1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals
The New Zealand Paintball Nationals 1998 was a national tournament paintball event held on 24–25 October 1998 at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū, Auckland, New Zealand. Fourteen teams competed in a five-player format.[1]
Saints Gold won the tournament with 1,290 points from a possible 1,300. Paint Contractors finished second and Saints Grey placed third.[1]
The tournament was the final major event held at Actions Paintball's Te Atatū field before the business relocated.[1]
Organisation
The tournament was held during New Zealand's Labour Weekend and was organised by Kyn Jackson of Actions Paintball.[1]
Fourteen teams attended, making it the largest paintball tournament held in New Zealand up to that point, according to the contemporary report.[1]
Mike Sawyer served as head marshal, assisted by Aaron Jay. Sawyer reported that the tournament proceeded with few disputes and generally remained on schedule. Jay commented positively on the conduct and honesty of the participating players.[1]
The report recorded some concerns from teams about consistency in the refereeing, while noting that the marshals were working with limited personnel. Discussion surrounding the event included the possibility of establishing formal marshal training.
Venue
The tournament was held at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū.
The facility was used for both tournament and recreational paintball. The 1998 Nationals was reported as its final event before closure for relocation.[1]
Some participating teams considered the fields unevenly balanced, with Flashpoint specifically identifying the bush field as a concern. The available report does not preserve a complete field layout.
Teams
Fourteen teams entered the tournament:[1]
| Team | Recorded region |
|---|---|
| Red Alert | Auckland |
| DOA | Auckland |
| Warp Speed | Hawke's Bay |
| Katipo One | Auckland |
| Katipo Two | Auckland |
| Flashpoint | Dunedin |
| Phantom 5 | Auckland |
| Kamo Karzi | Auckland |
| Black Dragon | Auckland |
| Paint Contractors | Whangārei |
| House Steiner | Wellington |
| Kiwi Extreme | Wellington |
| Saints Grey | Auckland |
| Saints Gold | Auckland |
The contemporary report gave particular recognition to teams travelling from outside Auckland, including Warp Speed, Flashpoint, Paint Contractors, House Steiner and Kiwi Extreme.[1]
The event was described as Kiwi Extreme's first Auckland tournament.
Tournament
Saints Gold, captained by Rik Goldsworthy, approached a perfect tournament score but lost ten points following a barrel-plug violation in the dead box on the second day.[1]
Paint Contractors finished second with 1,008 points. The team was among several entrants identified by participants as demonstrating the improving standard of New Zealand tournament paintball.
Kamo Karzi competed with a substitute roster during part of the event and finished 11th. Team captain Alan Gatland identified its game against Warp Speed as a notable example of teamwork.[1]
Katipo One, the winner of the 1997 Nationals, finished sixth. Captain Reg Lowe stated that the team had not prepared as well as intended but praised the standard demonstrated by Kiwi Extreme, Paint Contractors and House Steiner.[1]
Results
The final standings were:[1]
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saints Gold | 1,290 |
| 2 | Paint Contractors | 1,008 |
| 3 | Saints Grey | 970 |
| 4 | House Steiner | 940 |
| 5 | Black Dragon | 884 |
| 6 | Katipo One | 771 |
| 7 | Katipo Two | 625 |
| 8 | Kiwi Extreme | 545 |
| 9 | Phantom 5 | 505 |
| 10 | Flashpoint | 455 |
| 11 | Kamo Karzi | 435 |
| 12 | Warp Speed | 225 |
| 13 | DOA | 141 |
| 14 | Red Alert | 121 |
Black Dragon was also identified as the winner of the tournament's Second Division classification.[1]
Awards
Several awards and recognitions were presented after the tournament:[1]
| Award | Recipient | Team | Recorded reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Tournament | Shane | Warp Speed | Effort and sportsmanship |
| Best Flag Pull | Rob Maddox | Kamo Karzi | Flag pull against Katipo One |
| Special recognition | Marty Friend | Not stated in the report | Hanging the flag two and a half minutes after the opposing team had been eliminated in 35 seconds |
The report identifies the Player of the Tournament only as Shane. His surname should not be added without another source.
Award recipients received Actions Paintball medallions. Prizes and trophies were provided by Actions Paintball with sponsorship from Black Stallion energy drinks.[1]
Challenge Shield
The Challenge Shield was returned to Saints Gold following its tournament victory.[1]
The report stated that Katipo had won the shield from Saints Black at the 1997 Nationals while Saints Gold was competing at the Paintball World Cup in Orlando.
The surviving source does not establish the shield's complete history or the rules governing its defence.
Calls for national organisation
During the prizegiving, Kyn Jackson discussed the need for a national organisation to support the administration and maintenance of tournament standards in New Zealand.[1]
The contemporary report referred to the idea of a New Zealand Paintball Players Association. The statement documents discussion at the event but does not, by itself, establish that a new organisation was formed as a direct result of the tournament.
Historical documentation
The tournament was documented in a contemporary report by Rob Maddox, originally published through Paintball.co.nz.[1]
The report preserves the event date, venue, team entries, regional associations, final scores, awards and comments from several participants and officials.
The archived article also included photographs of Kiwi Extreme, Warp Speed, Red Alert, Flashpoint, Paint Contractors, House Steiner, Saints Grey and Katipo.
See also
- New Zealand Paintball Nationals
- Actions Paintball
- Saints
- Paint Contractors
- Black Dragon
- Paintball.co.nz