Dave Youngblood

David "Dave Youngblood" DeHaan is an American former professional paintball player, equipment designer, manufacturer and tournament organiser. Active in paintball since 1984, he played for several influential Southern California teams before becoming associated with the Ironmen during the 1990s. He co-founded DYE Precision with Rhonda DeHaan in 1994.[1][2]

Youngblood's career encompassed several parts of the developing paintball industry. Before establishing DYE, he worked as a field referee, tournament player, retail employee and paintball marker technician. He also worked for Carter Machine and managed the paintball division of JT USA. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he combined professional team involvement with equipment manufacturing and the promotion of major National Professional Paintball League tournaments.[1][3][4]

Early involvement in paintball

Youngblood first played paintball in Southern California in 1984, when he was 14. A high-school friend, Greg Nay, introduced him to the game after obtaining parental waivers through his older brother. Youngblood initially played at commercial fields including International Strategic War Games, Sad Sack's War Zone and Tactics.[1]

He joined a team called the Terminators in 1985. To make regular play more affordable, he worked as a referee at Tactics on Saturdays in exchange for free play and discounted paint on Sundays. By late 1986 he had become one of the field's head referees and had joined Havok.[1]

After Tactics relocated and the original Quest field in Malibu closed, Youngblood began playing at Conquest. There he became associated with Sudden Death, whose members played team challenges against opponents including the Bushmasters, Havok, the Beerborn Rangers, KMA and the Fighting 69th.[1]

A 1990 Los Angeles Times report identified DeHaan as a referee trainer from Lawndale, California, who worked for Carter Machine. The report also documented his use of the name Youngblood and his already distinctive practice of playing in a formal suit.[2]

Nickname and playing image

Youngblood received his playing name at approximately 16 years of age while playing at Tactics. According to his account, the older members of his group adopted character names after seeing the film The Untouchables. Because he was the youngest member, he was instead given the name Youngblood, which subsequently became his established identity within paintball.[1]

His use of a suit as playing clothing began in 1987 when he arrived at Conquest without his camouflage clothing and borrowed a damaged suit jacket and trousers from a friend. He continued playing in suits thereafter, making the appearance closely associated with his public image during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1][2]

Tournament career

Youngblood's first national tournament was the 1988 PMI Poconos, where he played for a Carter Machine team called the Widowmakers. The team also included Jessica Sparks, Jerry Braun, Jim Lively and Sam Caldwell. Later in 1988 he represented Sudden Death at the National Survival Game Championships at Hermitage Landing in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

During the following years he played for several teams. In a 1993 interview he recalled spending one season with Constant Pursuit and another with the Black Diamonds, as well as playing for the Master Blasters and industry teams including Force 10 and Friendly Fire. He also continued making occasional tournament appearances with teams assembled by Carter Machine.[1]

Youngblood was documented as an Ironmen player by 1995, during the team's period of success in the early National Professional Paintball League seasons. An Action Pursuit Games feature described him as a mobile player without a fixed field position and showed him alongside Ironmen players Shane Pestana, Bret Blanca and Brahim Estephan.[3]

At the 1996 Paintball World Cup, Youngblood competed with the Ironmen while also operating the DYE trade stand. Contemporary reporting described him moving between playing duties and promoting DYE's barrels and clothing.[4]

Following Bob Long's departure from the original Ironmen organisation in late 1996, two teams competed under variations of the Ironmen name. The continuing organisation became associated with Youngblood and was commonly identified as the Southern California Ironmen or Dave Youngblood's Ironmen. At the 1998 NPPL Chicago Open, the two organisations met in tournament competition for the first time, with contemporary reporting distinguishing them as Dave Youngblood's Ironmen and Bob Long's Ironmen.[5]

Youngblood remained closely associated with the Southern California Ironmen through DYE Precision as the team continued competing during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The organisation later developed into the Los Angeles Ironmen.

Equipment and industry career

Carter Machine and JT USA

Youngblood worked intermittently for Earon Carter at Carter Machine for approximately four years. He credited Carter with teaching him about paintball marker design and manufacture. Carter also built several of Youngblood's personal markers, including a chrome Carter Comp which he began using in January 1988.[1]

By 1993 Youngblood was head of JT USA's pursuit division. His role combined product and business responsibilities with regular participation in paintball. He was also involved in promoting or testing products for Crosman/Sheridan, CM Support's ViewLoader equipment and Pro Ball paintballs from National Paintball Supply.[1]

A 1995 feature continued to identify him as manager of JT USA's paintball division in Chula Vista, California.[3]

DYE Precision

Youngblood and Rhonda DeHaan established DYE Precision in 1994. The name originally represented Dave Youngblood Enterprises. The business initially operated from a garage and concentrated on aftermarket barrels for paintball markers.[4][6]

DYE's early barrels became associated with tournament teams including the Ironmen and Avalanche. The company's products included the stainless-steel Boomstick barrel, customised Autococker equipment, clothing and other tournament accessories.[4][6]

By the 1996 World Cup, DYE maintained its own trade display while Youngblood continued competing professionally.[4] The company subsequently expanded into a broader equipment manufacturer with operations outside the United States.

