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Created article on the 1987 International Air Pistol Open at NSG–New York, documenting its 32-team field, equipment rules, scoring and refereeing systems, tournament progression, prize fund and Navarone–Armageddon’s victory.
 
Add American decade and tournament results categories; verify rules, progression and awards against the September 1987 Front Line report and link directly to the digitised issue.
 
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The '''1987 International Air Pistol Open''' was a 15-player paintball tournament held on 18–19 July 1987 at National Survival Game–New York in Newburgh, New York. Organised by field owner [[Jerry Braun]], the event brought together 32 teams from the United States and Canada and offered a guaranteed US$22,000 cash prize fund.[1]
The '''1987 International Air Pistol Open''' was a 15-player [[paintball]] tournament held on 18–19 July 1987 at National Survival Game–New York in Newburgh, New York, United States. Organised by field owner [[Jerry Braun]], it attracted 32 teams from the United States and Canada and offered US$22,000 in guaranteed cash prizes.[1]


[[Navarone]]–Armageddon won the tournament, followed by Land Sharks II, the Texas Boonie Rats and Canada's Unknown Rebels.[1]
[[Navarone]]–Armageddon won the tournament, followed by Land Sharks II, the Texas Boonie Rats and Canada's Unknown Rebels.[1]


{| class="wikitable"
== Organisation and venue ==
! Event
| 1987 International Air Pistol Open
|-
! Dates
| 18–19 July 1987
|-
! Venue
| National Survival Game–New York
|-
! Location
| Newburgh, New York, United States
|-
! Organiser
| [[Jerry Braun]]
|-
! Format
| 15-player capture the flag
|-
! Teams
| 32
|-
! Marker restrictions
| .68-calibre pistols; 12-gram CO2; no constant air
|-
! Prize fund
| US$22,000
|-
! Champions
| [[Navarone]]–Armageddon
|-
! Runners-up
| Land Sharks II
|-
! Third place
| Boonie Rats
|}


== Organisation ==
Entry was open regardless of a team's home-field affiliation or sponsorship. Braun guaranteed the cash prize fund irrespective of the number of entrants. Equipment dealers and manufacturers also exhibited products.[1]


The tournament was hosted by Jerry Braun, owner and operator of the National Survival Game–New York field at Newburgh. The competition was advertised as open to teams regardless of their home-field affiliation or commercial sponsorship.[1]
Four woodland fields were reserved and modified for the competition. They combined natural cover with occasional plywood structures.[1]
 
Braun guaranteed US$22,000 in cash prizes regardless of the number of teams that entered. Equipment manufacturers and dealers also displayed products at the venue.[1]
 
A later history of the Newburgh field described the 1987 and 1988 Air Pistol Opens as early independent paintball tournaments. Unlike events requiring teams to qualify through a particular field or regional competition, the Air Pistol Open accepted teams from different competitive systems and field affiliations.[2]
 
== Venue ==
 
Four playing fields at National Survival Game–New York were reserved and modified for the tournament. Contemporary coverage described them as predominantly wooded, with medium brush and occasional plywood structures.[1]
 
Teams alternated between the four fields during competition.
 
== Equipment rules ==
 
The tournament imposed equipment restrictions intended to maintain a pistol-based format:
 
* Markers had to be .68 calibre.
* Only dye-marker pistols were permitted; rifles were prohibited.
* Barrels could not exceed 7.5 inches.
* Muzzle velocity was limited to 325 feet per second.
* Constant-air systems were prohibited.
* Markers had to be submitted for inspection and chronograph testing before competition.
 
