Bob Gurnsey
Bob Gurnsey (died 24 August 2015) was an American entrepreneur, paintball pioneer and one of the principal founders of modern paintball. Alongside Charles Gaines and Hayes Noel, he helped organise the first recorded paintball game, held in New Hampshire on 27 June 1981. He subsequently established National Survival Game (NSG), one of the first companies to commercialise paintball as a recreational activity.[1][2]
Gurnsey played a central role in transforming paintball from an experimental outdoor game into an organised commercial industry. Through National Survival Game, he developed equipment packages, licensing arrangements for field operators, organised tournament competition and introduced purpose-built paintball markers.[3][4]
His company was responsible for the Splatmaster, one of the earliest commercially successful paintball markers designed specifically for recreational paintball, and the later Splatmaster Rapide.[5]
Gurnsey also promoted the National Survival Game Championships, an early international tournament series that began in 1983.[3]
National Survival Game ceased operating during the early 1990s following financial and legal difficulties. Gurnsey remained involved in preserving the history of paintball and discussing its origins until his death in August 2015.[5]
He was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the Paintball Hall of Fame in 2017.[6]
| Name | Bob Gurnsey |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Died | 24 August 2015 |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, sporting goods retailer, paintball promoter and equipment developer |
| Known for | Co-founding modern paintball and establishing National Survival Game |
| First documented paintball game | 27 June 1981 |
| Associated location | New Hampshire, United States |
| Company | National Survival Game |
| Notable products | Splatmaster, Splatmaster Rapide |
| Tournament organisation | National Survival Game Championships |
| Paintball Hall of Fame | 2017 (posthumous) |
Early life and business career
[edit]Sporting goods business
[edit]Before becoming involved in paintball, Gurnsey operated a sporting goods business in New Hampshire.
Contemporary historical accounts describe him as a ski shop owner.
His experience in sporting goods retail helped provide a foundation for his later involvement in commercial paintball.[1][3]
Association with Charles Gaines and Hayes Noel
[edit]Gurnsey was associated with writer and outdoorsman Charles Gaines and stockbroker Hayes Noel.
Gaines and Noel had discussed whether people accustomed to city life could compete successfully against experienced outdoorsmen in a test of survival skills.
The idea eventually developed into a proposed outdoor game using paint-firing marking pistols.
Development of the Survival Game
[edit]The group became interested in the Nel-Spot 007, a marking pistol originally developed for agricultural and forestry applications.
The pistol fired paint-filled projectiles using compressed carbon dioxide.
Gurnsey helped develop the rules and practical arrangements for a game in which participants would navigate wooded terrain while attempting to collect flags and avoid being marked by opponents.
The activity became known as the Survival Game.
First organised paintball game
[edit]27 June 1981
[edit]The first widely documented organised paintball game took place on 27 June 1981 in the Henniker area of New Hampshire.[1][2]
Twelve participants took part.
The event was organised by Gurnsey, Gaines and Noel.
Participants
[edit]Historical accounts identify the twelve participants as:
- Lionel Atwill
- Ken Barrett
- Bob Carlson
- Joe Drinon
- Charles Gaines
- Jerome Gary
- Bob Gurnsey
- Bob Jones
- Hayes Noel
- Carl Sandquist
- Ronnie Simpkins
- Ritchie White
The participants came from different professional and recreational backgrounds.
These included writers, businessmen, hunters, a farmer, a surgeon and a forester.
Equipment
[edit]Each participant was equipped with a Nel-Spot 007 marking pistol.
Players also carried paintballs, additional CO2 cartridges, protective goggles, maps and compasses.
The equipment had not originally been developed for recreational paintball.
Playing field
[edit]The game took place across a large wooded area in New Hampshire.
Historical accounts generally describe the playing area as approximately 80 to 100 acres.
Four flag stations were established.
The objective was to collect the required flags and return to the designated finishing point without being eliminated.
Winner
[edit]The game was won by Ritchie White, a New Hampshire forester.