In 2003, DYE acquired the rights to manufacture and develop the Matrix electronic paintball marker from Generation E Sports. DYE subsequently introduced its own Matrix range, including the DM4, while also establishing the Proto product line.[7][8]

Tournament promotion

Youngblood also worked as a professional tournament promoter. He produced the 1997 NPPL Las Vegas Desert Open, which combined an NPPL professional and amateur ten-player event with a Great Western Series five-player competition.[9]

In March 2000 he promoted the DYE Precision Los Angeles Open at SC Village in Corona, California. The tournament replaced the traditional Las Vegas season opener and used the developing SC Arenas complex, which incorporated airball, Hyperball and mound fields.[10]

Youngblood attended the NPPL's January 2001 organisational meeting as the promoter of the DYE Los Angeles Open and as an Ironmen representative. During that period, previously independent NPPL event promoters began coordinating their competitions through Paintball Sports Promotions.[11]

Paintball media appearances

Youngblood's distinctive playing image and combined roles as a player and industry representative made him a frequent subject of paintball publications during the early 1990s. In June 1993, Action Pursuit Games described him as a charter member of PaintCheck International's Paintball Hall of Fame.[1]

A 1995 Action Pursuit Games feature also documented appearances connected with an L.A. Law paintball episode, Bob McGuire's Outdoor World, MTV and ESPN. That year, Youngblood and several Ironmen players participated in the filming of a paintball segment for the Prime Sports youth programme Total Rush at SC Village.[3]

Civil proceedings

In November 2022, a plaintiff filed a civil action in San Diego County against DeHaan and DYE Precision alleging sexual assault and related misconduct. DeHaan and DYE denied the allegations.[12] Court records subsequently documented a conditional settlement and a July 2025 request to dismiss the entire action with prejudice. The proceedings concluded without a trial or judicial findings concerning the allegations.[13]

Significance

Youngblood's career connected several important areas of paintball's development. He began playing during the Southern California field and team-challenge era, competed nationally during the transition from pump-action to semi-automatic markers, worked directly in marker design and protective-equipment businesses, and later became both a manufacturer and tournament promoter.

His early experience at Carter Machine preceded the establishment of DYE Precision, while his association with the Ironmen connected the company with professional tournament competition. Through DYE and his involvement in NPPL event promotion, he remained influential during the transition from woodland ten-player tournaments towards purpose-built tournament venues and modern electronic equipment.

References

Randy Kamiya, “An Interview with Youngblood”, Action Pursuit Games, June 1993, pp. 33–37 and 84–85. Scanned magazine held in the WikiPaintball research archive.
Michael Szymanski, “Splat!”, Los Angeles Times, 18 October 1990.
“Total Rush: D.J. Colello, Youngblood and Prime Sports”, Action Pursuit Games, October 1995, pp. 32–35. Scanned magazine held in the WikiPaintball research archive.
WARPIG, NPPL 1996 World Cup – Vendors. Contemporary coverage of Youngblood competing for the Ironmen and operating the DYE stand.
WARPIG, 1998 NPPL Chicago Open. Contemporary report on Dave Youngblood's Ironmen and Bob Long's Ironmen.
Celero Commerce, “Merchant Spotlight: DYE Precision”, 13 August 2022. Interview-based company history covering Dave and Rhonda DeHaan and DYE's early barrel production.
WARPIG, Bill Mills, “Matrix LCD”. Technical review documenting DYE's 2003 acquisition of the Matrix platform.
WARPIG, PSP World Cup 2003. Contemporary trade-show coverage of the DM4 and Proto product line.
WARPIG, 1997 NPPL Las Vegas Desert Open. Contemporary tournament report identifying Youngblood as the event producer.
WARPIG, DYE Precision Los Angeles Open, 10–12 March 2000.
WARPIG, Bill Mills, “NPPL 2001 Season Organizational Meeting”, January 2001.
Great American E&S Insurance Company v. DYE Precision, Inc. and David DeHaan, United States District Court for the Southern District of California, order filed 17 October 2024.
Doe v. DYE Precision, Inc., San Diego County Superior Court docket, including the conditional-settlement notice and request for dismissal with prejudice.

External links

DYE Precision – official company history