1987 International Air Pistol Open
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]
Navarone–Armageddon won the tournament, followed by Land Sharks II, the Texas Boonie Rats and Canada's Unknown Rebels.[1]
| 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
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]
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
Games used a 45-minute capture-the-flag format. The 32 teams were divided into eight preliminary divisions containing four teams each.
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]
Scoring
A maximum of 100 points was available in each game:
| Action | Points | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Opposing player eliminated | 2 points | 30 |
| First capture of the opposing flag | 10 points | 10 |
| Successful return of the flag | 60 points | 60 |
| Maximum game score | 100 | |
With three games in each divisional phase, a team could score a maximum of 300 points before scores were reset.[1]
Officiating
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]
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.
Officials at the control desk also recorded the location of paint marks on eliminated players to avoid confusion during later games.[1]
Participating teams
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.
| Division | Teams |
|---|---|
| Division I |
|
| Division II |
|
| Division III |
|
| Division IV |
|
| Division V |
|
| Division VI |
|
| Division VII |
|
| Division VIII |
|
Tournament progression
Eight teams advanced from the preliminary divisions. They were divided into two further groups:[1]
| Second-round division | Teams |
|---|---|
| Division I |
|
| Division II |
|
The four teams advancing to the final phase were:
- 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
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]
| Place | Team | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Navarone–Armageddon | US$15,000 and championship trophy |
| 2nd | Land Sharks II | US$5,000 and second-place trophy |
| 3rd | Boonie Rats | US$2,000 and third-place trophy |
| 4th | Unknown Rebels | Safety equipment supplied by JT Racing |
JT Racing was identified as the official sponsor of Navarone–Armageddon.[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]
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]
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
- Big Apple Tournament of Champions
- Navarone
- Jerry Braun
- National Survival Game
- 1987 NSG North American Championship
- History of tournament paintball
- Front Line (paintball magazine)
References
- 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.
- WCPL NY: An Historic Field, World Classic Paintball League. Historical account of the Newburgh venue and the 1987 and 1988 Air Pistol Open tournaments.
- 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.
- History of Paintball, Automags.org. Retrospective historical chronology describing Navarone's establishment and victory at the 1987 New York Air Pistol Open.
- Curious Paintguns, Steve Patrella, WARPIG. Retrospective account recalling the 1987 Air Pistol Open and equipment displayed at the tournament.