Editing Hayes Noel (section)

== First organised paintball game ==

=== Planning ===

Noel, Gaines and [[Bob Gurnsey]] developed plans for a larger competitive game.

Gurnsey was a sporting goods retailer in New Hampshire.

The three men organised a contest involving twelve participants.

=== Location ===

The game was held near Henniker, New Hampshire.

The playing area consisted of approximately 100 acres of wooded terrain.

=== Date ===

The event took place on 27 June 1981.[1][2]

It is widely recognised as the first organised game of modern paintball.

=== Participants ===

Twelve people participated in the event.

The group included businessmen, writers and experienced outdoorsmen.

Noel was one of the competitors.

=== Equipment ===

Players used Nel-Spot 007 marking pistols.

They also carried:

* Paintballs
* CO2 cartridges
* Protective goggles
* Maps
* Compasses

The equipment reflected the game's original emphasis on outdoor navigation and survival skills.

=== Rules ===

The objective was to collect flags from four stations and return to the designated finishing area.

Players were eliminated if struck by a paintball.

The rules combined elements of capture the flag, navigation and individual competition.

=== Winner ===

The game was won by [[Ritchie White]], a forester from New Hampshire.

White collected the required flags without firing a shot.

His victory became a central part of the sport's founding story.

=== Noel's participation ===

Noel participated in the game but did not win.

Accounts of his performance vary.

In a 2006 ''Los Angeles Times'' retrospective, Gaines recalled that Noel spent much of the game hiding in vegetation.[2]

The comment reflects Gaines's recollection and the longstanding competitive relationship between the two men.

=== Historical significance ===

The game demonstrated that marking pistols could be used to create an organised recreational competition.

It also generated interest among participants and observers.

The event provided the basis for the subsequent commercial development of paintball.