Charles Gaines
Charles Latham Gaines (6 January 1942 – 21 July 2026) was an American writer, outdoorsman, screenwriter and paintball pioneer. Alongside Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsey, he developed the Survival Game, the recreational activity that became modern paintball. Gaines participated in the first widely documented organised paintball game, held near Henniker, New Hampshire, on 27 June 1981.[1][2]
Gaines played a central role in the creation and early commercialisation of paintball. He was involved in the original experiments with paint-firing marking pistols in October 1980 and subsequently helped establish National Survival Game (NSG), the company responsible for introducing the activity to a wider audience. Within the business, Gaines was principally responsible for publicity and promotion.[1]
Outside paintball, Gaines was best known for his literary career. He wrote the novel Stay Hungry (1972), which was adapted into a 1976 film, and collaborated with photographer and filmmaker George Butler on Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding (1974). The book and subsequent 1977 documentary helped introduce competitive bodybuilding and Arnold Schwarzenegger to a mainstream audience.[3][4]
Gaines also wrote extensively about fishing, hunting, mountaineering and outdoor adventure. He was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2018 and received the American Museum of Fly Fishing's Heritage Award in 2026.[5][6]
In February/March 2024, Gaines published an extensive firsthand account of paintball's origins in Garden & Gun, documenting the original experiments, first organised game and commercial development of National Survival Game.[1]
| Full name | Charles Latham Gaines |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 January 1942 |
| Birthplace | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Died | 21 July 2026 (aged 84) |
| Place of death | Monastery, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Writer, screenwriter, outdoorsman and entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founding modern paintball; Pumping Iron; Stay Hungry |
| Paintball involvement | 1980–2026 |
| Organisation founded | National Survival Game |
| Collaborators | Hayes Noel, Bob Gurnsey |
| First organised paintball game | 27 June 1981 |
| Other interests | Bodybuilding, fly fishing, hunting, mountaineering and conservation |
| Spouse | Patricia Ellisor Gaines |
| Children | Three |
| Notable recognition | Alabama Writers Hall of Fame (2018); Truman Capote Prize (2020); American Museum of Fly Fishing Heritage Award (2026) |
Early life
[edit]Childhood
[edit]Gaines was born on 6 January 1942 in Jacksonville, Florida.
He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where he developed an interest in outdoor activities, physical fitness and literature.[4][7]
As a teenager, he began weight training and became interested in bodybuilding.
He also developed interests in hunting and fishing that would influence his later writing career.
Education
[edit]Gaines attended Birmingham-Southern College.
He subsequently earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa.
During his literary education, he studied under writers including Kurt Vonnegut.[5]
Marriage
[edit]Gaines married artist Patricia Ellisor in 1963.
The couple had three children: Latham, Greta and Shelby Gaines.[7]
Writing career
[edit]Gaines became a professional writer during the 1960s and 1970s.
His work included novels, journalism, screenplays and nonfiction books.
He frequently explored competition, physical endurance, outdoor adventure and the relationship between people and their environments.
Literary career
[edit]Stay Hungry
[edit]Gaines published the novel Stay Hungry in 1972.
The book explored bodybuilding and personal ambition.
It became a finalist for the National Book Award.
Film adaptation
[edit]Stay Hungry was adapted into a film released in 1976.
The film was directed by Bob Rafelson and starred Jeff Bridges, Sally Field and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Gaines worked on the screenplay.
The film was among Schwarzenegger's early acting appearances.
Pumping Iron
[edit]In 1974, Gaines collaborated with photographer George Butler on Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding.
The book documented competitive bodybuilding during the sport's emergence into mainstream popular culture.
Documentary
[edit]The book inspired the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron.
Gaines contributed to the film's writing and narration.
The documentary featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.
It became an influential work in the popularisation of bodybuilding.[3]
Other books
[edit]Gaines published approximately 25 books during his career.