White collected the required flags without firing his marker.
His victory became an important part of the sport's early history because it appeared to support the value of fieldcraft and stealth.
Historical accounts
[edit]The first game has been documented through interviews with participants and retrospective reporting.
A 2018 WBUR investigation interviewed surviving participants and compared their recollections with earlier published accounts.[2]
The investigation identified discrepancies concerning the origins of the idea, the acquisition of equipment and details of the first game.
These differences demonstrate the importance of distinguishing contemporary evidence from later recollections.
National Survival Game
[edit]Establishment
[edit]Following the first game, Gurnsey worked with Gaines and Noel to commercialise the activity.
The resulting business became known as National Survival Game (NSG).
The company developed equipment packages, rules and arrangements for establishing commercial playing fields.
Historical accounts generally date its establishment to late 1981.[3][7]
Early financing
[edit]A historical account based on early paintball reporting states that Hayes Noel provided approximately $20,000 in financial backing.
Gurnsey received a weekly payment while developing the business.
Charles Gaines contributed to publicity and promotion.[3]
These figures originate from retrospective accounts and should be understood in that context.
Starter kits
[edit]National Survival Game marketed equipment packages that allowed customers to organise their own games.
Early packages included:
- Nel-Spot marking pistol
- Paintballs
- Protective goggles
- Compass
- Game rules
- Other accessories
The packages helped standardise the activity and made it possible for customers to organise games without developing their own equipment and rules.
Nelson Paint Company
[edit]Gurnsey negotiated a distribution arrangement with the Nelson Paint Company.
The agreement concerned the commercial sale of marking equipment and paintballs for recreational use.
The arrangement provided National Survival Game with access to the equipment used in the first organised game.
Commercialisation
[edit]National Survival Game helped establish several practices that became important to the paintball industry.
These included selling complete equipment packages, licensing field operations and developing a recognisable commercial identity for the activity.
Commercial paintball fields
[edit]Early field development
[edit]Commercial paintball fields began appearing during 1982.
National Survival Game was involved in the development of early fields in New Hampshire and the licensing of operators elsewhere.
First commercial field controversy
[edit]The identity of the first commercial paintball field operator is disputed.
Some histories identify Gurnsey's New Hampshire operation as the first commercial field.
Other accounts credit Caleb Strong or Carl McCown.
In a 1992 interview published in Action Pursuit Games, Gurnsey reportedly identified McCown as the first commercial operator and Strong as one of the earliest operators.[3]
Because the available historical accounts differ, the claim should not be assigned exclusively to one individual without further documentary evidence.
Licensing system
[edit]Gurnsey developed a system allowing entrepreneurs to establish National Survival Game operations.
Licensed operators received access to equipment, rules and the NSG identity.
This reduced the need for each new field operator to develop an independent business model.
Expansion
[edit]A historical account based on early interviews reports that more than 350 National Survival Game fields were operating across North America by the beginning of 1983.[3]
The precise definition of an operating field within this figure requires further investigation.
Nevertheless, the figure illustrates the rapid expansion claimed by the organisation during its early years.
Development of team paintball
[edit]Individual competition
[edit]The original 1981 Survival Game was an individual competition.
Each player attempted to collect flags while avoiding elimination.
Team format
[edit]Gurnsey recognised that team competition could provide a more commercially attractive and repeatable format.
Historical accounts describe him advocating for team games during the early development of National Survival Game.[3]
Capture the flag
[edit]Team-based capture-the-flag formats subsequently became central to organised paintball.
These games required communication, coordinated movement and teamwork.
The transition from individual survival games to team competition was an important step toward tournament paintball.
National Survival Game Championships
[edit]Establishment
[edit]National Survival Game organised an early championship tournament in 1983.
The event became known as the National Survival Game Championships.
First championship
[edit]The inaugural championship took place in New London, New Hampshire, in 1983.[3]
Eight teams from the United States and Canada reportedly participated.
The event used twelve-player teams.
