|
|
| (One intermediate revision by the same user not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{Short description|New Zealand paintball retailer and early online paintball business}}
| | '''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. |
| | |
| '''Paintball Express''' was a New Zealand paintball equipment retailer active during the mid-1990s. Headquartered in Henderson, Auckland, the business also advertised operations in Wellington, Dunedin and Sydney, Australia.[1][2] | |
| | |
| Paintball Express was an early adopter of electronic retailing within New Zealand paintball. By late 1995 it operated a dial-up bulletin board and fax-on-demand service. In 1996 it launched a commercial website at '''paintball.co.nz''', through which customers could view products, obtain prices and place orders online.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| The paintball.co.nz domain was subsequently taken over by [[Rob Maddox]], who redeveloped it as [[Paintball.co.nz|New Zealand Paintball Online]], a community information and discussion website.[4]
| |
|
| |
|
| == History == | | == History == |
|
| |
|
| === Auckland headquarters ===
| | 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] |
| | |
| Paintball Express operated from 1 Buscomb Avenue, Henderson, Auckland. An official ''New Zealand Gazette'' notice published in January 1995 records Paintball Express at that address as an applicant for tariff assistance concerning approved paintball eye-protection goggles.[1] | |
| | |
| Contemporary advertisements described the Auckland location as the company's New Zealand headquarters. Paintball Express supplied markers, paintballs, goggles, barrels, air systems and other player and field equipment.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| The company also supplied equipment for magazine reviews. Contemporary articles credited Lukas of Paintball Express with providing markers including the Kingman Spyder for evaluation.[5]
| |
| | |
| === Regional and Australian operations ===
| |
| | |
| By late 1995, Paintball Express advertised operations in Auckland, Wellington and Sydney.[2] A South Island outlet in Dunedin was listed by early 1996.[3]
| |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| ! Operation
| |
| ! Documented address
| |
| ! Period documented
| |
| |-
| |
| | Paintball Express New Zealand headquarters
| |
| | 1 Buscomb Avenue, Henderson, Auckland
| |
| | 1995–1996
| |
| |-
| |
| | Paintball Express Wellington
| |
| | 312 Mitchell Street, Brooklyn, Wellington
| |
| | 1995–1996
| |
| |-
| |
| | Paintball Express South Island
| |
| | 19 Fitzroy Street, Dunedin
| |
| | 1996
| |
| |-
| |
| | Paintball Express Australia
| |
| | Suite 3, 28 Langston Place, Epping, Sydney
| |
| | 1995
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| The Sydney operation was associated with Australian tournament player and field operator Welf Herfurth. Together with Adventure Quest Games, it provided equipment, advice and access to playing fields for Sydney HEAT.[6]
| |
| | |
| The surviving records do not establish the corporate relationship between the New Zealand headquarters and each regional operation, or when the individual outlets closed.
| |
| | |
| == Electronic retail services ==
| |
| | |
| === Fax-on-demand ===
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express operated a fax-on-demand service through its Auckland telephone system. Customers could call from a fax-machine handset and follow recorded instructions to retrieve current price lists.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| This allowed the company to distribute updated information electronically without requiring customers to wait for a printed catalogue to arrive by post.
| |
| | |
| === Paintball Express BBS ===
| |
| | |
| By late 1995, customers with a computer and modem could call the Auckland fax and data number to access the '''Paintball Express Bulletin Board System'''. The service initially offered downloadable product listings.[2]
| |
| | |
| By early 1996, Paintball Express advertised the following material through its BBS:
| |
| | |
| * Price lists
| |
| * Product photographs
| |
| * Equipment information
| |
| * Other company material
| |
| | |
| The BBS and fax-on-demand service used the same Auckland number, with customers selecting either computer data or fax access.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| === Paintball.co.nz ===
| |
| | |
| A December 1995 advertisement stated that Paintball Express expected to establish its own internet website early the following year.[2]
| |
| | |
| By the April–June 1996 issue of ''Australian Paintballer'', the website was operating at:
| |
| | |
| '''http://www.paintball.co.nz'''
| |
|
| |
|
| Paintball Express advertised the site as providing prices, product photographs, equipment details and online ordering. The company used the email address '''pbexp@paintball.co.nz'''.[3] | | 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] |
|
| |
|
| An October 1996 directory of internet-connected New Zealand organisations independently listed paintball.co.nz as belonging to Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland.[7] The same association appeared in the directory in March 1997.[8]
| | 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] |
|
| |
|
| These records establish that Paintball Express operated both the domain and a public commercial website by 1996.
