Rob Blitz
Rob Blitz was a New Zealand businessman and paintball operator associated with the development of recreational and competitive paintball in the Wellington Region.
Blitz operated Paintball Adventure Challenge in Porirua and founded Daytona Raceway, an indoor entertainment business that subsequently incorporated paintball facilities in Petone and Upper Hutt.
He supported organised tournament paintball through regular club days and playing opportunities for Wellington competitors.
Blitz later expanded Daytona Raceway into Daytona Adventure Park, a multi-activity entertainment centre at Brewtown in Upper Hutt.
Paintball career
[edit]Wellington paintball
[edit]Blitz was involved in the Wellington paintball industry before establishing Daytona Adventure Park.
His activities included operating recreational paintball facilities and providing opportunities for competitive players to train and participate in organised games.
During the early 2010s, he was associated with tournament paintball in the Porirua area, where his facilities hosted regular club days.
A June 2014 discussion on the New Zealand technology forum Geekzone recommended Blitz to players seeking competitive paintball opportunities in Wellington.
A former employee identified him as the owner of Paintball Adventure Challenge and described the business as offering regular tournament-oriented club days, rather than exclusively recreational bushball games. [1]
The account also indicated that participants could become involved with local teams and tournament competitions.
Paintball Adventure Challenge
[edit]Paintball Adventure Challenge was a commercial paintball business operated by Blitz in Porirua, Wellington.
The business offered recreational paintball games alongside opportunities for competitive players.
By June 2014, the venue was operating regular club days and providing access to tournament-style paintball. [1]
The business later became associated with Daytona Raceway, Blitz's indoor go-karting operation.
Promotional material from December 2015 identified Paintball Adventure Challenge as one of the activities available at Daytona Raceway in Petone. [2]
The venue offered paintball games for recreational groups, including corporate events, birthday parties and other organised bookings.
A further promotional listing from January 2016 documented Daytona Raceway and Paintball Adventure Challenge operating at 6 Mohuia Crescent, Elsdon, Porirua. [3]
These records demonstrate that the paintball business operated within Blitz's wider recreational entertainment activities at multiple Wellington locations.
Daytona Raceway
[edit]Establishment in Petone
[edit]Blitz developed Daytona Raceway as an indoor entertainment business centred on go-kart racing.
In June 2014, a former employee described Daytona Raceway as a forthcoming attraction in Petone, Lower Hutt, incorporating a paintball field. [1]
The business subsequently operated indoor go-karting and paintball activities.
By December 2015, promotional listings confirmed that Daytona Raceway was operating in Petone and offering Paintball Adventure Challenge alongside its racing activities. [2]
The combination of indoor karting and paintball expanded the range of recreational activities available through Blitz's business.
Expansion to Brewtown
[edit]In 2020, Blitz announced plans to relocate Daytona Raceway's go-karting and ice-skating operations to a new entertainment complex at Brewtown in Upper Hutt.
The development occupied approximately 4,500 square metres and included plans for several additional activities.
A report published by Concrete Playground on 29 June 2020 identified Blitz as Daytona Raceway's owner and outlined the planned expansion. [4]
The new complex was intended to include:
- Indoor go-kart racing
- Ice skating
- Indoor paintball
- Ten-pin bowling
- Trampoline facilities
The development formed part of the expansion of Brewtown, a recreational and hospitality precinct established at the former Dunlop Tyres factory in Upper Hutt.
The project was developed in cooperation with Brewtown owner Malcolm Gillies.
In a contemporary commercial property announcement, Blitz described the popularity of Brewtown and support from the property developer and Upper Hutt City Council as important reasons for the relocation. [5]
Daytona Adventure Park
[edit]The expanded business became known as Daytona Adventure Park.
Located at Brewtown on Blenheim Street in Upper Hutt, the facility incorporated paintball alongside a range of indoor recreational activities.
Its paintball field uses inflatable bunkers within a fully enclosed playing area.
The venue's published specifications describe a field measuring 36 by 18 metres, with 28 inflatable obstacles and two starting bases. [6]
Daytona Adventure Park has also offered lower-impact paintball activities using JT SplatMaster equipment, allowing younger participants to experience introductory paintball games.
The indoor facility enabled paintball activities to continue independently of outdoor weather conditions.
Death and recognition
[edit]Blitz died after establishing Daytona Adventure Park.
The organisation published a memorial statement announcing that its team was mourning the loss of the man who had started the business. [7]
The memorial identified Blitz as the driving force behind Daytona's establishment and development.
His contributions to Wellington paintball included the operation of Paintball Adventure Challenge, the provision of regular playing opportunities for competitive players and the development of paintball facilities within larger recreational entertainment venues.
His later involvement in Daytona Adventure Park extended those activities through the establishment of an indoor paintball facility at Brewtown.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Geekzone. "Paintball club in Wellington?" 2 June 2014. Contemporary discussion by a former employee identifying Rob Blitz as the owner of Paintball Adventure Challenge in Porirua, his involvement with Daytona Raceway in Petone, and the availability of competitive paintball club days.
- GrabOne. "Daytona Raceway Wellington." December 2015. Historical promotional listing identifying Paintball Adventure Challenge as an activity offered at Daytona Raceway's Petone location.
- GrabOne. "Daytona Raceway Porirua." January 2016. Historical promotion documenting the business at 6 Mohuia Crescent, Elsdon, Porirua, and its association with Paintball Adventure Challenge.
- Heard, Stephen. "Upper Hutt's Brewtown Is Opening a Huge New Craft Beer Entertainment Complex." Concrete Playground, 29 June 2020. Contemporary report identifying Rob Blitz as Daytona Raceway's owner and describing its planned relocation and expansion.
- Mistry, Dharmendra. "Leased!" CBRE New Zealand, 2020. Commercial property announcement concerning Daytona Raceway's relocation to Brewtown, including comments attributed to Rob Blitz.
- Daytona Adventure Park. "Paintball." Official description of the indoor playing field, equipment and recreational paintball activities.
- Daytona Adventure Park. Memorial announcement for Rob Blitz. Public statement confirming his death and recognising his role in establishing the business.