Commando One Paintball
Commando One Paintball, also known as Commando One or C1, was a New Zealand paintball operator owned and operated by Rob Tapper. Its facilities included an urban-style field in Penrose, Auckland, and a rural property at Whangārata, near Tuakau. The business was documented by 1995 and remained listed at Whangārata in April 2000.[1][2][3]
History
Early operation
Rob Maddox's article “Using the Net to Catch New Players”, published in Australian Paintballer in December 1995–February 1996, identified Rob Tapper as a Commando One field operator. It credited him with assisting an InterBBS four-player stock-class tournament organised through PaintNet and supplying its trophy.[1]
Penrose and Whangārata
A contemporary profile of Tapper, archived on 4 February 1998, identified him as the owner and operator of two Commando One facilities: a five-acre urban depot and bunker in Penrose and the 140-acre Riverland Adventure property at Whangārata.[2]
In the same profile, Tapper reported ten years of involvement in paintball, five applications to councils to run games and the establishment of three fields, two of which were operating at the time.[2]
The New Zealand Paintball website's field directory also recorded both locations and named Tapper and David Caton as contacts.[4]
A WARPIG Field Finder entry dated 12 April 2000 listed Commando One on Hayward Road, Whangārata, approximately ten minutes from Pukekohe.[3]
Staff
Rob Tapper was identified as Commando One's owner and operator in his contemporary New Zealand Paintball profile.[2]
A separate profile identified David Caton as manager of the Auckland field and a longstanding member of Saints.[5]
Michael Earley recalls working at the Whangārata operation as a teenager, aged approximately 14–15. This places his employment around 1998–2000, although the exact dates have not been established. His employment is documented here as a retrospective recollection.
Playing facilities
Penrose
Tapper's profile described the Penrose facility as a five-acre urban depot and bunker.[2]
The contemporary field directory described predominantly artificial cover, mostly flat ground with a central depression, and a raised spectator area protected by mesh screens. Rental equipment included SL-68, VM-68 and Equalizer markers.[4]
Whangārata
Tapper identified the Whangārata site as the 140-acre Riverland Adventure property.[2]
The April 2000 WARPIG listing recorded wooded playing areas, pump-action and semi-automatic rental markers, carbon dioxide filling, sheltered staging areas and paved parking or access. Walk-on players were welcome, and players could bring their own equipment and paintballs.[3]
Earley recalls examples of early New Zealand-made Pursuit Supplies International equipment being retained at Whangārata, including the M-16 Stinger and Scorpion Elite. These model identifications are based on his recollections rather than a surviving equipment inventory.
Junior Players Paintball Club
Commando One operated a Junior Players Paintball Club for players aged 15 and under. A contemporary club page advertised regular games, competition, discounted playing rates and assistance with purchasing equipment.[6]
Membership included a club patch, a barrel plug required at games and a newsletter. The advertised programme scheduled club events approximately every seven weeks and required members to attend five of seven annual events.[6]
The New Zealand Paintball website hosted the club page as a free service, stating its support for introducing younger players to paintball in a carefully supervised environment.[6]
Recreational events
In 2000, the Mercenaries Star events calendar advertised a proposed twice-yearly big game at Commando One and invited suggestions about its format.[7]
WARPIG's updates page recorded the addition of a Commando One big-game announcement on 17 July 2000. These announcements document the proposal, rather than confirming that the event took place.[8]
Website
Commando One used the website address commando.co.nz, which appeared in its April 2000 WARPIG field listing.[3]
See also
References
- Rob Maddox, “Using the Net to Catch New Players”, Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, p. 22.
- New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Rob Tapper. Contemporary profile; Internet Archive capture dated 4 February 1998.
- WARPIG Field Finder — Commando One. Entry dated 12 April 2000.
- New Zealand Paintball — Fields, Clubs and Stores. Commando One listing; Internet Archive capture dated 4 February 1998.
- New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: David Caton. Identifies Caton as manager of Commando One's Auckland field and a Saints member. Internet Archive capture dated 4 February 1998.
- The Commando One Junior Players Paintball Club. New Zealand Paintball website; Internet Archive capture dated 4 February 1998.
- Mercenaries Star — Tournament and Recreational Events Calendar. Announcement of a proposed twice-yearly Commando One big game.
- WARPIG — Updates and What's New, 2000. Entry dated 17 July 2000 announcing a Commando One big-game notice.