Matches were played in wooded terrain.
Equipment restrictions
[edit]Contemporary tournament rules placed restrictions on equipment and ammunition.
Historical accounts describe players being limited to 40 paintballs and three 12-gram CO2 cartridges.
Matches could last up to 90 minutes.
These restrictions reflected the emphasis on fieldcraft, ammunition conservation and tactical movement during early tournament paintball.
First champions
[edit]The inaugural championship was won by the Unknown Rebels from Ontario, Canada.
The team became one of the earliest documented international tournament champions in paintball.
Later events
[edit]The National Survival Game Championships continued during the 1980s.
Historical records identify the following locations:
| Year | Location |
|---|---|
| 1983 | New London, New Hampshire |
| 1984 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1985 | Houston, Texas |
| 1986 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1987 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1988 | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 1989 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
Historical importance
[edit]The championships helped establish organised paintball as a competitive activity.
They also encouraged the development of dedicated teams, tournament rules and regional competition.
The events preceded the later development of major professional tournament organisations such as the National Professional Paintball League.
Splatmaster
[edit]Development
[edit]National Survival Game developed the Splatmaster, a purpose-built paintball marker intended for recreational players.
Unlike the Nel-Spot 007, which originated as a marking tool, the Splatmaster was designed specifically for the commercial Survival Game.
Construction
[edit]The Splatmaster featured a polymer body.
Gurnsey favoured polymer construction because it offered a practical method of producing an affordable and durable marker.
In a 1992 interview, he discussed the decision to use plastic polymers rather than conventional metal construction.[5]
Operation
[edit]The original Splatmaster used a manually operated action.
It was powered by a 12-gram CO2 cartridge.
Paintballs were supplied from a tube magazine mounted above the barrel.
Commercial success
[edit]The Splatmaster became one of the most recognisable early paintball markers.
It was sold through National Survival Game operators and subsequently through wider retail channels.
Historical accounts describe substantial production volumes.
However, published estimates of total production vary considerably and require verification against original manufacturing records.
Patent
[edit]Historical equipment accounts identify United States patent number 4,531,503, issued on 30 July 1985, in connection with the Splatmaster.[3]
The precise inventors and claims should be checked against the original patent record.
Splatmaster Rapide
[edit]Development
[edit]National Survival Game subsequently introduced the Splatmaster Rapide.
The Rapide was a double-action paintball pistol designed to provide faster firing than the original Splatmaster.
Operation
[edit]The Rapide used a trigger-operated mechanism rather than requiring the player to manually cock the marker between shots.
It incorporated a rotating magazine with four five-round sections.
The magazine held 20 paintballs.
Commercial availability
[edit]The Rapide appeared during the late 1980s.
Historical promotional material and contemporary advertisements document the product during 1988 and 1989.[5][8]
Retail pricing
[edit]A historical review of advertisements from October 1989 identified Rapide retail prices around $95–$100.
This positioned the marker as a relatively affordable option compared with several other paintball markers available at the time.[5]
Recognition
[edit]The Rapide received an American firearms industry product award in 1989, according to historical equipment reporting.[5]
Historical importance
[edit]The Rapide helped demonstrate the commercial viability of affordable double-action paintball markers.
It remains a recognised product among collectors of early paintball equipment.
Manufacturing
[edit]Culpepper Plastics
[edit]Gurnsey was associated with Culpepper Plastics Corporation, a manufacturing operation in Arkansas.
Historical accounts identify the company as producing polymer components for National Survival Game markers.[5]
Production
[edit]The polymer components were subsequently assembled into finished products.
This manufacturing arrangement supported the production of relatively inexpensive paintball markers.
Equipment development
[edit]National Survival Game's product development helped move paintball beyond equipment originally designed for forestry and agricultural marking.
Purpose-built markers became an important part of the expanding recreational industry.
Competition and industry development
[edit]Pursuit Marketing Incorporated
[edit]As paintball expanded, other companies entered the market.