His works included:
- Stay Hungry (1972)
- Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding (1974, with George Butler)
- Dangler
- Survival Games
- The Next Valley Over
- Waters Far and Near
- A Family Place
His writing frequently concerned outdoor adventure, sporting culture and the natural world.
Origins of paintball
[edit]Friendship with Hayes Noel
[edit]During the 1970s, Gaines developed a close friendship with Hayes Noel, a New York stockbroker.
Both men enjoyed competition and outdoor recreation.
Their friendship included frequent arguments about the relative importance of physical ability, experience and instinct.
Survival debate
[edit]Gaines and Noel debated whether an experienced outdoorsman or a successful urban professional would be more capable of surviving a dangerous encounter.
Noel believed survival depended heavily on instinct.
Gaines argued that learned skills and familiarity with a particular environment were more important.
The debate continued over an extended period.
Martha's Vineyard
[edit]In July 1980, Gaines and Noel spent two weeks together on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, accompanied by their wives and friends.
During the visit, they continued debating survival instincts.
Gaines later described these conversations in his 2024 Garden & Gun article.[1]
The discussions eventually inspired an experiment intended to test their competing theories.
Discovery of the Nel-Spot 007
[edit]George Butler's catalogue
[edit]In September 1980, photographer and filmmaker George Butler sent Gaines an agricultural supply catalogue.
Both men kept sheep on their properties.
The catalogue included the Nel-Spot 007, a paint-firing marking pistol intended for agricultural and forestry applications.[1]
Equipment
[edit]The Nel-Spot 007 used compressed carbon dioxide to fire paint-filled projectiles.
It had originally been developed for marking livestock and trees.
The marker was not designed specifically for recreational paintball.
Purchase
[edit]Gaines ordered two Nel-Spot pistols.
He believed the equipment could provide a way to test the survival debate with Noel.
Historical importance
[edit]The discovery of the marking pistols provided the practical equipment needed to transform an informal argument into a competitive activity.
The equipment's existing industrial purpose also demonstrates that the founders did not invent the original paint-firing marking technology.
Their contribution was developing its use as an organised recreational game.
First paintball experiments
[edit]October 1980
[edit]In October 1980, Noel visited Gaines at his home in South Newbury, New Hampshire.
The two men tested the Nel-Spot pistols in Gaines's backyard.[1]
First duel
[edit]Gaines and Noel fired paintballs at one another.
The experiment demonstrated that the equipment could be used in a recreational contest.
Stalking game
[edit]After testing the pistols, the men entered the surrounding woods.
They attempted to stalk and eliminate one another using the marking pistols.
Gaines later described the experience as exciting and physically demanding.
Distinction from the first organised game
[edit]The October 1980 experiments involved only two participants.
They should be distinguished from the first organised twelve-person paintball game held in June 1981.
The earlier experiments lacked the formal rules, field boundaries, flag stations and larger participant group of the subsequent event.
Bob Gurnsey's involvement
[edit]Introduction
[edit]On the evening of the October 1980 experiments, Bob Gurnsey visited Gaines's home.
Gurnsey was a friend and neighbour of Gaines.
He operated a ski shop in New London, New Hampshire.
Discussion
[edit]Gaines and Noel described their experiments to Gurnsey.
The three men discussed the possibility of organising a larger game involving friends with different backgrounds and survival skills.
Game development
[edit]The group developed rules based on individual competition.
Participants would navigate unfamiliar wooded terrain, collect flags and avoid being eliminated.
Planning
[edit]Gaines, Noel and Gurnsey invited nine additional participants.
The game was scheduled for June 1981.
First organised paintball game
[edit]Date and location
[edit]The first widely documented organised paintball game took place on 27 June 1981.
The venue was an approximately 80-acre wooded area near Henniker, New Hampshire.[1][2]
Organisation
[edit]Gaines, Noel and Gurnsey organised the event.
Mike Macklin assisted with field preparation and served as head judge.
Macklin arranged access to the land and helped establish the playing area.