| | A South Island outlet at 19 Fitzroy Street, Dunedin, was listed in 1996.[4] |
|
| |
|
| === Transfer to New Zealand Paintball Online === | | == Online services == |
|
| |
|
| The paintball.co.nz domain was subsequently taken over by Auckland tournament player and writer [[Rob Maddox]]. Maddox redeveloped the site as '''New Zealand Paintball Online'''.[4]
| | 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] |
|
| |
|
| Under Maddox, the website changed from the commercial Paintball Express site into a wider community resource. Its documented services included:
| | 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] |
|
| |
|
| * Tournament reports and historical articles
| | 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] |
| * A national paintball-field directory
| |
| * The NZ Paintball Message Boards
| |
| * An online chat facility
| |
| * Equipment and technical information
| |
| * Material concerning paintball organisations and regulation
| |
|
| |
|
| The later community website retained the paintball.co.nz address but represented a separate phase in the domain's history.
| | 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] |
|
| |
|
| == Early online paintball in New Zealand == | | == Team associations == |
|
| |
|
| Paintball Express operated during a transitional period in which New Zealand paintball communication was moving from printed catalogues, telephone calls and postal correspondence towards bulletin-board and internet services. | | 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] |
|
| |
|
| Several distinct electronic services were operating or being promoted by 1995 and 1996:
| | 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. |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| ! Service
| |
| ! Operator or association
| |
| ! Documented function
| |
| |-
| |
| | Paintball Express BBS
| |
| | Paintball Express
| |
| | Product listings, photographs, prices and company information
| |
| |-
| |
| | paintball.co.nz
| |
| | Paintball Express
| |
| | Online catalogue, product information and ordering
| |
| |-
| |
| | PaintNet
| |
| | Members of [[Kamo Karzi]]
| |
| | Player discussions, technical advice, team communication and event notices
| |
| |-
| |
| | Mordor BBS
| |
| | Associated with [[Rob Maddox]]
| |
| | Auckland access point for PaintNet
| |
| |-
| |
| | OtherNet.PaintNet
| |
| | PaintNet
| |
| | PaintNet messages distributed through Usenet
| |
| |-
| |
| | New Zealand Paintball Online
| |
| | Rob Maddox
| |
| | Articles, field directory, message boards and community information
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| === PaintNet ===
| |
| | |
| '''PaintNet''' was a free computer network operated by members of the Auckland tournament team [[Kamo Karzi]]. A 1995 article by Rob Maddox described the service as being used by tournament players, recreational players and people seeking introductory information about paintball.[9]
| |
| | |
| Its documented subjects included:
| |
| | |
| * General player discussions
| |
| * Playing tactics
| |
| * Technical information and advice
| |
| * Team communication
| |
| * Equipment and game advertising
| |
| * Notices of forthcoming events
| |
| | |
| By the end of 1995, nine bulletin boards were regularly receiving PaintNet messages. The network also posted messages nightly to the '''OtherNet.PaintNet''' areas available through Usenet.[9]
| |
| | |
| PaintNet users could connect through participating bulletin boards, including Mordor BBS in Auckland. Maddox was listed as the contact for field operators, magazines and bulletin-board administrators interested in carrying the network.[9]
| |
| | |
| PaintNet also organised an InterBBS four-player stock-class tournament with assistance from Kamo Karzi members, Saints players and the operator of Commando One.[9]
| |
| | |
| === Mordor BBS ===
| |
| | |
| Mordor BBS operated from Auckland and was one of the documented access points for PaintNet. It was available continuously through a dial-up modem connection and supported connection speeds of up to 24 kilobits per second.[2][9]
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express advertisements promoted Mordor BBS as a network operated by paintball players for paintball players.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| The Paintball Express BBS and Mordor BBS were separate services. The former distributed commercial product information, while Mordor carried PaintNet discussions and community material.
| |
| | |
| === Relationship with PaintNet ===
| |
| | |
| Although Paintball Express promoted Mordor BBS and PaintNet in its advertising, the surviving sources identify PaintNet as an initiative operated by Kamo Karzi members.[9]
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express should therefore be described as a promoter of PaintNet rather than its owner. Its own documented electronic services were the Paintball Express BBS, fax-on-demand system and original paintball.co.nz commercial website.
| |
| | |
| === Usenet and the wider internet ===
| |
| | |
| New Zealand paintball players also had access to international internet discussion groups including '''rec.sport.paintball''' and '''alt.sport.paintball'''. PaintNet extended this activity through its own OtherNet.PaintNet distribution areas.[9]
| |
| | |
| The emergence of these services allowed New Zealand players to communicate with other players, tournament organisers, equipment suppliers and manufacturers without depending exclusively on telephone calls, printed publications or meetings at commercial fields.
