Brian Thornley

Brian Thornley, known as B2, is a New Zealand-based tournament paintball player and co-founder of Combat Zone Paintball Dunedin. His playing career includes Flashpoint, Team Kiwi and Chaos. According to a firsthand contributor account, he was the oldest known paintball player still competing in New Zealand as of October 2026.[1]

A video posted on Mark Kressin's Instagram account identifies Thornley as 70 years old and states that he began playing paintball in 1984.[2]

Playing career

Thornley's reported playing history spans more than four decades. Mark Kressin's Instagram video gives his starting year as 1984, while a firsthand contributor account confirms his continued participation in tournament speedball with Chaos in October 2026.[1][2]

Team Kiwi

In 2004, Thornley travelled to Malaysia with Team Kiwi, alongside Kyn Jackson, Brendon Charles, Peter Mumby and Martin Dannefaerd. The team competed at Xtion Paintball in Kuala Lumpur and finished fifth. Its participation was documented in a tournament report published by NZ Paintball Online and preserved through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.[3]

Flashpoint

Thornley previously played for Flashpoint. In a retrospective social media post, he identified Flashpoint as his former team while sharing footage of its match against Blindboyz at Grenada Field in Wellington in 2007.[4]

Chaos

By October 2026, Thornley was competing with Chaos in New Zealand tournament paintball.[1]

Combat Zone Paintball

Brian and Gaye Thornley founded Combat Zone Paintball in Abbotsford, Dunedin, in 2005. The company's own history identifies Brian's competitive playing experience as part of the background to the business.[5]

An October 2013 profile in the Otago Daily Times documented Thornley's operation of the venue, which hosted club days, public games and competitions. By that time, the property incorporated three paintball fields.[6]

References

Firsthand contributor account supplied on 24 October 2026. Identifies Thornley's nickname as B2, confirms his participation with Chaos, and describes him as the oldest known paintball player currently competing in New Zealand.
Video featuring Brian Thornley. Mark Kressin, Instagram. Identifies Thornley as 70 years old and states that he began playing paintball in 1984. Video contents reported by a contributor on 24 October 2026.
Michael Earley, report on Team Kiwi's 2004 Malaysian tournament appearance. NZ Paintball Online. Archived through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine; a copy was supplied by a contributor. Documents the playing roster and fifth-place finish.
Flashpoint vs Blindboyz at Grenada Field, Wellington, 2007. Brian Bman Thornley, Facebook.
About Us. Combat Zone Paintball. Identifies Brian and Gaye Thornley as the founders and dates the business to 2005.
Rosie Manins, Best of both worlds. Otago Daily Times, 8 October 2013.

External links