Jono Clark

For the Dunedin-based tournament player, see Jono C Clark.

Jono Clark is a New Zealand professional paintball player and former paintball field operator. Originally from the Wellington region, Clark competed in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other international tournaments. His career included appearances with British professional team Manchester Shockwave and the operation of North Shore Paintball in Auckland.

Clark was among the New Zealand players who entered European professional tournament paintball during the early 2000s. He subsequently returned to New Zealand, where he was involved in developing competitive paintball facilities and organising tournament activity.

His playing career is documented in an October 2005 interview published by Paintball.co.nz, subsequent Australian tournament reporting and international competition records.

Playing career

Early career in Wellington

Clark began competing in tournament paintball around 2000.

Originally from Tawa in the Wellington region, he developed his competitive experience through local paintball teams and facilities.

In an October 2005 interview with Paintball.co.nz, Clark identified several teams from his early career, including:

Clark was introduced to competitive paintball through Wellington's established tournament community.

He identified Rob Blitz, the operator of Tag Wargames, as an important influence on his early development.

Another significant connection was Ian "Beaker" Miller, who helped introduce Clark to Evil Sharks.

During this period, Wellington supported a competitive paintball community through local tournaments, field-based training and participation in national events. [1]

Professional career in the United Kingdom

Clark moved into international tournament paintball during the early 2000s, competing with teams in the United Kingdom.

His documented British team associations included:

Manchester Shockwave was an established British professional paintball team competing in European and international tournaments.

The team participated in the Millennium Series, which attracted professional teams from across Europe and North America.

Clark's involvement placed him among the New Zealand players competing at professional level overseas during the early development of modern speedball.

His international playing experience also included tournaments in Australia, Hawaii and the continental United States.

During his time in the United Kingdom, Clark worked for paintball equipment manufacturer Planet Eclipse.

His overseas career was discussed in an October 2005 interview published by Paintball.co.nz. [1][2]

International tournament experience

By 2005, Clark had accumulated experience in several international tournament circuits.

His career included participation in European professional paintball and tournaments in the Asia-Pacific region.

In his October 2005 interview, Clark discussed the differences between New Zealand tournament paintball and competition overseas, including the greater availability of professional teams, regular training and established tournament infrastructure.

His international experience also influenced his subsequent involvement in tournament paintball development in New Zealand. [1]

Continued international competition

Clark remained active in competitive paintball after returning to New Zealand.

In July 2014, Australian paintball retailer Paintballshop.com published a report on the second round of the 2014 Super 7s Series.

The report, written by Sydney SWAT player Dave Black, identified Clark as a veteran New Zealand professional player.

Clark had been expected to join Sydney SWAT for the event but withdrew before the tournament.

The team subsequently recruited San Diego Dynasty player Blake Yarber as a replacement.

The report confirms Clark's continued involvement with Australian professional competition during the 2010s, although it does not establish that he played in that particular round. [3]

New Zealand national team

Clark was a member of the New Zealand squad entered in the 2015 Paintball Nations Cup in Langkawi, Malaysia.

The team competed in the Open X-Ball division.

The documented squad included:

The team's participation is recorded in historical PBLeagues tournament records. [4]

North Shore Paintball

Establishment

Following his international playing career, Clark became involved in operating North Shore Paintball in the Auckland region.

North Shore Paintball Limited was incorporated in New Zealand on 15 October 2008.

The company was registered under company number 2182318, with an address in Silverdale, Auckland.

Historical company records identify Jonathan Richard Clark as a director.

The company was removed from the register on 19 November 2012. This corporate record does not independently establish the date on which the playing facility ceased operating. [5]

Tournament facilities

North Shore Paintball operated a purpose-built speedball field designed for competitive tournament play.

The venue was notable for its permanent artificial-turf playing surface, introduced when New Zealand tournament paintball was predominantly played on grass or temporary competition fields.

The facility was promoted as New Zealand's first AstroTurf tournament paintball field.

The turf surface provided a dedicated environment for training and competition using inflatable speedball bunkers.

North Shore Paintball hosted training sessions and organised competitive events.

The facility contributed to the development of tournament paintball infrastructure in the Auckland region during the late 2000s and early 2010s. [6]

Greater Auckland Open

North Shore Paintball was associated with the Greater Auckland Open, a tournament promoted for 20-21 November 2010.

The competition was advertised using a race-to-seven format and the 2010 Paintball Sports Promotions tournament field layout.

Promotional material also advertised filming by paintball media company DerDer Productions.

The tournament formed part of the development of X-Ball competition in Auckland before the establishment of later regional and national race series. [6]

Later involvement in New Zealand paintball

Clark remained associated with New Zealand tournament paintball after the North Shore Paintball period.

His career included participation in international tournaments and involvement with the wider Auckland competitive paintball community.

He has also been associated with competitive teams training at Asylum Paintball in Kingseat, Auckland.

The precise dates, team rosters and tournament results for this later period have not been comprehensively documented.

Contribution to New Zealand paintball

Clark's career spans several periods of New Zealand tournament paintball development.

His early involvement in Wellington placed him within the national tournament community of the early 2000s.

His subsequent participation with professional teams in the United Kingdom provided international playing experience at a time when relatively few New Zealand players competed regularly in European professional tournaments.

Through North Shore Paintball, Clark also became involved in developing dedicated speedball facilities in Auckland.

His playing, international experience and field operations form part of the documented history of competitive paintball in New Zealand.

Teams

Teams associated with Clark's career include:

These associations cover different periods of his career and do not represent a single continuous roster.

References

Rob Maddox, interview with Jono Clark, Paintball.co.nz, October 2005. Archived interview previously transcribed from the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Original archived article URL requires recovery.
WARPIG, Millennium Series Toulouse 2002. Contemporary coverage of Manchester Shockwave's participation in European professional paintball. This documents the team, not Clark's individual roster membership.
Dave Black, Super 7s Round 2 Wrap Up!, Paintballshop.com, 19 July 2014. Identifies Jono Clark as a veteran New Zealand professional player and confirms his withdrawal from the tournament.
PBLeagues, New Zealand national team, 2015. Historical team profile; detailed roster requires login.
Business Profiles, North Shore Paintball Limited, company 2182318. Incorporation date, company director and removal date.
Greater Auckland Open tournament promotional flyer, 20-21 November 2010. Historical promotional material supplied to WikiPaintball research, October 2026.

External links