Participants
[edit]Twelve people participated.
The group included businessmen, writers, hunters, a forester and other individuals with varied professional backgrounds.
Equipment
[edit]Each participant carried a Nel-Spot 007 marking pistol.
Players also used:
- Paintballs
- CO2 cartridges
- Protective goggles
- Camouflage clothing
- Maps
- Compasses
Rules
[edit]Four flag stations were established around the playing area.
Each participant attempted to collect one flag of each colour.
The winner would be the first player to return to the designated home base with the required flags without having been eliminated.
Start of the game
[edit]According to Gaines's 2024 account, the game began at approximately 10:00 a.m.
A shotgun blast signalled the start.[1]
Gaines's participation
[edit]Gaines participated as one of the twelve players.
He described engaging in exchanges of paintball fire with other competitors.
His later account included an encounter with Lionel Atwill, a former Green Beret.
Winner
[edit]The game was won by Ritchie White, a New Hampshire forester.
White collected the required flags without firing his marker.
He reportedly completed the objective in slightly more than an hour.
Outcome of the debate
[edit]White's victory appeared to support Gaines's argument that practical experience and familiarity with wooded terrain could be more important than general competitive instinct.
The event also demonstrated the potential of paintball as a recreational activity.
Early publicity
[edit]Magazine writers
[edit]Three participants in the original game had professional connections to major American magazines.
These included Sports Illustrated, Time and Sports Afield.
Published accounts
[edit]Articles describing the game appeared in these publications.
The reports introduced the activity to readers outside the original group of participants.
Public response
[edit]The articles generated correspondence from people interested in organising similar games.
Gaines later recalled that the founders received substantial numbers of requests for information.
Commercial opportunity
[edit]The response encouraged Gaines, Noel and Gurnsey to develop a business that could supply the equipment and instructions needed to play.
National Survival Game
[edit]Founding
[edit]Gaines, Noel and Gurnsey established National Survival Game (NSG).
The company commercialised the recreational activity developed during the 1980 experiments and 1981 game.
Ownership
[edit]In his 2024 account, Gaines stated that the three founders each held a one-third ownership interest.[1]
Division of responsibilities
[edit]The founders divided their responsibilities.
| Founder | Principal responsibility |
|---|---|
| Hayes Noel | Initial financing |
| Bob Gurnsey | Day-to-day business operations |
| Charles Gaines | Publicity and promotion |
Initial financing
[edit]According to Gaines, Noel contributed approximately $20,000 in initial financing.
The company purchased marking pistols, paintballs, protective goggles and other equipment.
Starter kits
[edit]National Survival Game sold packages containing the equipment required to organise recreational games.
The packages included:
- Nel-Spot marking pistol
- Paintballs
- Protective goggles
- Compass
- Game rules
Mail-order business
[edit]Gurnsey assembled equipment packages and fulfilled orders from his home.
Gaines was responsible for generating publicity and encouraging interest in the activity.
Early expansion
[edit]National Survival Game developed a network of commercial field operators.
The business expanded during the early 1980s as more people became interested in recreational paintball.
International development
[edit]The activity spread beyond the United States.
Commercial fields and organised games subsequently appeared in Canada, Europe, Australia and other regions.
Paintball journalism and publicity
[edit]Early media coverage
[edit]Gaines's professional writing background contributed to National Survival Game's publicity strategy.
His connections with writers and publishers helped the company attract attention during its earliest years.
Survival Game identity
[edit]The activity was initially marketed as the Survival Game.
The name reflected its origins as a test of outdoor skills and competitive instinct.
Development of the paintball name
[edit]The term paintball gradually became the dominant name for the activity.
The change reflected the development of the game beyond National Survival Game's original commercial identity.
Historical significance
[edit]Gaines's publicity work helped transform a small recreational experiment into a widely recognised sporting activity.
His contribution was primarily in concept development, writing and promotion rather than marker engineering.