Teams consisted of 15 active players and up to five alternates.[1]


== Competition format ==
== Competition format ==


Games used a 45-minute capture-the-flag format. The 32 teams were divided into eight preliminary divisions containing four teams each.
Teams fielded 15 players and could register five alternates. Games used a 45-minute capture-the-flag format.[1]


Each team played the other three teams in its division. Points accumulated across those three games, with the highest-scoring team or teams advancing into the next stage. Scores were reset when teams entered a subsequent phase.[1]
The 32 teams were divided into eight preliminary groups of four. Eight teams advanced to a second group stage, followed by a four-team final stage. Scores were reset between stages.[1]


=== Scoring ===
=== Scoring ===
A maximum of 100 points was available in each game:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Action
! Action
! Points
! Points
! Maximum
|-
|-
| Opposing player eliminated
| Elimination of an opposing player
| 2 points
| 2 per player, to a maximum of 30
| 30
|-
|-
| First capture of the opposing flag
| First capture of the opposing flag
| 10 points
| 10
| 10
|-
|-
| Successful return of the flag
| Successful flag return
| 60 points
| 60
| 60
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Maximum game score
! Maximum per game
! 100
! 100
|}
|}


With three games in each divisional phase, a team could score a maximum of 300 points before scores were reset.[1]
Source: the contemporary tournament report in ''Front Line''.[1]


== Officiating ==
=== Equipment restrictions ===


Braun employed non-playing referees who were not affiliated with the competing teams. Seven referees were assigned to each game and communicated by radio.[1]
Only .68-calibre paintball pistols were permitted. Rifles and constant-air systems were prohibited, barrels could not exceed 7.5 inches, and the velocity limit was 325 feet per second. Markers underwent inspection and chronograph testing before competition.[1]


Referees recorded eliminated players by armband colour and number. Eliminated players were required to leave the field and report to the control desk within five minutes. A team could receive a two-point penalty when a player failed to report within the permitted time.
=== Officiating ===


Officials at the control desk also recorded the location of paint marks on eliminated players to avoid confusion during later games.[1]
Seven non-playing referees were assigned to each game. They communicated eliminations by radio to a control desk, recording players by armband colour and number.[1]


== Participating teams ==
Eliminated players had five minutes to leave the field and report to the desk. Failure to report within that period incurred a two-point team penalty.[1]
 
The preliminary field comprised 32 teams divided into eight groups.[1] Locations shown below follow the contemporary report; some teams were not assigned a location.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Division
! Teams
|-
| Division I
|
* Bladerunners (Virginia)
* Iron Cross / Penn All Stars
* Land Sharks II (New York)
* Southern Raiders, comprising players from Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky
|-
| Division II
|
* Chester County Raiders (Delaware)
* Combat Crew (New York)
* Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Virginia)
* Lords of Discipline
|-
| Division III
|
* Delaware Delta Dogs (Delaware)
* Ganggreen (New England)
* [[Navarone]]–Apocalypse (California)
* Nuclear Waste (New York)
|-
| Division IV
|
* Buck County Warriors (Pennsylvania)
* [[Navarone]]–Armageddon (California)
* Software Station Survivors (New Jersey)
* Terminators (Ohio)
|-
| Division V
|
* Green Machine (Maryland)
* HeadHunters
* Master Blaster (New York)
* Wild Bunch (Florida)
|-
| Division VI
|
* Ace of Spades (New York)
* Saratoga Timber Rattlers, identified in the report as a Pennsylvania team
* Taxi Drivers from Hell (Canada)
* Wild Geese (New England)
|-
| Division VII
|
* Boonie Rats (Texas)
* Chuck
* Highly Irregulars
* Purple Haze
|-
| Division VIII
|
* Great American Commando Club
* The Force
* Terminators (Florida)
* Unknown Rebels (Canada)
|}


== Tournament progression ==
== Tournament progression ==


Eight teams advanced from the preliminary divisions. They were divided into two further groups:[1]
The following teams advanced from the preliminary stage.[1]


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Second-round division
! Second-stage group
! Teams
! Teams
|-
|-
| Division I
| I
|
| Land Sharks II; Navarone–Apocalypse; HeadHunters; Boonie Rats
* Land Sharks II
* [[Navarone]]–Apocalypse
* HeadHunters
* Boonie Rats
|-
|-
| Division II
| II
|
| Combat Crew; Navarone–Armageddon; Wild Geese; Unknown Rebels
* Combat Crew
* [[Navarone]]–Armageddon
* Wild Geese
* Unknown Rebels
|}
|}


The four teams advancing to the final phase were:
Land Sharks II, Boonie Rats, Navarone–Armageddon and Unknown Rebels advanced to the final stage.[1]
 