Among them was Pursuit Marketing Incorporated (PMI), associated with Jeff Perlmutter and David Freeman.
PMI became a major competitor in the sale of paintballs and equipment.
Equipment competition
[edit]The development of competing products increased the range of equipment available to players.
Companies including PMI, Sheridan and later manufacturers introduced alternative marker designs.
Industry expansion
[edit]Gurnsey reportedly viewed competition as an opportunity to expand the overall paintball market rather than simply protect National Survival Game's original position.[5]
This approach reflected the transition from a single branded recreational activity into a broader industry.
Legal and financial difficulties
[edit]Liability issues
[edit]National Survival Game faced numerous legal claims during its operating history.
Gurnsey discussed the financial burden of litigation in interviews conducted during the 1990s and later conversations with paintball historian Daniel Bacci.[5]
Litigation costs
[edit]According to Bacci's account, Gurnsey stated that he had faced 103 lawsuits over the years.
He also reported that defending successful cases could still impose substantial financial costs.
These figures are based on Gurnsey's recollections rather than a complete independently verified court record.
Insurance difficulties
[edit]Gurnsey reported that National Survival Game lost its insurance coverage around 1990.
The loss of coverage contributed to financial difficulties and affected the company's ability to continue developing new products.[5]
End of National Survival Game
[edit]Historical accounts generally place the end of National Survival Game's operations in the early 1990s, with 1993 frequently cited.[3]
The precise dates of corporate dissolution, asset transfers and the end of individual product lines require further verification.
Later life
[edit]Historical preservation
[edit]Gurnsey remained interested in preserving the history of paintball.
He maintained a collection of early National Survival Game equipment, promotional material, prototypes and documents.
Personal archives
[edit]During 2014 and 2015, Gurnsey worked with paintball historian Daniel Bacci to document items from his collection.[9]
The collection included National Survival Game memorabilia and early equipment prototypes.
Historical interviews
[edit]Gurnsey participated in interviews discussing the origins of paintball and the development of National Survival Game.
These included interviews published in Action Pursuit Games in 1992.
Later interviews and recordings preserved additional recollections.
Promotional video preservation
[edit]Gurnsey authorised the publication of a historical Splatmaster promotional video dating from approximately 1989.[8]
The video provides a visual record of the equipment and playing styles associated with late-1980s National Survival Game.
Death
[edit]August 2015
[edit]Gurnsey died on 24 August 2015.[5]
His death was reported by paintball historian Daniel Bacci on 26 August 2015.
Health
[edit]Bacci reported that Gurnsey had been diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003.
The available account does not establish that this was the cause of his death.
Tributes
[edit]Following his death, members of the paintball community remembered Gurnsey for his role in creating and commercialising the sport.
Historical accounts highlighted his contributions to equipment development, field operations and organised tournament competition.
Paintball Hall of Fame
[edit]Posthumous induction
[edit]Gurnsey was inducted into the inaugural Paintball Hall of Fame class in 2017.[6]
The induction occurred approximately two years after his death.
Inaugural class
[edit]| 2017 inductee |
|---|
| Sal Briguglio |
| Bambi Bullard |
| Dan Colby |
| Bob Gurnsey |
| Mike "Blue" Hanse |
| Tom Kaye |
| Jim Lively |
| Bud Orr |
Recognition
[edit]Gurnsey's induction recognised his foundational contribution to paintball.
His involvement extended from the first organised game to the establishment of a commercial industry and tournament competition.
Historical significance
[edit]Founding paintball
[edit]Gurnsey was one of the twelve participants in the first widely documented organised paintball game.
He also helped establish the rules and commercial framework that allowed the activity to expand.
Commercial development
[edit]National Survival Game introduced a repeatable business model involving equipment packages, licensed playing fields and organised events.
Tournament paintball
[edit]The National Survival Game Championships helped establish formal competition during the early 1980s.
Equipment development
[edit]The Splatmaster and Rapide were influential early markers designed specifically for recreational paintball.
