Paintball.co.nz
Paintball.co.nz was an early New Zealand paintball information website, also referred to as New Zealand Paintball or New Zealand Paintball Online. Active as a paintball community resource during the late 1990s and early 2000s, the website published tournament reports, articles, information about commercial playing fields and material concerning the regulation and organisation of paintball in New Zealand.
The website was associated with Auckland tournament paintball player and writer Rob Maddox, who contributed historical tournament reporting and articles about the development of the sport.
Paintball.co.nz also hosted the NZ Paintball Message Boards, an internet discussion community for New Zealand players, alongside a national field directory and an online chat facility.
A contemporary directory maintained by Mercenaries Star described New Zealand Paintball as having a useful field directory and moderated message board, and reported that a chat facility had recently been added.[1]
The paintball.co.nz domain was associated with Paintball Express (NZ) by October 1996, according to a contemporary directory of internet-connected organisations in New Zealand.[2] The relationship between that earlier business identity and the subsequent community information website has not been established.
History
[edit]Early domain history
[edit]The domain paintball.co.nz was in use during the early development of the commercial internet in New Zealand.
An October 1996 directory of internet-connected New Zealand organisations, compiled by Mark Davies and distributed through the nz.net.announce Usenet group, identified the domain as belonging to:
Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland.[2]
The listing formed part of a regularly published survey of organisations appearing in the New Zealand internet domain namespace.
The directory included businesses, educational institutions, community organisations and other internet users.
The same Paintball Express listing appeared in subsequent editions of the directory during late 1996 and early 1997.[3]
These records demonstrate that the domain was associated with a paintball-related Auckland organisation by October 1996.
However, the listings were compiled from domain information and do not establish the precise content of the website, whether a public website was operating at that time or who administered it.
The relationship between Paintball Express (NZ) and the later New Zealand Paintball information website is uncertain.
There is no surviving evidence establishing that Rob Maddox originally registered the domain or operated Paintball Express.
Development as a paintball information website
[edit]During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Paintball.co.nz developed into a resource for New Zealand recreational and competitive paintball players.
At the time, information about the sport was distributed through commercial playing fields, regional clubs, individual tournament organisers and independent websites.
There was no single national online tournament database or consolidated communications platform covering all New Zealand paintball activity.
Individual websites therefore played an important role in publishing results, announcing events and helping players find venues.
Paintball.co.nz combined several functions within one site.
These included:
- Tournament reports and competition information
- Paintball field listings
- Articles about paintball equipment and organisations
- Legal and regulatory information
- The NZ Paintball Message Boards
- A chat facility
- Links to other paintball resources
A contemporary Mercenaries Star directory confirms the existence of the field directory, moderated message board and chat facility.[1]
The website's historical article archive also included material about tournaments and New Zealand paintball organisations.
Recognition by Mercenaries Star
[edit]Mercenaries Star was another early New Zealand paintball information website.
Its directory of domestic paintball resources included a listing for New Zealand Paintball in the information-pages section.[1]
The entry praised the site's field directory and moderation of its message board.
It also noted the recent addition of a chat page.
The directory listed Paintball.co.nz separately from other paintball websites, including Mercenaries Star itself, team websites, commercial playing fields and the New Zealand Paintball Association.
This establishes that New Zealand Paintball was recognised as a distinct community resource within the contemporary paintball internet community.
The directory also listed another website, Painting Khaos, which it described as intending to compete with New Zealand Paintball.
That reference suggests the site's prominence among the independent paintball information resources available at the time, although it does not establish audience size or website traffic.
Rob Maddox
[edit]Involvement with the website
[edit]Rob Maddox was associated with Paintball.co.nz during its operation as a paintball information and community website.
Maddox was an Auckland tournament player associated with the team Kamo Karzi, also written Kamokarzi.
He participated in major New Zealand tournaments during the late 1990s, including the New Zealand Paintball Nationals.
Maddox also contributed articles concerning competitive paintball and the administration of the sport.
His involvement with Paintball.co.nz included tournament reporting and participation in the website's online community.
The website and its message boards were associated with his role in maintaining communications between New Zealand paintball players.
The exact date when Maddox assumed responsibility for the site, and whether he was its sole owner or administrator, have not been established.
Tournament reporting
[edit]Maddox authored contemporary accounts of New Zealand paintball tournaments, including reports concerning the 1997 and 1998 Nationals.
The reports are associated with the historical Paintball.co.nz archive and provide details of tournament results, competitors, organisers and the playing environment.[4][5]
They also included discussion of refereeing and event administration.
Maddox's position as a tournament participant enabled him to document the events from within the competitive paintball community.
