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Created page with " '''Kyn Allan Jackson''', also known as '''Kyn "Action" Jackson''', is a New Zealand paintball field operator and tournament organiser associated with Actions Paintball in Auckland. He was involved in the development of organised competitive paintball in New Zealand during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the administration of the original National Paintball League (NPL) and the organisation of regional tournaments. Ja..."
 
Expand and correct Kyn Jackson biography with direct 2001 Black Dragon and Jetts records, 2004 PSP Chicago Open refereeing, original Nationals reports, early playing history, Team Kiwi photographic evidence and Actions Paintball history.
 
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'''Kyn Allan Jackson''', also known as '''Kyn "Action" Jackson''', is a New Zealand [[paintball]] player, referee, field operator and tournament organiser whose involvement in the sport dates to approximately 1985. He is associated with [[Actions Paintball]], the [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] (NPL), the [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] and international tournament paintball.[1][2][3]


'''Kyn Allan Jackson''', also known as '''Kyn "Action" Jackson''', is a New Zealand paintball field operator and tournament organiser associated with [[Actions Paintball]] in Auckland. He was involved in the development of organised competitive paintball in New Zealand during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the administration of the original [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] (NPL) and the organisation of regional tournaments.
Jackson's playing history includes Auckland Killer Mercenaries, Warlocks, Dragons Claw, [[Saints (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Saints]], Black Dragon and the Australian team Jetts. He later participated in New Zealand's international paintball activities in Malaysia.[1][4][5][6][7]


Jackson was associated with Actions Paintball Sports Arena, one of the original commercial field operators participating in the NPL in 1997. Following changes to the league in 1999, he took responsibility for its remaining administrative structure and continued to promote competitive paintball events.[1]
He also worked as a referee, including at the 2004 PSP Chicago Open in the United States.[9][10][11]


== Paintball career ==
== Early paintball career ==


=== Actions Paintball ===
=== Auckland Killer Mercenaries, 1985 ===


Jackson was associated with Actions Paintball Sports Arena, an Auckland paintball business operating during the 1990s.
In personal correspondence with a WikiPaintball contributor in October 2026, Jackson recalled beginning paintball in 1985 through a group of friends known as '''AKM''', or '''Auckland Killer Mercenaries'''.[1]


The venue was one of several commercial fields involved in the early development of organised tournament paintball in New Zealand.
His recollection is consistent with a contemporary player profile archived on 4 February 1998. In that profile, he stated that he had been involved in paintball for approximately 12 to 13 years and had discovered the game through a social outing with friends.[2]


Actions Paintball provided recreational paintball and facilities for competitive players. The business subsequently operated outdoor venues at Swanson in west Auckland and Beachlands in east Auckland.
The exact date and location of the original AKM games have not been established.


Its activities included recreational games, corporate and group bookings, walk-on events, scenario games and organised paintball tournaments.
=== World Challenge Tag and early refereeing ===


Jackson's involvement with the business is documented in contemporary tournament records, historical company information and correspondence published on Actions Paintball's website.[1][2][3]
Jackson recalled beginning to referee shortly after taking up paintball. He identified [[World Challenge Tag]] (WCT) as a venue where he refereed around 1986.[1]


=== National Paintball League ===
An Actions Paintball business description subsequently recalled that Jackson had played and refereed at the original Riverhead Forest location during its early operations. World Challenge Tag's own company history dates its activity at Riverhead to 1985.[15][21]
 
=== Tactics Paintball and Warlocks ===
 
Jackson recalled playing at [[Tactics Paintball]] at Bethells Beach from approximately 1987, associating his early playing experience with [[Dave Pellet]].[1]
 
He subsequently played for a team known as '''Warlocks''' and recalled competing against Unit 13, Screaming Eagles and Renegades at Tactics.[1]
 
A New Zealand paintball field directory archived in February 1998 independently confirms Pellet's association with Tactics and describes the venue's woodland playing areas at Bethells Beach.[3]
 
The dates and results of the early Warlocks matches have not been independently recovered.
 
=== Dragons Claw ===
 
Jackson identified '''[[Dragons Claw (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Dragons Claw]]''' among the teams for which he played.[1]
 
Dragons Claw was active in Auckland tournament paintball during the mid-1990s. Two associated entries, Hell Patrol and Sentinels, competed at the [[1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] at Tactics, Bethells Beach, on 21-22 October 1995.[4]
 
Jackson's individual participation in those two tournament entries has not been established.
 