Later paintball involvement
[edit]Continued interest
[edit]Gaines remained interested in paintball after the sport expanded beyond National Survival Game.
He occasionally participated in major recreational and scenario events.
2004 Pennsylvania scenario game
[edit]In July 2004, Gaines attended a large paintball event near Prospect, Pennsylvania.
He later described the experience in his 2024 Garden & Gun article.[1]
Armoured vehicle
[edit]The event involved an armoured paintball vehicle referred to as the Panther.
Gaines described participating from the vehicle's turret.
Recreational experience
[edit]The event demonstrated how paintball had evolved since the original 1981 game.
Large-scale scenario paintball incorporated vehicles, elaborate objectives and substantial numbers of participants.
Historical perspective
[edit]Gaines used the experience as a starting point for his retrospective account of the sport's origins.
He contrasted the elaborate 2004 event with the comparatively simple equipment and rules of the first Survival Game.
2024 historical retrospective
[edit]Garden & Gun
[edit]In February/March 2024, Garden & Gun published Gaines's article:
Paintball's Wild History, as Told by the Man Who (Co-)Invented It.[1]
Content
[edit]The article documented:
- His friendship with Hayes Noel
- Their survival debate
- The discovery of the Nel-Spot 007
- The October 1980 experiments
- Bob Gurnsey's involvement
- The June 1981 organised game
- The founding of National Survival Game
- The commercial expansion of paintball
- His participation in a 2004 scenario game
Historical value
[edit]The article is one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of paintball's origins published by an original participant.
It provides dates, locations and descriptions of events that are not consistently recorded in shorter historical summaries.
Limitations
[edit]The article was published more than forty years after the events it describes.
As a retrospective personal account, it should be compared with contemporary reporting, interviews with other participants and surviving business records.
Outdoor writing and conservation
[edit]Fly fishing
[edit]Gaines was an accomplished fly fisherman.
He travelled internationally to fish for salmon and other species.
His experiences became the subject of several books and essays.
Publications
[edit]His fishing books included The Next Valley Over and Waters Far and Near.
Competitive fly fishing
[edit]Gaines was involved with the United States fly-fishing team.
He participated in international competitive fly-fishing events.
Conservation
[edit]He supported conservation efforts involving Atlantic salmon and other cold-water fisheries.
He served in organisations associated with fly-fishing and environmental protection.
American Museum of Fly Fishing
[edit]In April 2026, Gaines received the American Museum of Fly Fishing's Heritage Award.
The award recognised his contributions to fly fishing, literature and conservation.[6]
Literary recognition
[edit]Alabama Writers Hall of Fame
[edit]Gaines was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2018.
Truman Capote Prize
[edit]In 2020, he received the Truman Capote Prize for lifetime achievement in literary nonfiction.
Other recognition
[edit]Gaines received awards and honours for his writing, screenwriting and contributions to outdoor literature.
His career extended across journalism, fiction, nonfiction and film.
Death
[edit]July 2026
[edit]Gaines died on 21 July 2026 in Monastery, Nova Scotia, Canada.
He was 84 years old.[3][7]
Family
[edit]He was survived by his wife, Patricia Ellisor Gaines, and their three children.
Obituaries
[edit]His death was reported by major news organisations including the Associated Press and The Washington Post.
The reports highlighted his contributions to bodybuilding, literature, outdoor recreation and paintball.
Legacy
[edit]Gaines was remembered as a writer whose interests connected sport, adventure and human competition.
His role in developing paintball formed one part of a wider career devoted to documenting and participating in outdoor activities.
Historical significance
[edit]Founding paintball
[edit]Gaines was one of the three principal organisers responsible for developing the Survival Game.
First experiments
[edit]His October 1980 experiments with Hayes Noel preceded the first organised game.
First organised game
[edit]He participated in the twelve-person event held near Henniker on 27 June 1981.
Commercial development
[edit]Gaines was a founding partner of National Survival Game.