His reports represent a source of information about events held before the widespread use of online tournament-registration and results systems.
New Zealand Paintball Players Association
[edit]Maddox was also involved with the New Zealand Paintball Players Association (NZPPA).
He served as secretary during the early 2000s.
In February 2004, he published an article titled What has the NZPPA done for me?.
The article identified Maddox as a former secretary who remained a member of the association.
It discussed the NZPPA's work concerning paintball regulations, compressed-air equipment, tournament administration and sporting recognition.[6]
Maddox explained that the article represented his personal perspective rather than an official statement issued on behalf of the association.
The publication demonstrates how Paintball.co.nz was used for discussion of paintball's administration and regulatory environment in addition to conventional tournament reporting.
NZ Paintball Message Boards
[edit]Establishment
[edit]The NZ Paintball Message Boards were an online discussion forum associated with Paintball.co.nz.
The message boards provided a place for paintball players from different parts of New Zealand to communicate.
Internet discussion forums became important to recreational and competitive paintball during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Prior to their adoption, players relied on telephone calls, postal correspondence, commercial fields, team contacts and face-to-face meetings to exchange information.
The internet enabled players from separate regional communities to communicate without requiring a common club or tournament organisation.
The exact launch date of the NZ Paintball Message Boards has not been established.
However, their existence is independently confirmed by Mercenaries Star's contemporary directory.[1]
Moderation
[edit]The Mercenaries Star listing specifically described the New Zealand Paintball message board as moderated.
Moderation was an important administrative function for online community forums.
It involved maintaining discussions, responding to inappropriate material and managing participation.
The contemporary description indicates that the message board was regarded as a maintained community service rather than simply an unmoderated collection of public messages.
The surviving directory does not identify the complete moderation team or the specific rules applied to the forum.
Community discussions
[edit]The discussion board served the New Zealand paintball community during a period when much of the sport's organisation remained regional.
Subjects relevant to the community included:
- Commercial paintball facilities
- Recreational paintball and scenario games
- Tournament entries and results
- Team recruitment and organisation
- Paintball equipment and maintenance
- Compressed-air systems
- Rules and tournament administration
- Legal and regulatory matters
The surviving public references establish the forum's existence and general purpose, but the complete discussion archive has not been recovered.
These subject areas therefore describe the community's documented interests rather than a verified catalogue of individual forum threads.
Online chat
[edit]Paintball.co.nz also introduced a chat facility.
Mercenaries Star's directory described the addition as recent when its listing was written.[1]
Unlike discussion boards, which allowed participants to leave messages for later responses, online chat enabled communication between users participating at the same time.
The addition of chat reflected the increasing use of internet-based communication among paintball players.
It also expanded the website beyond static articles and directories.
The original chat service provider, launch date and technical implementation have not been established.
Paintball field directory
[edit]National venue information
[edit]One of Paintball.co.nz's principal resources was its directory of New Zealand paintball fields.
Commercial paintball facilities were spread across the country, including Auckland, Northland, Wellington, Rotorua, Hawke's Bay, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.
Players seeking places to participate often depended on local knowledge or individual business advertising.
An online directory offered a means of locating fields outside a player's immediate region.
The directory was sufficiently established to receive favourable mention in the Mercenaries Star website directory.[1]
Commercial and recreational fields
[edit]New Zealand paintball facilities during the period varied considerably.
Some operators concentrated on recreational games for private groups, while others supported players using their own equipment and organised tournament competition.
Fields could include natural woodland terrain, constructed recreational obstacles, speedball arenas or indoor playing areas.
A directory covering these facilities provided a useful resource for both new players and experienced participants.
The surviving references do not establish how many fields Paintball.co.nz listed at its peak or how frequently listings were updated.
Historical value
[edit]Commercial paintball fields frequently changed names, operators or locations.
Some ceased trading without preserving public records.
Historical field directories are therefore valuable sources when reconstructing the development of paintball in New Zealand.
They may preserve business names, contact details and addresses that no longer appear in modern search results.
The original Paintball.co.nz directory is of potential historical importance for documenting operators active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Its complete historical contents have not been recovered.
Tournament journalism
[edit]National competition
[edit]Paintball.co.nz was associated with reporting on organised competitive paintball in New Zealand.
During the late 1990s, major events included the New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Northland Open and competitions in Rotorua and Wellington.
Tournament reporting provided information about event results, participating teams and organisational arrangements.
This coverage complemented the information circulated by field operators and tournament organisers.
It was particularly important when official results were distributed through printed sheets, email or individual websites rather than centralised databases.
1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals
[edit]The 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals took place on 25–26 October at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū, Auckland.