Dragons Claw should be distinguished from '''Black Dragon''', a separately named team with which Jackson was associated in a 2001 tournament announcement.[5]
 
=== Other early playing activities ===
 
Jackson also recalled playing stock-class paintball at Thunderbolt in Wellington, using a PGP pistol.[1]
 
He recalled organising a paintball party in 1991, before his later involvement in commercial field management and national tournament organisation.[1]
 
== Tournament playing career ==
 
=== Saints ===
 
By February 1998, Jackson was a member of [[Saints (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Saints]].
 
His contemporary New Zealand Paintball player profile identified him as both a Saints player and an operator of Actions Paintball.[2]
 
In the same profile, Jackson named the Automag as his preferred paintball marker and expressed support for more international and inter-city competition in New Zealand.[2]
 
=== Black Dragon ===
 
A contemporary announcement for the 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals identified Jackson as the tournament organiser and listed his team as '''Black Dragon'''.[5]
 
The announcement was preserved in an August 2001 Internet Archive capture of Paintball.co.nz. It identified Jackson as a member of Black Dragon before the tournament and separately advertised the participation of Australia's Jetts.[5]
 
The available records do not establish an organisational relationship between Black Dragon and the earlier Dragons Claw team.
 
=== Jetts and the 2001 Volcanic Rotorua tournament ===
 
Jackson was involved with the Australian tournament team '''Jetts''' during its participation in New Zealand competitions in 2001.
 
A contemporary report by [[Rob Maddox]] on the [[2001 Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]] specifically identified Jackson of Actions Paintball as assisting Jetts.[6]
 
The tournament took place on 2-3 June 2001 at Rotorua International Stadium.
 
Jetts won Division One with 290 final-round points, followed by Saints on 220 and Katipo A on 145.[6]
 
The report documents Jackson's involvement with the Australian team, although it does not provide an individual match roster identifying every game in which he played.
 
=== Jetts at the 2001 New Zealand Nationals ===
 
Jackson also played for Jetts at the [[2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], held at Actions Paintball during Labour Weekend in October.[7]
 
Maddox's contemporary tournament report explicitly identified Jackson as both the event organiser and a Jetts player.


The original New Zealand National Paintball League was established in 1997 through an initiative by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet.
The Australian team supplemented its roster with Black Dragon players after the collapse of Ansett disrupted the travel arrangements of some of its members.[7]


The league sought to coordinate competitive paintball between participating commercial fields, establish a regular national tournament calendar and improve the standard of competition and refereeing.
Jetts reached the First Division final stage and finished third with 160 points, behind Saints on 225 and Katipo on 165.


Three field operators initially participated:
An initial scoring error resulted in Jetts receiving the second-place trophy. The placings were corrected following a countback.[7]


* Splatman, operating several Auckland fields
Jackson's involvement with both Black Dragon and Jetts in 2001 should therefore be understood in the context of team affiliations and tournament-specific guest playing.
* Strategy Tag, based in Whangārei
* Actions Paintball Sports Arena, based in Auckland


The league operated two divisions. First Division incorporated established major tournaments, while Second Division provided a regular programme for developing teams.
=== Team Kiwi and Malaysia ===


Participating commercial fields hosted events on a rotating basis.
Jackson was subsequently involved with [[Team Kiwi]], a name used by New Zealand tournament groups assembled for international competition.


By 1999, the league had lost support from several of the original field operators.
Photographic evidence places him in Kuala Lumpur during the December 2004 Nation Cup. A photograph uploaded by Martin Dannefaerd on 5 January 2005 identifies Jackson in its caption alongside the tournament's airport banner.[8]


A historical account published by Mercenaries Star records that Jackson subsequently assumed responsibility for the remaining NPL administration and discontinued Second Division.[1]
The photograph was taken on 8 December 2004 and forms part of Dannefaerd's ''Malaysia 2k4'' album, which documents the [[2004 Nation Cup]] organised by Xtion Paintball.[8]


First Division continued as a grouping of established tournaments operating under the NPL name.
Jackson was also associated with a later Team Kiwi delegation organised for competition in Malaysia. Complete event-specific rosters and results for the later trip have not been recovered.


