Editing Steve Constable (section)

== Early involvement in paintball ==

=== Paintball in New Zealand ===

Constable became involved in paintball during the sport's early development in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.

The sport had emerged internationally in the early 1980s, initially using marking equipment designed for forestry and agricultural applications.

As recreational paintball developed, specialist equipment remained limited. Players and commercial operators frequently adapted existing airguns or modified imported paintball markers.

New Zealand operators initially relied heavily on imported equipment, particularly from North American manufacturers.

Constable became involved in modifying and manufacturing paintball equipment during this period, developing designs that addressed the limitations of early pump-action markers and disposable carbon dioxide cartridges.

=== The Ultimate Game ===

Constable was associated with '''The Ultimate Game''', an early commercial paintball operation in the Christchurch region.

Paintball historian Daniel Bacci identifies The Ultimate Game as Constable's field during the development of the FN-49 rifle in the 1980s.[3]

The commercial operation subsequently became associated with McLeans Island, west of Christchurch.

The present-day McLeans Island Paintball business identifies itself with The Ultimate Game and states that its history began in '''1985'''.[4]

The field operates at 805 McLeans Island Road, using a large outdoor property with recreational paintball playing areas.

The business describes itself as one of the longest-established surviving paintball facilities in the world. This is an operator-reported claim rather than an independently established world record.

Constable's association with The Ultimate Game connected his manufacturing activities with the practical requirements of operating commercial paintball games.