Editing Banzai Bandits (section)

== History ==

=== Origins ===

The origins of Banzai Bandits date to the late 1980s, when Antony Leadbetter and several friends began playing recreational paintball at a site in Worsley, Greater Manchester.

Leadbetter recalled beginning paintball in 1986, initially using Splatmaster markers before progressing to pump-action equipment. The group included Chris Morden, Colin Egan, Dave Frost and Steve Horan. [1]

According to Leadbetter, the players initially wore Japanese-style headbands and were given an informal nickname by local referees before adopting the Banzai Bandits name.

The group's early playing venues included Ball Busters at Lyme Park, where they participated in woodland paintball games. [1]

Banzai subsequently developed into an organised tournament team, recruiting additional players from the Manchester area.

=== Mayhem Masters (1993) ===

Banzai Bandits achieved a significant result at the 1993 Mayhem Masters, held at Holmbush in southern England.

The tournament attracted leading British and international teams, including [[UK Predators]], [[Nam Wrecking Crew]], Turks and Eagles.

Banzai entered the five-team round-robin final after defeating established opposition during the preliminary rounds.

The team finished third overall behind UK Predators and Nam Wrecking Crew. Turks finished fourth and Eagles fifth. [2]

A retrospective published by Planet Eclipse in 2017 identified the result as an important milestone for the Manchester-based organisation, which had previously competed largely against other northern English teams. [2]

The documented 1993 squad included Antony Leadbetter, Jack Wood, Chris Morden, Julian Carr, Brian Greenbank, Phil Cummins, Ian Duthie, Stewart Pailthorpe and Steve Horan, alongside players identified as Tess and Charlie. [2]

=== International professional competition ===

Banzai Bandits subsequently competed internationally, including in the [[National Professional Paintball League]] (NPPL) and major European tournaments.

At the 1996 NPPL World Cup in Orlando, Florida, Banzai competed in the professional 10-man division.

The team advanced to the professional semi-finals and finished 11th overall. [4]

Banzai returned to American competition at the 1997 NPPL Las Vegas Open, where it recorded 263 points during the preliminary rounds. [5]

The team also competed at the 1997 World Cup, appearing in the professional preliminary records. [6]

These appearances placed Banzai among the British teams competing regularly against established American professional organisations during the 1990s.

=== Hyperball championship (1997) ===

One of Banzai Bandits' most significant victories came at the 1997 Hyperball Championships in Birmingham, England.

The event was organised by [[WDP]] and featured 40 ten-player teams from several countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Ukraine.

Competition used both woodland fields and the developing [[Hyperball]] format, with the finals played on fields constructed from large plastic drainage pipes. [1]

Banzai competed against teams including [[Bad Company (American paintball team)|Bad Company]], [[Team Image]], UK Predators, [[Shockwave UK]] and Shades of Grey.

During the preliminary competition, Banzai defeated Bad Company, one of the established American professional teams.

Banzai subsequently defeated Shockwave in the semi-finals. Mike "Spanner" Snape was identified by Leadbetter as having made a decisive attacking move during the match.

The final was contested against [[Shades of Grey]], another established British team.

Banzai won the final to claim the championship. [1]

In a 2017 interview, Leadbetter described the victory as an important achievement for the organisation during the transition from woodland tournaments to concept-field competition.

The event was also associated with the increasing use of artificial bunkers and spectator-friendly tournament layouts, which subsequently became standard in competitive paintball. [1]

=== Millennium Series (1999–2002) ===

Banzai Bandits continued competing in European professional tournaments following the establishment of the [[Millennium Series]] in 1999.

The team appeared in professional competition alongside major European and American organisations, including the All Americans, Avalanche, Russian Legion, Joy Division and Toulouse TonTons.

At the 2000 Mayhem Masters, Banzai qualified for the professional semi-finals after placing sixth in the preliminary standings.

The team was eliminated during the semi-final round, finishing 11th. [7]

Banzai also competed in the 2001 Joy Masters in Stockholm, Sweden.

Contemporary WARPIG reporting identified a Banzai player known as "Pailey" discussing the revised Millennium Series competition format and its effects on professional teams. [8]

At the same tournament, Antony Leadbetter competed using a customised Eclipse Impulse marker developed through the team's equipment business. [8]

Banzai continued participating in the Millennium Series during 2002.

At the Amsterdam event, the team progressed beyond the preliminary rounds in professional competition. Contemporary tournament reporting highlighted Jack Wood's performance during the event. [9]

The team's recorded participation in the Millennium Series illustrates its involvement during the transition from traditional woodland tournaments to the modern European speedball format.