The tournament attracted 11 teams and used a five-player centre-flag format.
Rob Maddox authored a contemporary account of the competition.[4]
The recorded leading results were:
| Position | Team | Tournament points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katipo | 1,008 |
| 2 | Saints Black | 866 |
| 3 | Kamo Karzi | 818 |
Maddox participated as a member of Kamo Karzi.
His account documented the tournament's organisation, playing conditions and results.
The 1997 event took place during the inaugural season of the original National Paintball League.
The Nationals was one of the established major tournaments incorporated into the league's First Division programme.[7]
1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals
[edit]Maddox also documented the 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, held on 24–25 October at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū.
The tournament attracted 14 teams.
The leading recorded results were:
| Position | Team | Tournament points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saints Gold | 1,290 |
| 2 | Paint Contractors | 1,008 |
| 3 | Saints Grey | 970 |
| 11 | Kamo Karzi | 435 |
Maddox received the Best Flag Pull award at the event for an action during a game against Katipo One.[5]
His contemporary report discussed tournament organisation and aspects of the refereeing.
Such reporting preserved information about the development of competitive paintball beyond the final standings alone.
The original individual report URLs have not been established, although the reports are identified in historical research associated with Paintball.co.nz.
Relationship with tournament ranking websites
[edit]Paintball.co.nz was one of several websites documenting New Zealand tournament paintball.
Mercenaries Star maintained the Valhalla national ranking database, which compiled competition results into annual team rankings.
The two websites provided different types of information.
Paintball.co.nz was associated with articles, a field directory and online discussions.
Mercenaries Star published tournament calendars, team profiles, historical league documents and calculated national team rankings.
Both contributed to the preservation and circulation of tournament information during the period.
There is no established evidence that the websites were operated by the same individuals or belonged to a common organisation.
Paintball organisations and regulation
[edit]New Zealand Paintball Players Association
[edit]Paintball.co.nz published material concerning the New Zealand Paintball Players Association.
A historical articles index identified an interview with M. Dannefaerd, president of the NZPPA, dating from 2003.[6]
Martin Dannefaerd was involved in the association's activities during the early 2000s.
The interview formed part of the website's coverage of efforts to develop organised representation for New Zealand paintball players.
The association's work involved regulatory matters, sporting administration and the development of competitive paintball.
What has the NZPPA done for me?
[edit]In February 2004, Rob Maddox published What has the NZPPA done for me?.
The article examined the activities of the association from the perspective of a former secretary.[6]
Its subjects included:
- Paintball marker regulation
- Communication with New Zealand Police
- Importation and ownership of paintball equipment
- Compressed-air cylinder testing and certification
- Tournament rules and standards
- Interregional competition
- Efforts toward sporting recognition
The article provides evidence of issues affecting New Zealand paintball during the early 2000s.
Its account of the association's activities represents Maddox's perspective and should not be treated as independent confirmation of every regulatory outcome described.
Arms Act information
[edit]Paintball.co.nz also maintained historical information about New Zealand firearms legislation.
An archived website path at paintball.co.nz/armsact.htm has been associated with information concerning the Arms Act and its application to paintball equipment.[8]
Paintball markers were regulated as airguns under New Zealand legislation.
Questions about legal ownership, importation and the classification of equipment were relevant to players and commercial operators.
The publication of such material demonstrates the website's interest in issues extending beyond recreational and competitive paintball activities.
The historical content should not be used as a statement of current New Zealand firearms law, which has changed since the early 2000s.
Website articles
[edit]Historical article index
[edit]Paintball.co.nz maintained an articles section at:
www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm
The historical archive has been associated with articles published during 2003 and 2004, including material concerning the NZPPA.[6]
Its contents were separate from the message board, although articles may also have informed discussion among forum participants.
The website's article section provided space for longer-form commentary that could not be conveyed through brief event notices or directory entries.
Articles and commentary
[edit]The website's documented editorial subjects included competitive paintball and sporting administration.
Its articles offered explanations, reports and personal perspectives on issues affecting New Zealand players.
The publication of organisational interviews and regulatory commentary demonstrates that the website was not limited to providing recreational field listings.
The site also served as a forum for debate concerning the development of paintball as an organised sport.
Other online paintball resources
[edit]Mercenaries Star
[edit]Mercenaries Star was a separate New Zealand paintball website active during the same period.
It published tournament schedules, historical documents, team profiles and the Valhalla national ranking database.
Its directory listed New Zealand Paintball as an information resource.[1]
The directory's comments are among the strongest surviving independent evidence for Paintball.co.nz's original functionality.
