Laurent Hamet

Laurent Hamet is a French paintball entrepreneur, tournament organiser and sports administrator who has played a significant role in the development of competitive paintball in Europe and internationally.

He is associated with the development and commercialisation of Sup'AirBall, the founding of Facefull paintball magazine, the creation of the Millennium Series European tournament circuit, and the establishment of the European Paintball Federation (EPBF).[1][2][3]

Hamet served as president of the European Paintball Federation during the 2010s and was subsequently documented as its general secretary in 2019.[4][5]

In 2023, Major League Paintball announced his appointment as vice president of NXL Europe, continuing his involvement in international tournament administration.[6]

Laurent Hamet
Name	Laurent Hamet
Nationality	French
Occupation	Paintball entrepreneur, tournament organiser and sports administrator
Known for	Sup'AirBall, Millennium Series, Facefull, European Paintball Federation
Associated organisations	Adrenaline Games; European Paintball Federation; Millennium Series; NXL Europe
EPBF president	Documented 2013–2015
EPBF general secretary	Documented 2019
NXL Europe vice president	Appointed 2023
Years active	1990s–present

Career

Early tournament organisation

Hamet became involved in the development of international tournament paintball during the 1990s.

He was associated with the organisation of the Toulouse World Cup in France, an event that became an important fixture in European competitive paintball.

A contemporary discussion published in 2011 credited Hamet with organising the Toulouse World Cup beginning in 1992 and with contributing to the development of the seven-player tournament format.[1]

These early activities preceded the establishment of the Millennium Series and helped develop the international tournament infrastructure that emerged in Europe during the late 1990s.

Sup'AirBall

Hamet was closely associated with the development of Sup'AirBall, a system of inflatable paintball bunkers designed for competitive tournament play.

Earlier tournament fields commonly used fixed or improvised structures, which created difficulties when organising events at temporary venues.

Sup'AirBall provided a portable system of inflatable obstacles that could be installed and removed without permanently altering the playing surface.

This allowed tournament paintball to be staged at a wider range of locations, including stadiums, sports grounds and temporary outdoor venues.

A historical account of paintball's development described Hamet's involvement in the creation of the inflatable format and his work with Adrenaline Games, the company associated with Sup'AirBall.[2]

The same account described the practical advantages of the system, including faster field installation and removal.

Hamet received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Amateur Open's industry conference in recognition of his contribution to the Sup'AirBall format.[2]

Sup'AirBall subsequently became one of the most influential developments in tournament paintball field design.

Adrenaline Games

Hamet was associated with Adrenaline Games, a company involved in paintball tournament equipment and event organisation.

A 2012 contemporary account identified him as the head of Adrenaline Games, which was associated with Sup'AirBall.[3]

Historical Millennium Series documentation also identified Hamet and Adrenaline Games as contacts for major European tournament events.

In 2005, Hamet was listed as a contact for the 7-Man World Cup in Paris, while Adrenaline Games was identified in connection with event organisation and sponsorship coordination.[7]

His work through Adrenaline Games connected tournament infrastructure, equipment development and event production.

Facefull magazine

Hamet founded Facefull, a paintball magazine associated with the international competitive paintball scene.

The publication covered tournament paintball, professional players, teams, equipment and the wider paintball industry.

A contemporary 2012 account explicitly identified Hamet as the magazine's founder.[3]

Facefull became associated with European and international tournament paintball during a period when specialist magazines were important sources of tournament reporting and industry information.

The precise founding date of the publication has not been independently established in the sources used for this biography.

Millennium Series

Establishment

Hamet was one of the principal figures behind the creation of the Millennium Series, a European tournament circuit established in 1999.

The series brought together major European paintball tournaments under a common competitive structure, creating an international season with rankings and championship standings.

The historical tournament database Paintball Win Count credits Hamet with establishing the Millennium Series in 1999 by combining leading European events.[8]

The series became one of the principal international tournament circuits outside North America.

It attracted professional and amateur teams from Europe and other regions and contributed to the development of international tournament formats, event production and player registration systems.

Tournament administration

Hamet remained involved in Millennium Series administration throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

Contemporary records from 2005 identify him in connection with the Paris 7-Man World Cup and sponsorship coordination.[7]

In April 2012, paintball commentator Baca Loco described Hamet as a leading member of the Millennium Series board and an influential figure in French and European paintball.[3]

Hamet was also involved in discussions concerning the relationship between commercial tournament circuits and national or international paintball governing bodies.

World Paintball Series

Hamet participated in efforts to connect tournament results from different international circuits.

At the 2001 NPPL World Cup, he presented a trophy to Ground Zero for winning the World Paintball Series.

