International Amateur Open

The International Amateur Open (IAO) was an annual paintball tournament and industry event held in Pennsylvania, United States, from 1990 to 2006. Established by Debra Dion Krischke as the National Amateur Open, the tournament provided organised competition specifically for amateur players at a time when professional and recreational teams frequently competed in the same divisions.[1]

Originally held at Three Rivers Paintball near Pittsburgh, the event expanded to include one of the paintball industry's largest trade shows, equipment demonstrations and business conferences. It was also commonly known as the Zap Amateur Open during its long association with Zap paintballs.[1][2]

The 2002 tournament hosted the inaugural X-Ball competition as part of its international Nations Cup.[3]

History

Establishment

The tournament was established in 1990 by Debra Dion Krischke, who had previously served as public relations and tournament director for National Survival Game.

Krischke had organised national championship competitions during the 1980s and identified a need for events restricted to amateur players.

At the time, many major tournaments permitted experienced professional teams to compete against less-established organisations without separate competitive classifications.

The inaugural National Amateur Open took place in 1990, attracting participants from the United States and Canada.

In 1991, the tournament adopted the International Amateur Open name.[1]

The competition was organised by Team Effort Events, operated by Debra and her husband Ryan Krischke, who were also associated with Three Rivers Paintball.

Expansion during the 1990s

During the 1990s, the International Amateur Open developed into a major annual tournament.

The event offered multiple team formats, including three-player, five-player and 10-player competition.

Divisions were organised according to player experience, allowing amateur, novice and rookie teams to compete separately.

Young Guns competitions were subsequently introduced for younger players.

The tournament also became an important industry meeting place, with manufacturers, distributors and field operators attending its annual trade show and business conference.[2]

Major sponsors included Cal Magnum and Zap, with the event frequently marketed under the sponsor's name.

By 1998, more than 900 players had participated in the previous year's tournament, according to contemporary WARPIG reporting.[4]

International recognition

The 1999 Zap International Amateur Open took place in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, during August.

The event included three-player, five-player and 10-player divisions, with teams competing for individual division championships.

The Mob won the amateur five-player competition, while P&L Paintball Factory Team won the 10-player division.[5]

The 2000 event marked the tournament's tenth anniversary.

Missouri Magic won both the 10-player and three-player competitions, while Dislexic Dogs won the amateur five-player division.[6]

At the 2001 tournament, Team Nasty won the amateur 10-player division and Brass Eagle Allstars II won the amateur five-player competition.[7]

Move to Big Butler Fairgrounds

In 2002, the tournament relocated from Three Rivers Paintball to the Big Butler Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania.

The move provided additional space for tournament fields, spectators and the growing industry trade show.

It also marked a transition away from the woodland playing fields traditionally associated with the event.

The 2002 tournament used constructed concept fields and featured three-player, five-player and seven-player competition.

The former 10-player division was replaced by seven-player competition, including an open classification.

The tournament was sponsored by Diablo paintballs and presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.[3]

X-Ball debut in 2002

The 2002 International Amateur Open hosted the first competitive tournament using the newly developed X-Ball format.

The competition was organised as an international Nations Cup, featuring representative teams from eight countries.

Developed by Richmond Italia of Procaps, X-Ball introduced timed, multi-point matches, player substitutions and penalty systems intended to make competitive paintball more accessible to spectators.[3][8]

The United States defeated Russia 16–7 in the final.

The format subsequently became the foundation of the original National Xball League, established in 2003.[8]

Later years

The International Amateur Open returned to the Big Butler Fairgrounds in July 2003.

That year's tournament included five-player, seven-player and three-player competitions, alongside a trade show, business conference and scenario paintball activities.

Tippmann Effect won both the amateur five-player and amateur seven-player divisions.[9]

The tournament continued at the fairgrounds during the following seasons.

In 2005, the International Amateur Open became a sanctioned event of the National Professional Paintball League, allowing teams in Divisions II and III to earn points towards the NPPL Super 7 season championship.[10]

Final tournament in 2006

In 2006, the event returned to Three Rivers Paintball and was renamed the Three Rivers Paintball Festival.

The revised programme concentrated on novice, rookie and youth competition, alongside traditional woodland paintball and recreational scenario games.

The tournament took place from 27 to 30 July 2006.[1]

According to contemporary reporting by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, approximately 1,500 competitors attended the event.[11]

The 2006 edition was the final tournament in the International Amateur Open series.

In a 2011 interview, Debra Dion Krischke attributed the decision to end the event to increasing organisational demands, industry fragmentation and changes in the economics of large paintball tournaments.[2]

Competition formats

The International Amateur Open used several formats during its history.

These included:

Three-player tournament paintball.
Five-player amateur, novice and rookie divisions.
Traditional 10-player tournament paintball.
Seven-player competition during its later years.
Young Guns youth divisions.
Limited women's competition.
International Nations Cup competition.

The tournament's original emphasis was on amateur classifications rather than the professional divisions commonly featured at other major events.

Competition formats changed over time as the sport developed.

Selected tournament results

Year	Division	Winning team
1999	Amateur five-player	The Mob
1999	10-player	P&L Paintball Factory Team
2000	Amateur five-player	Dislexic Dogs
2000	10-player	Missouri Magic
2001	Amateur five-player	Brass Eagle Allstars II
2001	Amateur 10-player	Team Nasty
2002	Amateur seven-player	Tippmann Effect
2002	Nations Cup X-Ball	United States
2003	Amateur five-player	Tippmann Effect
2003	Amateur seven-player	Tippmann Effect

The results represent selected divisions rather than a single overall tournament championship.[3][5][6][7][9]

Industry trade show

The International Amateur Open became an important annual event for paintball manufacturers, distributors, retailers and commercial field operators.

Its industry conference included seminars, equipment demonstrations and business-development activities.

Manufacturers frequently introduced products at the event, with the annual trade show becoming a significant part of the tournament's identity.

The 2000 tournament included the introduction of the Airgun Designs E-Mag and new paintball loading systems.[6]

The event also hosted recreational activities, demonstrations and organised social gatherings for players and industry participants.

Significance

The International Amateur Open contributed to the development of amateur tournament classifications and provided competitive opportunities for teams outside the professional circuit.

Its combination of tournament competition, trade exhibitions and industry conferences made it an important gathering for the American paintball industry during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The debut of X-Ball at the 2002 Nations Cup was a particularly significant milestone in the development of modern professional tournament paintball.

References

External links