Jackson's involvement took place during the original NPL's development and reorganisation. This organisation was separate from the [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]] (NZPPL) active during the 2010s.
== Refereeing ==


=== Tournament organisation ===
=== Early New Zealand refereeing ===


Jackson was involved in organising and administering paintball tournaments during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jackson's refereeing experience dates to the early period of his involvement in paintball.


Contemporary tournament announcements identify him with events hosted by Actions Paintball Sports Arena and with efforts to introduce competitive formats more closely aligned with international paintball.
He recalled refereeing games at World Challenge Tag around 1986, shortly after beginning to play.[1]


==== APSA's Mayhem ====
His subsequent experience as a tournament organiser also involved the recruitment and management of referees at competitive events.


'''APSA's Mayhem''' was a tournament organised in Auckland by Actions Paintball Sports Arena.
=== 2004 PSP Chicago Open ===


A tournament calendar preserved by Mercenaries Star described the event's change from five-player to seven-player competition as part of Jackson's plans to bring New Zealand tournament paintball closer to international standards.[4]
Jackson refereed at the '''2004 PSP Chicago Open''', held from 23 to 27 June 2004 at [[Badlandz Paintball Field]] in Crete, Illinois, United States.[9][10][11]


The change reflected the importance of seven-player competition in international tournament paintball at the time.
The tournament was part of the [[Paintball Sports Promotions]] series and included five-player, ten-player, divisional X-Ball and National X-Ball League competition.[9]


==== Rotorua Invitational ====
Photographs originally published by the paintball media website '''Force of Nature''' were subsequently reproduced in Jackson's personal Facebook photo album.


Jackson was also involved in preparations for the [[Rotorua Invitational]], a tournament developed by [[Tag n' Release]] and Rotorua Paintball Club.
Jackson uploaded the photographs on 15 August 2009, identifying the event in his captions as X-Ball Chicago 2004 and describing it as part of his 2004 world tour.[11]


A contemporary announcement by Russell "Dangermouse" Clement described plans for a seven-player tournament at Rotorua International Stadium.
One photograph records an incident involving [[Chris Lasoya]], which Jackson described in the caption as a knee injury sustained while hanging the flag. Another caption recalls seeing [[Bob Long]] watching the tournament.


The event was intended to use two Sup'Air fields and attract teams from New Zealand and potentially Australia.
The photographs include an on-field referee, identified as Jackson through firsthand information supplied to WikiPaintball by a contributor with access to the original album.[11]


Clement stated that Tag n' Release members had undertaken most of the planning and had asked Jackson to manage the event on the day.[5]
The screenshots establish a documented refereeing appearance at a major American tournament, rather than merely attendance as a spectator.


Jackson's role was therefore associated with tournament administration rather than the original conception of the event.
== Actions Paintball ==


==== Other tournaments ====
=== Establishment ===


Actions Paintball continued hosting competitive and recreational events during the 2000s.
Jackson established [[Actions Paintball]] in Auckland during the 1990s.


Correspondence preserved on the company's website includes a message addressed to Jackson thanking him for organising an Easter tournament. The writer, representing Phantom Five, referred to the work undertaken by Jackson and the event marshals and expressed interest in the following Queen's Birthday tournament.[3]
A retrospective business description dates the start of Actions Paintball to 1994 at Te Atatū North.[15]


The surviving correspondence identifies Jackson as an organiser involved in the practical administration of competitive events.
A New Zealand Paintball field directory archived in February 1998 listed Jackson and Amon Johnson as contacts for Actions Paintball Sports Arena. It also documented the involvement of Saints players in operating the field.[3]


== Business activities ==
Actions subsequently operated recreational and tournament venues at Swanson in west Auckland and Beachlands in east Auckland.


=== Actions Paintball Limited ===
=== Company records ===


New Zealand company records identify Kyn Allan Jackson as a director of '''Actions Paintball Limited''', incorporated on 2 April 2004 under company number 1501339 and New Zealand Business Number 9429035458739.[2]
New Zealand Companies Register records identify Jackson as a director of Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1501339, incorporated on 2 April 2004.


