Paintball started in 1981, by Charles Gaines, Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsy. The three men regularly debated the origin of a person’s survival ability between themselves. This continued for many years until they thought of a solution.
Inspired by stories about hunting buffalo, the three men adapted a type of agricultural paint marker for the game. Originally designed to help ranchers mark cattle from a distance, and also used by forestry professionals to mark trees, these guns were made by the Nelson Paint Company, and had been manufactured since the 1950s.
The first paintball game was played in June 1981 in New Hampshire and had 12 players. Playing a version of today’s “Last Man Standing”, each player started at a different location on a 100-acre field and tried to capture a flag from each of the 4 flag stations located around the field. The first player who accomplished this without getting shot would win the game.
Paintball quickly caught on with articles in Time and People, and soon dedicated paintball markers were being made. Different versions of the original paintball game began to be played, leading to the game we know today. Now it’s a great sport, playable by almost anyone worldwide.