Publicity
[edit]His professional writing background helped generate interest in the new activity.
Historical documentation
[edit]His 2024 retrospective provides important firsthand evidence about the sport's origins.
Wider sporting culture
[edit]Gaines's involvement in both bodybuilding and paintball connected him to the early development of two sports that later achieved international popularity.
Timeline
[edit]| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 6 January 1942 | Born in Jacksonville, Florida |
| 1963 | Marries Patricia Ellisor |
| 1972 | Publishes Stay Hungry |
| 1974 | Publishes Pumping Iron with George Butler |
| 1976 | Film adaptation of Stay Hungry released |
| 1977 | Pumping Iron documentary released |
| July 1980 | Debates survival skills with Hayes Noel on Martha's Vineyard |
| September 1980 | Receives agricultural catalogue from George Butler |
| October 1980 | Tests Nel-Spot 007 pistols with Noel |
| October 1980 | Discusses organising a larger game with Noel and Bob Gurnsey |
| 27 June 1981 | Participates in the first organised paintball game |
| 1981–1982 | Co-founds National Survival Game |
| Early 1980s | Responsible for National Survival Game publicity and promotion |
| 24 July 2004 | Participates in a Pennsylvania scenario paintball event |
| 2018 | Inducted into Alabama Writers Hall of Fame |
| 2020 | Receives Truman Capote Prize |
| February/March 2024 | Publishes firsthand history of paintball in Garden & Gun |
| 23 April 2026 | Receives American Museum of Fly Fishing Heritage Award |
| 21 July 2026 | Dies in Nova Scotia, aged 84 |
Research limitations
[edit]Further research is needed to establish:
- The exact dates of Gaines's ownership of National Survival Game
- Original National Survival Game incorporation documents
- Contemporary records of the October 1980 experiments
- Original invitations to the June 1981 game
- The complete set of photographs from the first game
- Gaines's early paintball promotional correspondence
- The date he withdrew from active involvement in National Survival Game
- The complete history of his later participation in scenario paintball
- Original National Survival Game publicity material and advertisements
- The specific paintball lifetime achievement awards mentioned in his family obituary
See also
[edit]- Hayes Noel
- Bob Gurnsey
- George Butler
- Ritchie White
- National Survival Game
- Nel-Spot 007
- First paintball game
- History of paintball
- Scenario paintball
- Paintball in New Hampshire
- Paintball in the United States
References
[edit]- "Paintball's Wild History, as Told by the Man Who (Co-)Invented It", Charles Gaines, Garden & Gun, February/March 2024. Firsthand account of the October 1980 experiments, June 1981 game, founding of National Survival Game and later scenario paintball participation.
- "War Games", Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2006. Historical retrospective documenting the first organised paintball game and the establishment of National Survival Game.
- "Author Charles Gaines, Who Popularized the World of Bodybuilding with Pumping Iron, Dies at 84", Associated Press, 22 July 2026. Obituary documenting Gaines's literary career, involvement in bodybuilding and death.
- "A Literary Outdoorsman, He Helped Popularize Bodybuilding and Co-Created Paintball", Harrison Smith, The Washington Post, 25 July 2026. Detailed retrospective of Gaines's life and career.
- "The 2026 Heritage Award Honoring Charles Gaines", American Museum of Fly Fishing. Biographical profile documenting Gaines's literary, sporting and conservation activities.
- "AMFF Award Recipients", American Museum of Fly Fishing. Official register identifying Charles Gaines as the 2026 Heritage Award recipient.
- "Charles Gaines Obituary", Family obituary, AL.com / Legacy, July 2026. Documents Gaines's birth, family, literary career, paintball involvement and death.
- "The Survival Game: The Story of the First Recorded Paintball Match", WBUR, Only A Game, 20 July 2018. Historical investigation incorporating interviews with original participants.
- "The Origin of the Sport", WARPIG, 1998. Recording of Hayes Noel discussing the origins of paintball at the International Masters.