| |
| | |
| == Products and industry activity ==
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express supplied equipment to individual players, teams and commercial field operators. Its documented product range included pump and semi-automatic markers, loaders, gas bottles, goggles, barrels, paintballs and accessories.[2][3]
| |
| | |
| The company supplied markers for independent magazine evaluation, including the Spyder and semi-automatic Sterling models.[5] Its Australian operation also stocked compressed-air equipment, including the Air America UniReg system.[10]
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express contributed a gift voucher to the prize package for an Australian one-on-one tournament promoted for early 1996.[11]
| |
| | |
| These activities indicate that the company participated in both New Zealand and Australian tournament paintball markets rather than operating solely as a local Auckland retailer.
| |
| | |
| == Historical significance ==
| |
| | |
| Paintball Express represents an early documented example of online commercial activity within New Zealand paintball. Its information and ordering services developed through several stages:
| |
| | |
| # Printed catalogues ordered by telephone, fax or post.
| |
| # Automated fax-on-demand price lists.
| |
| # A dial-up BBS providing electronic product information.
| |
| # A World Wide Web catalogue with online ordering.
| |
| | |
| The company was operating a public commercial website at paintball.co.nz by early 1996.[3] Contemporary domain records continued to associate the address with Paintball Express during 1996 and 1997.[7][8]
| |
| | |
| The later transfer of the domain to Rob Maddox connected two phases of New Zealand online paintball history: the early Paintball Express retail website and the subsequent New Zealand Paintball Online community resource.[4]
| |
| | |
| Alongside the independently operated PaintNet and Mordor BBS, these services document the development of electronic communication among New Zealand paintball players before web forums and social-media platforms became the principal means of distributing information.
| |
|
| |
|
| == See also == | | == See also == |
|
| |
|
| * [[Paintball.co.nz]] | | * [[Early online paintball in New Zealand]] |
| * [[PaintNet]] | | * [[PaintNet (New Zealand)]] |
| * [[Rob Maddox]] | | * [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)]] |
| * [[Kamo Karzi]]
| |
| * [[Mercenaries Star]]
| |
| * [[Paintball in New Zealand]] | | * [[Paintball in New Zealand]] |
| * [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]
| |
|
| |
|
| == References == | | == References == |
|
| |
|
| # [https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1995/issue/2/page/82 New Zealand Gazette, issue 2, page 82], 17 January 1995. Records Paintball Express at 1 Buscomb Avenue, Henderson, as an applicant concerning approved paintball eye protection. | | # [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'', December 1995–February 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. | | # ''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'', April–June 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. | | # ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. Lists company locations, bulletin-board access, fax-on-demand and plans for a website. |
| # Historical information supplied to WikiPaintball research, October 2026. Records the transfer of paintball.co.nz from Paintball Express to Rob Maddox for New Zealand Paintball Online.
| | # ''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. |
| # ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, equipment reviews acknowledging Lukas and Paintball Express. | | # [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”. |
| # ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, Sydney HEAT team news and Paintball Express Australia references.
| | # [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”. |
| # [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/K-_GOvxpI0Y Mark Davies, "Internet Connected Organisations in New Zealand"], ''nz.net.announce'', 1 October 1996. | | # 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. |
| # [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/DCAREJCfNYo Mark Davies, "Internet Connected Organisations in New Zealand"], ''nz.net.announce'', 31 March 1997. | |
| # Rob Maddox, "Using the Net to Catch New Players", ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996. | |
| # ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, Air America UniReg report.
| |
| # ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, one-on-one tournament advertisement and prize listing.
| |
| | |
| == External links ==
| |
| | |
| * [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/ Archived versions of paintball.co.nz]
| |
| * [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/K-_GOvxpI0Y 1996 New Zealand internet directory listing]
| |
| * [https://groups.google.com/g/nz.net.announce/c/DCAREJCfNYo 1997 New Zealand internet directory listing]
| |
|
| |
|
| [[Category:New Zealand paintball companies]] | | [[Category:Paintball companies]] |
| [[Category:Paintball retailers]] | | [[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]] |
| [[Category:Paintball websites]]
| | [[Category:New Zealand retailers]] |
| [[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
| |
| [[Category:Internet history in New Zealand]] | |
| [[Category:1990s in paintball]]
| |
Paintball Express was a New Zealand paintball importer and retailer operating during the mid-1990s. Based in Henderson, Auckland, the business sponsored the Saints paintball team and was an early commercial user of bulletin-board and World Wide Web services within New Zealand paintball.
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, 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]
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 through Mordor BBS. PaintNet was operated independently by members of the Auckland team Kamo Karzi and was not a Paintball Express service.[3][7]
Paintball Express sponsored the 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.
- 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.
- New Zealand Internet domain directory, October 1996. Lists paintball.co.nz as “Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland”.
- 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.