International expansion
[edit]National Survival Game's commercial model helped spread paintball beyond its original New Hampshire setting.
Historical documentation
[edit]Gurnsey's interviews and surviving archives provide important primary evidence about the sport's earliest years.
Recognition
[edit]His 2017 Paintball Hall of Fame induction formally recognised his contribution to the development of paintball.
Timeline
[edit]| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Before 1981 | Operates a sporting goods business in New Hampshire |
| 27 June 1981 | Participates in and helps organise the first recorded paintball game |
| Late 1981 | Establishes National Survival Game with support from Charles Gaines and Hayes Noel |
| 1982 | Develops commercial paintball equipment packages and field-licensing arrangements |
| 1983 | National Survival Game organises its first championship tournament |
| 1980s | Oversees development and commercialisation of the Splatmaster |
| 30 July 1985 | Patent associated with the Splatmaster issued |
| Late 1980s | National Survival Game introduces the Rapide |
| 1989 | Rapide promotional material documents the marker in commercial use |
| Around 1990 | National Survival Game experiences major insurance and legal difficulties |
| Early 1990s | National Survival Game ceases operations |
| September–October 1992 | Action Pursuit Games publishes historical interviews with Gurnsey |
| 2003 | Diagnosed with leukaemia, according to later historical reporting |
| 2014–2015 | Works with historians to document surviving National Survival Game memorabilia |
| 24 August 2015 | Dies |
| 2017 | Posthumously inducted into the inaugural Paintball Hall of Fame class |
Research limitations
[edit]The following areas require additional primary-source research:
- Gurnsey's date and place of birth
- Complete early business history
- Original 1981 National Survival Game corporate records
- The precise terms of the Nelson Paint Company distribution agreement
- The identity and opening dates of the earliest commercial fields
- Original National Survival Game licensing contracts
- Complete 1983–1989 championship results
- Splatmaster and Rapide manufacturing records
- Patent documentation and engineering contributors
- Corporate records concerning the end of National Survival Game
- Independent court documentation of the lawsuits described by Gurnsey
- The current location and ownership of surviving National Survival Game archives
See also
[edit]- Charles Gaines
- Hayes Noel
- Ritchie White
- Bob Jones
- National Survival Game
- National Survival Game Championships
- Nel-Spot 007
- Splatmaster
- Splatmaster Rapide
- Nelson Paint Company
- Pursuit Marketing Incorporated
- Paintball Hall of Fame
- History of paintball
- Paintball in the United States
- History of tournament paintball
References
[edit]- "War Games", Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2006. Historical feature on the first paintball game, its participants and the establishment of National Survival Game.
- "The Survival Game: The Story of the First Recorded Paintball Match", WBUR, Only A Game, 20 July 2018. Investigation using interviews with original participants and early historical accounts.
- "History of Paintball", Automags.org, 2004. Reproduction of a detailed historical chronology drawing on early Action Pursuit Games reporting and interviews.
- "Paintball History and Game Rules", Sports Information. General history of paintball and National Survival Game.
- "RIP Bob Gurnsey, Paintball's Creator, and the NSG Rapide", Daniel Bacci, Paintball History, 26 August 2015. Contemporary obituary and detailed historical discussion of Gurnsey, National Survival Game, Splatmaster and Rapide.
- "WCPL — The Hall of Fame", World Classic Paintball League. Historical register identifying Gurnsey as an inaugural 2017 Paintball Hall of Fame inductee.
- "Since 1984: Over Four Decades of Paintball Firsts", TAG Adventure Park. Historical timeline of early paintball development and commercialisation.
- "Splatmaster Pistols Promo Tape (c. 1989)", Daniel Bacci, Paintball History, 11 January 2013. Archived promotional video published with Gurnsey's permission.
- "Bob Gurnsey and Paintball Creator's Memorabilia", Daniel Bacci, Paintball History, 13 February 2015. Documentation of Gurnsey's personal collection and surviving National Survival Game archives.