activities.

=== Paintball regulation ===

The February 2004 article discussed the NZPPA's work concerning paintball marker regulation and the legal framework governing the sport.

Maddox described interactions involving the association, police and other relevant authorities.

His account discussed the classification, ownership and importation of paintball markers and the importance of maintaining a workable regulatory environment for players.

The article provides a contemporary account of how a participant in the association understood the regulatory issues affecting New Zealand paintball.

The specific outcomes described in the article should be attributed to Maddox unless independently confirmed by legislation or official correspondence.

=== Compressed-air equipment ===

Maddox also discussed the regulation and certification of compressed-air equipment used in paintball.

These issues included cylinder testing, certification requirements and interactions with occupational safety authorities.

The use of compressed gas was becoming increasingly important in competitive paintball as players adopted high-pressure air systems.

Questions involving cylinder testing and certification were therefore relevant to players and commercial operators.

Maddox presented the association's involvement in these matters as part of its contribution to supporting the sport.[3]

=== Tournament rules and standards ===

The article also described attempts to develop consistent tournament rules and procedures.

This work included efforts to establish standardised competition requirements for events recognised or sanctioned by the association.

Maddox discussed the role of rules and administration in improving competitive paintball and reducing differences between tournaments organised in separate regions.

The article reflects a period when New Zealand paintball organisations were attempting to establish more formal sporting structures.

=== Regional competition ===

Maddox referred to the NZPPA Series and the role of organised regional competition in encouraging players to travel.

Regular interregional tournaments provided opportunities for teams to compete beyond their usual local opponents.

The association's work was presented as part of the broader effort to connect paintball communities throughout New Zealand.

=== Sporting recognition ===

The 2004 article also addressed efforts toward formal recognition and self-governance of paintball.

Maddox discussed the association's aspirations for recognition through national sporting institutions, including Sport and Recreation New Zealand.

These were described as objectives and activities of the association at the time.

The article does not, by itself, establish that any particular formal sporting recognition was ultimately granted.

=== Contemporary legal information ===

Paintball.co.nz also maintained information about New Zealand firearms legislation.

Historical references identify a page at '''paintball.co.nz/armsact.htm''', associated with information about the Arms Act and the legal treatment of paintball equipment.

The existence of such material demonstrates the website's interest in the regulatory environment affecting paintball players.

The exact contents and revision history of the page should be assessed using archived versions of the original document rather than assumptions based on current New Zealand firearms law.

== Documentation of New Zealand paintball history ==

=== Contemporary tournament reporting ===

Maddox's principal surviving contribution to the historical record is his contemporary documentation of New Zealand tournament paintball.

His 1997 and 1998 Nationals reports provide information not necessarily preserved in ranking databases or later summaries.

These details include tournament locations, organisers, referees, participating teams, final results and significant moments during play.

The reports also preserve a participant's perspective on the operation of tournaments during a period when New Zealand paintball was still developing consistent organisational structures.

=== Online archival role ===

Paintball.co.nz was part of a network of early New Zealand paintball websites that documented the sport before social media became the primary means of communication.

Other contemporary resources included:

* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* Team and club websites
* Commercial paintball field websites
* The original National Paintball League documents
* Regional tournament announcements and results

Paintball.co.nz's coverage was particularly significant because it combined community discussion with articles, field information and tournament reports.

Material preserved through the site remains useful for understanding both competitive and recreational paintball in New Zealand during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

=== Preservation through the Internet Archive ===

The original Paintball.co.nz website is no longer accessible in its historical form.

The Internet Archive contains captures of the former site, including its articles directory.

A capture dated 29 December 2005 preserves an index of articles from earlier years.[10]

Individual historical articles and forum pages have not all survived in accessible form.

Some records remain available only through archived links, contemporary quotations or copies retained by participants.

The surviving material provides evidence of a period in New Zealand paintball history when independent enthusiasts maintained much of the sport's public documentation.

== Historical significance ==

Rob Maddox was involved in New Zealand paintball both as a tournament competitor and as a contributor to its early online information community.

His competitive career with Kamo Karzi included major national tournaments and an individual Best Flag Pull award at the 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals.

The team's participation is documented through the Valhalla national rankings from 1997 through 2000.

Maddox's tournament reports also preserved details of events and organisational developments that are not available from simple results tables.

Through Paintball.co.nz and the NZ Paintball Message Boards, he helped provide a platform for players to exchange information about teams, playing fields, equipment, events and the administration of the sport.

His involvement with the New Zealand Paintball Players Association further connected him with efforts to address regulations, competition standards and sporting organisation during the early 2000s.

Together, these activities make Maddox a documented participant in the development of competitive paintball and early internet-based paintball communities in New Zealand.

== See also ==

* [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Kamo Karzi]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Actions Paintball]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Players Association]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Kyn Jackson]]

== References ==

# Rob Maddox, ''1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals''. Contemporary tournament report, October 1997, originally published through Paintball.co.nz. Historical report preserved in material collected for the New Zealand Paintball History project. The individual original article URL has not been recovered. [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/ Historical website archive].
# Rob Maddox, ''1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals''. Contemporary tournament report, October 1998, originally published through Paintball.co.nz. Includes tournament results, Kamo Karzi's placing and Maddox's Best Flag Pull award. The individual original article URL has not been recovered. [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/ Historical website archive].
# Rob Maddox, ''What has the NZPPA done for me?''. ''Paintball.co.nz'', February 2004. Historical article identifying Maddox as a former NZPPA secretary and discussing association activities. [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm Archived articles index].
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Valhalla National Rankings, 1997]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Kamo Karzi ranked third nationally with 74 points.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Valhalla National Rankings, 1998]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Kamo Karzi ranked ninth nationally with 43 points.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Valhalla National Rankings, 1999]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Kamo Karzi ranked ninth nationally with 63 points.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Valhalla National Rankings, 2000]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Kamo Karzi ranked eighteenth nationally with 59 points.
# [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/K-_GOvxpI0Y Internet Connected Organisations in New Zealand]. Mark Davies, ''nz.net.announce'', 1 October 1996. Historical DNS directory identifying paintball.co.nz with Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm New Zealand Paintball Online Directory]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Contemporary description of New Zealand Paintball's field directory, moderated message board and chat facility.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm Paintball.co.nz – Historical Articles Index]. ''Internet Archive''. Archived article directory, including captures from December 2005.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Valhalla National Ranking Methodology]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Explanation of season rankings and tournament-performance scoring.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Mercenaries Star Tournament Calendar]. Contemporary information about New Zealand tournament events during the early 2000s.

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/ Paintball.co.nz – historical website archive]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm Paintball.co.nz – historical articles archive]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/armsact.htm Historical paintball firearms-law information]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm Contemporary New Zealand Paintball Online directory listing]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Kamo Karzi – 1997 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Kamo Karzi – 1998 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Kamo Karzi – 1999 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Kamo Karzi – 2000 national rankings]

[[Category:New Zealand paintball people]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball players]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball writers]]
[[Category:Paintball media]]
[[Category:Paintball administrators]]
[[Category:Paintball in Auckland]]
[[Category:1990s in paintball]]
[[Category:2000s in paintball]]