The company changed its registered name to '''Ace Paintball Limited''' on 22 March 2006.
The company changed its name to Ace Paintball Limited on 22 March 2006.[16]


These company records document Jackson's formal involvement in a business using the Actions Paintball name during the 2000s.
A separate Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1793502, was incorporated on 31 March 2006, with Jackson appointed as its director.[17]


The company's 2004 incorporation should not be confused with the original establishment of the paintball operation, which was already active during the 1990s.
These incorporation dates postdate the documented establishment of the playing-field operation.


=== Recreational paintball operations ===
=== Swanson and Riverhead ===


Actions Paintball developed a commercial recreational business alongside its involvement in tournament paintball.
Actions Paintball operated its Swanson venue until June 2013.


The company's Swanson venue included numerous outdoor playing fields and hosted regular scenario and walk-on games.
On 27 June 2013, the business announced that the site would close because of redevelopment of the land. It stated that the venue had been in operation for approximately fourteen years.[18]


Its Beachlands facility provided recreational paintball in east Auckland.
From July 2013, west Auckland bookings moved to World Challenge Tag's Riverhead Forest venue, while Actions continued operating at Beachlands.


Customer correspondence dating from 2005 onward identifies Jackson as a contact involved in the operation of the venues.[3]
In June 2018, Actions announced the consolidation of its operations with World Challenge Tag, with the combined business operating solely from Riverhead Forest.[19]


The company's event programmes included organised tournaments, scenario games and recreational activities for private groups.
== Tournament organisation ==


== Actions Paintball's later history ==
=== National Paintball League ===


=== Swanson relocation ===
Actions Paintball Sports Arena was one of the three original commercial field operators involved in the [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]], which began in 1997.


On 27 June 2013, Actions Paintball announced that its Swanson venue would close because the land was being redeveloped.
The league was established through an initiative by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet. Participating operators initially included Splatman, Strategy Tag and Actions Paintball Sports Arena.[12]


The company reported that Swanson had operated for approximately 14 years and confirmed that the final scheduled game would take place on 30 June 2013.[6]
The NPL organised First and Second Division competitions.


From 1 July 2013, Actions transferred its west Auckland operations to the established [[World Challenge Tag]] paintball facility in Riverhead Forest.
After the original structure lost support from its participating operators in 1999, Jackson took responsibility for the remaining league administration.


Its Beachlands venue continued operating under the Actions Paintball name.
According to the historical account preserved by [[Mercenaries Star]], he discontinued Second Division while continuing the association of established tournaments under the First Division structure.[12]


The relocation preserved an operating base for the company's west Auckland recreational activities.
=== New Zealand Paintball Nationals ===


=== Riverhead consolidation ===
Jackson organised multiple editions of the [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] at Actions Paintball.


In June 2018, Actions Paintball and World Challenge Tag announced that they had consolidated their operations exclusively at the Riverhead Forest venue.[7]
The 2001 championship attracted eighteen teams and used three playing fields: Minefield, Symetrical and Sup'Air.[7]


The consolidation combined the activities and resources of two established Auckland paintball operators.
At the tournament's prizegiving, Jackson received a NeoTech paintball harness in recognition of his contribution to the Nationals and the four preceding editions.


The company's announcement documents the subsequent development of the business with which Jackson had been associated, although it does not independently establish his individual role in negotiating or managing the 2018 arrangement.
The contemporary report credited him with helping develop tournament paintball in New Zealand.[7]


== Contribution to tournament paintball ==
Jackson continued organising the Nationals during the 2000s.


Jackson's documented activities connect several periods in the development of competitive paintball in New Zealand.
The [[2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] was held at Actions Paintball in Swanson on 20-21 October. Jackson published event information and updates through the NZ P8NT forum. Menace won the tournament ahead of Muppets Inc, with Fusion third and Intense fourth.[20]


Through Actions Paintball Sports Arena, he was involved in the original National Paintball League's field-operator structure.
=== Other tournaments ===


Following the NPL's reorganisation in 1999, he continued its remaining administrative arrangements.
A tournament calendar preserved by Mercenaries Star credited Jackson with changing APSA Mayhem from five-player to seven-player competition as part of a move towards international tournament formats.[13]


His involvement with APSA's Mayhem and the planned Rotorua Invitational also connected him to tournament organisation during a period when New Zealand events were increasingly adopting international competition formats.
Jackson was also involved in preparations for an early Rotorua Invitational. Russell Clement reported that Jackson had been asked to manage the tournament while members of the organising team competed.[14]


These activities took place alongside his work in recreational paintball, where commercial fields provided facilities, equipment and organisational support for new and experienced players.
This proposed management role concerned the Rotorua Invitational programme and should not be confused with his documented involvement with Jetts at the 2001 Volcanic Rotorua tournament.


== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Actions Paintball]]
* [[Actions Paintball]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[Rotorua Invitational]]
* [[World Challenge Tag]]
* [[World Challenge Tag]]
* [[Tactics Paintball]]
* [[Dragons Claw (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Dragons Claw]]
* [[Saints (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Saints]]
* [[Team Kiwi]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[2001 Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]]
* [[2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[2004 Nation Cup]]
* [[Badlandz Paintball Field]]
* [[Paintball tournaments in New Zealand]]
* [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League]. ''Mercenaries Star''. History of the original NPL, participating field operators and Jackson's role following its reorganisation.
# Kyn Jackson, personal correspondence with a WikiPaintball contributor, October 2026. Firsthand recollections covering AKM, early refereeing, Tactics Paintball, Warlocks, Dragons Claw, early tournament opponents, stock-class paintball and recreational event organisation. Unpublished communication.
# [https://www.nzlbusiness.com/company/registered/Ace-Paintball-Limited ACE PAINTBALL LIMITED]. ''New Zealand Business Directory''. Actions Paintball Limited incorporation, company number, name change and directorship.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whkyn.htm Kyn Allan Jackson: Who's Who of New Zealand Paintball]. Contemporary player profile, archived 4 February 1998.
# [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/GUARANTEE/Testimonials.aspx Actions Paintball – Testimonials]. ''Actions Paintball''. Historical correspondence addressed to Jackson concerning field operations and tournament organisation.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164036/http://www.webel.co.nz/fields.htm Fields, Clubs and Stores]. New Zealand Paintball field directory, archived 4 February 1998.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Mercenaries Star Tournament Calendar]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Contemporary reference to APSA's Mayhem and Jackson's involvement in changing the event to seven-player competition.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1995_New_Zealand_Paintball_Nationals 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]. WikiPaintball, citing Cameron McLeay, ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995-February 1996, p. 63. Contemporary results identifying Dragons Claw Hell Patrol and Sentinels.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Announcement by Russell Clement describing Jackson's proposed tournament-management role.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20010813145802/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nationals/ Actions Paintball New Zealand Nationals, 2001 announcement]. Paintball.co.nz, archived 13 August 2001. Identifies Kyn Jackson as organiser and his team as Black Dragon.
# [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/Home/Latest_News_Blog/ Actions Paintball – Swanson Relocation Announcement]. ''Actions Paintball'', 27 June 2013.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020811192709/http://www.paintball.co.nz/volcanic.htm Volcanic Paintball Tournament, 2001]. Rob Maddox, Paintball.co.nz. Contemporary report identifying Jackson's involvement with Jetts and the team's Division One victory.
# [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/ Actions Paintball – Official Website]. Announcement of the June 2018 consolidation with World Challenge Tag.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020806192513/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats01.htm The 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]. Rob Maddox, Paintball.co.nz. Contemporary tournament report identifying Jackson as organiser and Jetts player, the team's third-place finish and Jackson's prizegiving recognition.
# [https://www.flickr.com/photos/whatever/2996583/ DSC02369]. Martin Dannefaerd, photograph from the ''Malaysia 2k4'' collection, taken 8 December 2004 and uploaded 5 January 2005. Caption identifies Kyn Jackson at Kuala Lumpur airport.
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/psp/2004/chicago/index.shtml PSP Chicago Open]. Dawn Mills, ''WARPIG'', June 2004. Contemporary event report documenting the competition at Badlandz.
# [https://pbleagues.com/leagues/1 PSP Events]. PBLeagues, official historical event listing identifying the Chicago Open dates as 23-27 June 2004.
# [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101975383149474&set=a.101974909816188&type=3 X-Ball Chicago 2004 photographs]. Kyn Jackson, personal Facebook album, posted 15 August 2009. Photographs bearing Force of Nature branding; captions identify the Chicago tournament, Bob Long and Chris Lasoya. Screenshots supplied to WikiPaintball on 29 October 2026, together with firsthand confirmation of Jackson's refereeing role. Public access to the original album may require Facebook login.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League]. Mercenaries Star, historical account of league establishment and administration.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Annual Tournament Events and New Zealand Paintball Series]. Mercenaries Star, historical tournament calendar.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days]. Russell Clement, Mercenaries Star, tournament planning account.
# [https://timaru.infodats.co.nz/card/wct-paintball/83697 WCT Paintball business description]. Retrospective Actions Paintball business history, reproduced by Infoisinfo. Records the stated 1994 establishment at Te Atatū North and Jackson's earlier involvement at World Challenge Tag.
# [https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/co/1501339 Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1501339]. New Zealand Companies Register.
# [https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/co/1793502 Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1793502]. New Zealand Companies Register.
# [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/Home/Latest_News_Blog/ Actions Paintball: Latest News and Blog]. Swanson relocation announcement, 27 June 2013.
# [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/Our_Fields/ Actions Paintball: Our Fields]. June 2018 announcement of consolidation with World Challenge Tag.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20081018194641/http://www.paintball.net.nz/archive/index.php/t-574.html National Champs Labour Weekend 2007]. NZ P8NT forum, tournament announcements and results, December 2006-October 2007.
# [https://worldchallengetag.co.nz/about-us/ About World Challenge Tag]. Official operator history of its Riverhead Forest paintball facility.