* Land Sharks II
* Boonie Rats
* [[Navarone]]–Armageddon
* Unknown Rebels
 
Scores were reset before the final phase.[1]
 
=== Navarone squads ===
 
Navarone entered two squads, Armageddon and Apocalypse. A separate contemporary account from the team identified Andy Greenwell as Navarone's founder and captain and Jim Daniels as captain of Apocalypse.[3]
 
According to that account, Armageddon scored the maximum 300 points during its opening division, while Apocalypse scored 296. Apocalypse advanced to the second stage but missed the final by four points. Daniels described the squad as finishing fifth overall, although the principal tournament report did not publish complete standings below fourth place.[3]


== Results ==
== Results ==
[[Navarone]]–Armageddon finished the final phase with the highest score. The contemporary report stated that it won all but one of its games by successfully capturing and returning the opposing flag.[1]


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Place
! Position
! Team
! Team
! Prize
! Award
|-
|-
| 1st
| 1
| [[Navarone]]–Armageddon
| [[Navarone]]–Armageddon
| US$15,000 and championship trophy
| US$15,000 and championship trophy
|-
|-
| 2nd
| 2
| Land Sharks II
| Land Sharks II
| US$5,000 and second-place trophy
| US$5,000 and second-place trophy
|-
|-
| 3rd
| 3
| Boonie Rats
| Texas Boonie Rats
| US$2,000 and third-place trophy
| US$2,000 and third-place trophy
|-
|-
| 4th
| 4
| Unknown Rebels
| Unknown Rebels
| Safety equipment supplied by [[JT Racing]]
| Safety equipment supplied by [[JT Racing]]
|}
|}


JT Racing was identified as the official sponsor of Navarone–Armageddon.[1]
The placements and awards were documented in ''Front Line''. JT Racing was also identified as Navarone–Armageddon's sponsor.[1]
 
== Historical significance ==


The International Air Pistol Open brought teams from several regional paintball communities into one competition without requiring a common field affiliation. Its 32-team field included established national and regional competitors alongside less widely documented teams.[1]
== Subsequent event ==


The tournament also provided one of Navarone's earliest major national victories. Retrospective paintball histories have identified the 1987 New York Air Pistol Open as the event at which Navarone achieved its objective of winning a national-level championship within approximately a year of its establishment.[4]
A later history published by the World Classic Paintball League records another Air Pistol Open at the New York field in 1988.[2]
 
The Newburgh field hosted another Air Pistol Open in 1988.[2] That later competition is covered separately as the [[Big Apple Tournament of Champions]] and should not be confused with the 1987 event.


== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[Big Apple Tournament of Champions]]
* [[Navarone]]
* [[Navarone]]
* [[Jerry Braun]]
* [[Jerry Braun]]
* [[National Survival Game]]
* [[National Survival Game]]
* [[1987 NSG North American Championship]]
* [[Big Apple Tournament of Champions]]
* [[History of tournament paintball]]
* [[Front Line (paintball magazine)]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://oldpaintballmagazines.smugmug.com/Front-Line ''Front Line'', September 1987, Volume 3, Number 9, “The First International Air Pistol Open”, pp. 5–7], Jasperson Enterprises, Inc. Contemporary tournament report documenting the venue, rules, participating teams, progression, officiating and final results.
# [https://oldpaintballmagazines.smugmug.com/Front-Line/1987/September “The First International Air Pistol Open”, ''Front Line'', September 1987, pp. 5–7. Digitised issue hosted by Old Paintball Magazines.]
# [https://www.playwcpl.com/wcpl-ny-an-historic-field WCPL NY: An Historic Field], World Classic Paintball League. Historical account of the Newburgh venue and the 1987 and 1988 Air Pistol Open tournaments.
# [https://www.playwcpl.com/wcpl-ny-an-historic-field World Classic Paintball League, ''WCPL NY: An Historic Field'', March 2023.]
# [https://oldpaintballmagazines.smugmug.com/Front-Line ''Front Line'', September 1987, Volume 3, Number 9, “On the Road with Navarone”, pp. 23 and 25], Jasperson Enterprises, Inc. Contemporary team account covering Navarone's organisation, scores and tournament experience.
# [https://www.automags.org/forums/forum/automag-owners-forums/paintball-talk/122630-history-of-paintball History of Paintball], Automags.org. Retrospective historical chronology describing Navarone's establishment and victory at the 1987 New York Air Pistol Open.
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/articles/funkyguns.shtml Curious Paintguns], Steve Patrella, WARPIG. Retrospective account recalling the 1987 Air Pistol Open and equipment displayed at the tournament.