Team websites
[edit]During the late 1990s and early 2000s, several New Zealand tournament teams maintained their own websites.
Teams listed in Mercenaries Star's directory included:
- Kamo Karzi
- Katipo
- Insane
- Phoenix
- Rangers
- Tag n' Release
- Stealth Assassins
These websites provided information about teams, player rosters and tournament activity.
Paintball.co.nz operated within this wider network of independent paintball information resources.
Commercial field websites
[edit]Commercial paintball businesses also maintained websites advertising playing facilities, prices and event information.
Historical examples included Actions Paintball Sports Arena and Splatman.
Such business-operated sites served different purposes from a national community information website.
Together, independent community resources, team websites and commercial field pages formed the online infrastructure through which players obtained information.
Preservation and later history
[edit]Internet Archive
[edit]Historical versions of Paintball.co.nz may be found through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
The relevant original addresses include:
- www.paintball.co.nz
- www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm
- www.paintball.co.nz/armsact.htm
These addresses can be used to search for archived snapshots.
The Wayback Machine preserves individual web pages rather than guaranteeing a complete copy of a website.
Consequently, some historical pages, forum discussions, photographs and associated files may be missing or inaccessible.
Loss of forum material
[edit]The original NZ Paintball Message Boards are no longer available in their historical form through the original website.
The complete forum database has not been recovered.
This limits the surviving evidence concerning individual discussions, membership and the forum's later administration.
The loss of such material is significant because online discussion communities were often used to distribute informal information about tournament entries, player recruitment and recreational events.
These discussions did not always appear in formal tournament records or published articles.
Later use of the domain
[edit]The precise date on which the historical New Zealand Paintball information website ceased operating has not been established.
The available evidence also does not establish the subsequent ownership history of the paintball.co.nz domain.
A domain name can remain registered or be transferred after the closure of the website originally associated with it.
Later websites using the same domain should therefore not automatically be treated as continuations of the New Zealand Paintball community resource.
Historical significance
[edit]Paintball.co.nz was part of the early development of online paintball communities in New Zealand.
Its documented services included a national playing-field directory, a moderated message board and an online chat facility.
These functions helped make information about the sport accessible beyond individual commercial fields and local player networks.
The site's association with Rob Maddox also connected it with contemporary tournament reporting and discussion of sporting administration.
Its historical articles concerning the New Zealand Paintball Players Association provide evidence of the regulatory and organisational issues affecting players during the early 2000s.
Alongside Mercenaries Star and independent team websites, Paintball.co.nz formed part of a network of online resources documenting New Zealand paintball before modern social media and centralised tournament databases became widespread.
The surviving directory references and historical articles establish its role in the early New Zealand paintball internet community, even though the complete website and message-board archives have not been preserved.
See also
[edit]- Rob Maddox
- Kamo Karzi
- Mercenaries Star
- Valhalla National Rankings
- New Zealand Paintball Players Association
- National Paintball League (New Zealand)
- New Zealand Paintball Nationals
- Northland Open
- Actions Paintball
- Paintball in New Zealand
References
[edit]- New Zealand Paintball Online Directory. Mercenaries Star. Contemporary directory describing New Zealand Paintball's field directory, moderated message board and newly introduced chat facility.
- Internet Connected Organisations in New Zealand. Mark Davies, nz.net.announce, 1 October 1996. Lists paintball.co.nz as Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland.
- Internet Connected Organisations in New Zealand. Mark Davies, nz.net.announce, 31 March 1997. Continues to list paintball.co.nz under Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland.
- Rob Maddox, 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. Contemporary tournament report, October 1997, associated with the historical Paintball.co.nz material. Individual original article URL not recovered. Paintball.co.nz historical website archive search.
- Rob Maddox, 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. Contemporary tournament report, October 1998, associated with the historical Paintball.co.nz material. Individual original article URL not recovered. Paintball.co.nz historical website archive search.
- Paintball.co.nz – Historical Articles Index. Internet Archive archive search. Historical article references include the 2003 interview with M. Dannefaerd and Rob Maddox's February 2004 article What has the NZPPA done for me?. Individual article URLs have not been established.
- The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League. Mercenaries Star. Historical account of the establishment and development of the original NPL.
- Paintball.co.nz – Historical Arms Act Information. Internet Archive archive search for the former website path.
External links
[edit]- Paintball.co.nz – historical homepage archive
- Paintball.co.nz – historical articles archive
- Historical Arms Act information archive
- Mercenaries Star – contemporary description of New Zealand Paintball
- 1996 New Zealand internet directory listing Paintball Express
- 1997 New Zealand internet directory listing Paintball Express