Editing Paintball Express

'''Paintball Express''' was a New Zealand paintball importer and retailer operating during the mid-1990s. Based in Henderson, Auckland, the business sponsored the [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]] paintball team and was an early commercial user of bulletin-board and World Wide Web services within New Zealand paintball.

== History ==

Paintball Express was operating from 1 Buscomb Avenue, Henderson, by January 1995. A notice published in the ''New Zealand Gazette'' recorded an application by Paintball Express concerning the approval of paintball eye-protection goggles.[1]

Contemporary correspondence identified '''Lukas Kruesi''' as the proprietor of an Auckland paintball import and retail business associated with Paintball Express. The business sponsored the [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]], and Kruesi also played for the team.[2]

By late 1995, Paintball Express advertised locations in Auckland, Wellington and Sydney. Its New Zealand headquarters remained at 1 Buscomb Avenue, while the Wellington outlet was listed at 312 Mitchell Street, Brooklyn. The Australian address was Suite 3, 28 Langston Place, Epping, Sydney.[3]

A South Island outlet at 19 Fitzroy Street, Dunedin, was listed in 1996.[4]

== Online services ==

In late 1995, Paintball Express advertised a dial-up bulletin-board service through which customers could obtain product listings. It also offered information by fax-on-demand and announced plans to establish a website during 1996.[3]

By the April–June 1996 issue of ''Australian Paintballer'', the company was advertising the website '''paintball.co.nz'''. The site offered product prices, photographs, information and online ordering, with email addressed to '''pbexp@paintball.co.nz'''.[4]

Contemporary New Zealand Internet-domain directories continued to identify paintball.co.nz as the website of Paintball Express in October 1996 and March 1997.[5][6]

Paintball Express also promoted access to [[PaintNet (New Zealand)|PaintNet]] through Mordor BBS. PaintNet was operated independently by members of the Auckland team [[Kamo Karzi]] and was not a Paintball Express service.[3][7]

== Team associations ==

Paintball Express sponsored the [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]]. Lukas Kruesi was both associated with the business and a player for the team.[2]

Kruesi was subsequently remembered as a member of '''Saints Grey''', the veteran squad associated with the Saints organisation. A contemporary roster confirming this part of his playing history has not yet been located.

== See also ==

* [[Early online paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[PaintNet (New Zealand)]]
* [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)]]
* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]

== References ==

# [https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1995/issue/2/page/82 ''New Zealand Gazette'', issue 2, January 1995, p. 82]. Notice concerning an application by Paintball Express regarding approved paintball eye-protection goggles.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, correspondence concerning New Zealand tournament paintball. Identifies Lukas Kruesi as a paintball importer and retailer whose business sponsored the Saints and who played for the team.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. Lists company locations, bulletin-board access, fax-on-demand and plans for a website.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', April–June 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. Lists paintball.co.nz, online ordering, the company email address and its Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Sydney locations.
# [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/K-_GOvxpI0Y New Zealand Internet domain directory], October 1996. Lists paintball.co.nz as “Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland”.
# [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/DCAREJCfNYo New Zealand Internet domain directory], March 1997. Lists paintball.co.nz as “Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland”.
# Rob Maddox, “Using the Net to Catch New Players”, ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996. Describes PaintNet, Mordor BBS and the involvement of Kamo Karzi members.

[[Category:Paintball companies]]
[[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand retailers]]