== External links ==
== External links ==


* [https://oldpaintballmagazines.smugmug.com/Front-Line Digitised Front Line magazine archive]
* [https://oldpaintballmagazines.smugmug.com/Front-Line/1987/September Digitised September 1987 issue of Front Line]
* [https://www.playwcpl.com/wcpl-ny-an-historic-field History of the former National Survival Game–New York field]


[[Category:Paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United States]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United States]]
[[Category:Paintball in New York]]
[[Category:1980s in American paintball]]
[[Category:Paintball tournament results]]
[[Category:1987 in paintball]]
[[Category:1987 in paintball]]
[[Category:Paintball in New York]]

Latest revision as of 07:28, 31 October 2026

The 1987 International Air Pistol Open was a 15-player paintball tournament held on 18–19 July 1987 at National Survival Game–New York in Newburgh, New York, United States. Organised by field owner Jerry Braun, it attracted 32 teams from the United States and Canada and offered US$22,000 in guaranteed cash prizes.[1]

Navarone–Armageddon won the tournament, followed by Land Sharks II, the Texas Boonie Rats and Canada's Unknown Rebels.[1]

Organisation and venue

[edit]

Entry was open regardless of a team's home-field affiliation or sponsorship. Braun guaranteed the cash prize fund irrespective of the number of entrants. Equipment dealers and manufacturers also exhibited products.[1]

Four woodland fields were reserved and modified for the competition. They combined natural cover with occasional plywood structures.[1]

Competition format

[edit]

Teams fielded 15 players and could register five alternates. Games used a 45-minute capture-the-flag format.[1]

The 32 teams were divided into eight preliminary groups of four. Eight teams advanced to a second group stage, followed by a four-team final stage. Scores were reset between stages.[1]

Scoring

[edit]
Action Points
Elimination of an opposing player 2 per player, to a maximum of 30
First capture of the opposing flag 10
Successful flag return 60
Maximum per game 100

Source: the contemporary tournament report in Front Line.[1]

Equipment restrictions

[edit]

Only .68-calibre paintball pistols were permitted. Rifles and constant-air systems were prohibited, barrels could not exceed 7.5 inches, and the velocity limit was 325 feet per second. Markers underwent inspection and chronograph testing before competition.[1]

Officiating

[edit]

Seven non-playing referees were assigned to each game. They communicated eliminations by radio to a control desk, recording players by armband colour and number.[1]

Eliminated players had five minutes to leave the field and report to the desk. Failure to report within that period incurred a two-point team penalty.[1]

Tournament progression

[edit]

The following teams advanced from the preliminary stage.[1]

Second-stage group Teams
I Land Sharks II; Navarone–Apocalypse; HeadHunters; Boonie Rats
II Combat Crew; Navarone–Armageddon; Wild Geese; Unknown Rebels

Land Sharks II, Boonie Rats, Navarone–Armageddon and Unknown Rebels advanced to the final stage.[1]

Results

[edit]
Position Team Award
1 Navarone–Armageddon US$15,000 and championship trophy
2 Land Sharks II US$5,000 and second-place trophy
3 Texas Boonie Rats US$2,000 and third-place trophy
4 Unknown Rebels Safety equipment supplied by JT Racing

The placements and awards were documented in Front Line. JT Racing was also identified as Navarone–Armageddon's sponsor.[1]

Subsequent event

[edit]

A later history published by the World Classic Paintball League records another Air Pistol Open at the New York field in 1988.[2]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. “The First International Air Pistol Open”, Front Line, September 1987, pp. 5–7. Digitised issue hosted by Old Paintball Magazines.
  2. World Classic Paintball League, WCPL NY: An Historic Field, March 2023.
[edit]
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