The World Paintball Series combined results from NPPL tournaments in the United States, Millennium Series events in Europe and selected other major competitions to produce international team rankings.[9]

This represented an early effort to coordinate competitive paintball standings across multiple international tournament organisations.

Transition to NXL Europe

The Millennium Series continued operating until its acquisition by the National Xball League in 2018.

The acquisition led to the establishment of NXL Europe as the successor European tournament circuit.[10]

Hamet subsequently continued his involvement in European tournament administration through the NXL Europe organisation.

European Paintball Federation

Establishment and leadership

Hamet was a leading figure in the establishment and development of the European Paintball Federation.

The federation was created to bring together national paintball associations and establish a continental structure for the administration and development of competitive paintball.

A contemporary 2012 account described Hamet as a principal driving force behind EPBF and efforts to develop national and international paintball federations.[3]

The federation's 2013 annual report identified Hamet as president and Patrice Guigou as general secretary.[4]

The report also listed Hamet as a member of the federation's competitions committee.

EPBF's 2015 presentation continued to identify Hamet as president and named him chairman of the competitions commission.[11]

European national-team championships

During Hamet's presidency, EPBF developed European championships for national representative teams.

These competitions operated alongside established European tournament events, including those of the Millennium Series.

Hamet's involvement in both the federation and the commercial tournament circuit helped connect national-team competition with the existing European tournament infrastructure.

The federation's official records document its work on championship regulations, national federation participation and international competition planning.[4][12]

Competition development

Hamet participated in discussions concerning new tournament formats and methods of reducing the cost of competitive paintball.

At an EPBF congress documented in 2015, he presented the M500 competition concept, which limited the quantity of paintballs players could carry during a match.

The proposed format was intended to reduce paint expenditure and potentially shorten matches.

The congress record stated that the format had been demonstrated at a Millennium Series event in Puget-sur-Argens, France.[12]

The same proceedings discussed alternative formats for women's national-team championships, including smaller team sizes intended to make participation more accessible to countries with fewer female players.

These proposals illustrate Hamet's involvement in tournament development beyond the administration of existing competitions.

Youth development

At an EPBF congress held in Barcelona in December 2016, Hamet emphasised the importance of youth development to the future of European paintball.

The congress proceedings record his argument that national federations should develop programmes to introduce younger participants to the sport.

He also encouraged cooperation between federations with established youth programmes and those seeking to develop similar initiatives.[13]

General secretary

By February 2019, Hamet was serving as general secretary of the European Paintball Federation.

Official minutes of an executive committee meeting held in Amsterdam on 11 February 2019 identified:

Ainsley Baddeley — president
Laurent Hamet — general secretary
Ulrich Staehr — senior vice-president
Laurent Capron — French Paintball Federation representative
Patrice Guigou — EPBF co-founder and French Paintball Federation representative

The minutes also documented Hamet's involvement in financial discussions, European championship planning and relations with the United Paintball Federation.[5]

The precise date on which Hamet ceased serving as EPBF president and assumed the general secretary position has not been established.

International paintball governance

Hamet was involved in initiatives intended to coordinate paintball competition internationally.

His work with EPBF and the Millennium Series placed him in discussions concerning national federations, international championships and common tournament regulations.

In a published interview concerning the proposed Worldwide Paintball Organization (WPBO), Hamet described plans to coordinate major international tournament circuits, including the NXL, Millennium Series and Paintball Asia League Series.

The proposed structure was intended to address international rules, refereeing, player identification, field layouts, calendars, rankings and statistics.[14]

These activities reflected broader efforts during the 2010s to standardise international competitive paintball.

NXL Europe

Appointment as vice president

In 2023, Major League Paintball announced that Hamet had joined its organisation as vice president of NXL Europe.[6]

The appointment was part of a wider effort to expand and develop the European tournament circuit.

The announcement described Hamet as an experienced tournament organiser whose knowledge of European paintball would contribute to the league's development.

The organisation's published leadership directory subsequently identified Hamet as vice president of NXL Europe, alongside Barry Fuggle as director of NXL Europe.[15]

Continuing involvement

Hamet's appointment continued a career in European tournament administration extending from the 1990s through the Millennium Series and into the NXL era.

His responsibilities and activities have evolved alongside changes in the structure of international competitive paintball.

His association with NXL Europe represents a continuation of his involvement in tournament development and administration rather than the establishment of a new independent circuit.

Contributions to paintball

Hamet's career has included involvement in several developments that influenced modern competitive paintball.

