Editing International Amateur Open (section)

== History ==

=== Establishment ===

The tournament was established in 1990 by Debra Dion Krischke, who had previously served as public relations and tournament director for [[National Survival Game]].

Krischke had organised national championship competitions during the 1980s and identified a need for events restricted to amateur players.

At the time, many major tournaments permitted experienced professional teams to compete against less-established organisations without separate competitive classifications.

The inaugural National Amateur Open took place in 1990, attracting participants from the United States and Canada.

In 1991, the tournament adopted the International Amateur Open name.[1]

The competition was organised by Team Effort Events, operated by Debra and her husband Ryan Krischke, who were also associated with Three Rivers Paintball.

=== Expansion during the 1990s ===

During the 1990s, the International Amateur Open developed into a major annual tournament.

The event offered multiple team formats, including three-player, five-player and 10-player competition.

Divisions were organised according to player experience, allowing amateur, novice and rookie teams to compete separately.

Young Guns competitions were subsequently introduced for younger players.

The tournament also became an important industry meeting place, with manufacturers, distributors and field operators attending its annual trade show and business conference.[2]

Major sponsors included Cal Magnum and Zap, with the event frequently marketed under the sponsor's name.

By 1998, more than 900 players had participated in the previous year's tournament, according to contemporary WARPIG reporting.[4]

=== International recognition ===

The 1999 Zap International Amateur Open took place in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, during August.

The event included three-player, five-player and 10-player divisions, with teams competing for individual division championships.

The Mob won the amateur five-player competition, while P&L Paintball Factory Team won the 10-player division.[5]

The 2000 event marked the tournament's tenth anniversary.

Missouri Magic won both the 10-player and three-player competitions, while Dislexic Dogs won the amateur five-player division.[6]

At the 2001 tournament, Team Nasty won the amateur 10-player division and Brass Eagle Allstars II won the amateur five-player competition.[7]

=== Move to Big Butler Fairgrounds ===

In 2002, the tournament relocated from Three Rivers Paintball to the Big Butler Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania.

The move provided additional space for tournament fields, spectators and the growing industry trade show.

It also marked a transition away from the woodland playing fields traditionally associated with the event.

The 2002 tournament used constructed concept fields and featured three-player, five-player and seven-player competition.

The former 10-player division was replaced by seven-player competition, including an open classification.

The tournament was sponsored by Diablo paintballs and presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.[3]

=== X-Ball debut in 2002 ===

The 2002 International Amateur Open hosted the first competitive tournament using the newly developed [[X-Ball]] format.

The competition was organised as an international Nations Cup, featuring representative teams from eight countries.

Developed by [[Richmond Italia]] of [[Procaps]], X-Ball introduced timed, multi-point matches, player substitutions and penalty systems intended to make competitive paintball more accessible to spectators.[3][8]

The United States defeated Russia 16–7 in the final.

The format subsequently became the foundation of the original [[National Xball League]], established in 2003.[8]

=== Later years ===

The International Amateur Open returned to the Big Butler Fairgrounds in July 2003.

That year's tournament included five-player, seven-player and three-player competitions, alongside a trade show, business conference and scenario paintball activities.

[[Tippmann Effect]] won both the amateur five-player and amateur seven-player divisions.[9]

The tournament continued at the fairgrounds during the following seasons.

In 2005, the International Amateur Open became a sanctioned event of the [[National Professional Paintball League]], allowing teams in Divisions II and III to earn points towards the NPPL Super 7 season championship.[10]

=== Final tournament in 2006 ===

In 2006, the event returned to Three Rivers Paintball and was renamed the '''Three Rivers Paintball Festival'''.

The revised programme concentrated on novice, rookie and youth competition, alongside traditional woodland paintball and recreational scenario games.

The tournament took place from 27 to 30 July 2006.[1]

According to contemporary reporting by the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', approximately 1,500 competitors attended the event.[11]

The 2006 edition was the final tournament in the International Amateur Open series.

In a 2011 interview, Debra Dion Krischke attributed the decision to end the event to increasing organisational demands, industry fragmentation and changes in the economics of large paintball tournaments.[2]