Area	Documented contribution	Sources
Tournament infrastructure	Development and promotion of Sup'AirBall inflatable tournament fields	[2][3]
Tournament organisation	Organisation of major European events, including the Toulouse World Cup	[1][2]
Paintball media	Founding of Facefull magazine	[3]
European tournament competition	Creation and administration of the Millennium Series	[3][8]
International rankings	Participation in the World Paintball Series	[9]
Continental governance	Leadership of the European Paintball Federation	[4][5][11]
Competition development	Proposals concerning M500, national-team formats and youth development	[12][13]
Modern European competition	Vice president of NXL Europe	[6][15]

Recognition

Hamet received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Amateur Open's industry conference for his contribution to the development of Sup'AirBall.[2]

His work has also been recognised in contemporary paintball reporting, particularly in relation to European tournament organisation and the development of continental and international competition structures.[3]

Historical significance

Laurent Hamet is one of the figures associated with the transition of competitive paintball from locally organised tournaments toward internationally coordinated professional and amateur competition.

His work encompassed tournament infrastructure, publishing, event promotion, league administration and sports governance.

The development of Sup'AirBall helped make temporary tournament fields more practical and adaptable to major sporting venues.

The Millennium Series provided an international competitive structure for European paintball, while EPBF sought to establish representation through national governing bodies.

His later involvement with NXL Europe connected his earlier work in European tournament administration with the modern international league structure.

Together, these activities represent a sustained contribution to the development of competitive paintball over several decades.

Timeline

Year	Event
1992	Associated with the establishment of the Toulouse World Cup, according to a contemporary historical account
1990s	Involved in the development and promotion of Sup'AirBall
1999	Credited with establishing the Millennium Series European tournament circuit
2001	Presents the World Paintball Series championship trophy to Ground Zero at the NPPL World Cup
2005	Documented as a contact for the Paris 7-Man World Cup and Millennium Series sponsorship coordination
2012	Identified as a leading Millennium Series board member and a principal figure behind EPBF
2013	Documented as president of the European Paintball Federation
2015	Continues as EPBF president and competitions commission chairman
2015	Presents the M500 competition concept at an EPBF congress
2016	Advocates youth development at an EPBF congress in Barcelona
2019	Documented as EPBF general secretary
2023	Appointed vice president of NXL Europe

References

"View from the Deadbox — July 2011", View from the Deadbox, July 2011. Contemporary discussion crediting Laurent Hamet with contributions including the Toulouse World Cup, seven-player paintball, the Millennium Series, Sup'AirBall and Facefull. Some historical attributions are statements by a participant in the discussion rather than independently verified records.
"History of Paintball", Automags.org. Reproduction of historical material concerning the development of Sup'AirBall, Laurent Hamet's involvement, and recognition at the International Amateur Open industry conference.
"The MS: The Big Picture", View from the Deadbox, 8 April 2012. Contemporary commentary identifying Hamet as a Millennium Series board member, founder of Facefull, head of Adrenaline Games and a principal figure in the European Paintball Federation.
"EPBF 2013 Annual Report", European Paintball Federation, 2013. Official annual report identifying Laurent Hamet as president and documenting the federation's governance structure.
"EPBF Executive Committee Meeting — Amsterdam, 11 February 2019", European Paintball Federation. Official meeting minutes identifying Ainsley Baddeley as president and Laurent Hamet as general secretary.
"The NXL Europe Season Preview: New Growth through the Major League of Paintball", National Xball League, 2023. Official announcement identifying Laurent Hamet as vice president of NXL Europe.
"Millennium Series 2005 Infos", PBHub.de, 2005. Historical tournament information identifying Laurent Hamet and Adrenaline Games in connection with the Paris 7-Man World Cup and sponsorship coordination.
"NXL Europe / Millennium Series", Paintball Win Count. Historical competition database crediting Laurent Hamet with the establishment of the Millennium Series in 1999.
"2001 NPPL World Cup", WARPIG, 2001. Contemporary tournament report documenting Laurent Hamet presenting Ground Zero with the World Paintball Series championship trophy.
"NXL Europe", Major League Paintball. Official overview identifying the establishment of NXL Europe in 2018 following the acquisition of the Millennium Series.
"What Is EPBF?", European Paintball Federation, 2015. Official presentation identifying Laurent Hamet as president and chairman of the competitions commission.
"EPBF Congress Proceedings", European Paintball Federation. Official proceedings documenting discussions of the M500 competition format and women's national-team championships.
"Third EPBF Congress — Barcelona, 10 December 2016", European Paintball Federation. Official congress proceedings documenting Hamet's comments on youth development and competition administration.
"EPBF / Millennium 2016", Russian Paintball Federation forum. Published interview with Laurent Hamet discussing the Worldwide Paintball Organization and international competition coordination.
"Leadership", Major League Paintball. Official leadership directory identifying Laurent Hamet as vice president of NXL Europe.

External links