== External links ==
== External links ==


* [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/ Actions Paintball – official website]
* [https://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/ Actions Paintball official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.actionspaintball.co.nz/ Actions Paintball – Internet Archive]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whkyn.htm Archived 1998 Kyn Jackson player profile]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm Original National Paintball League history]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/whatever/albums/74979/ Malaysia 2k4 photographic archive]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Historical New Zealand tournament calendar]
* [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/psp/2004/chicago/index.shtml WARPIG: 2004 PSP Chicago Open]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Rotorua Invitational historical announcement]


[[Category:New Zealand paintball people]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball players]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball players]]
[[Category:Paintball tournament organisers]]
[[Category:Paintball referees]]
[[Category:Paintball in Auckland]]
[[Category:Paintball entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Paintball people]]
[[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]]

Latest revision as of 01:41, 29 October 2026

Kyn Allan Jackson, also known as Kyn "Action" Jackson, is a New Zealand paintball player, referee, field operator and tournament organiser whose involvement in the sport dates to approximately 1985. He is associated with Actions Paintball, the National Paintball League (NPL), the New Zealand Paintball Nationals and international tournament paintball.[1][2][3]

Jackson's playing history includes Auckland Killer Mercenaries, Warlocks, Dragons Claw, Saints, Black Dragon and the Australian team Jetts. He later participated in New Zealand's international paintball activities in Malaysia.[1][4][5][6][7]

He also worked as a referee, including at the 2004 PSP Chicago Open in the United States.[9][10][11]

Early paintball career

[edit]

Auckland Killer Mercenaries, 1985

[edit]

In personal correspondence with a WikiPaintball contributor in October 2026, Jackson recalled beginning paintball in 1985 through a group of friends known as AKM, or Auckland Killer Mercenaries.[1]

His recollection is consistent with a contemporary player profile archived on 4 February 1998. In that profile, he stated that he had been involved in paintball for approximately 12 to 13 years and had discovered the game through a social outing with friends.[2]

The exact date and location of the original AKM games have not been established.

World Challenge Tag and early refereeing

[edit]

Jackson recalled beginning to referee shortly after taking up paintball. He identified World Challenge Tag (WCT) as a venue where he refereed around 1986.[1]

An Actions Paintball business description subsequently recalled that Jackson had played and refereed at the original Riverhead Forest location during its early operations. World Challenge Tag's own company history dates its activity at Riverhead to 1985.[15][21]

Tactics Paintball and Warlocks

[edit]

Jackson recalled playing at Tactics Paintball at Bethells Beach from approximately 1987, associating his early playing experience with Dave Pellet.[1]

He subsequently played for a team known as Warlocks and recalled competing against Unit 13, Screaming Eagles and Renegades at Tactics.[1]

A New Zealand paintball field directory archived in February 1998 independently confirms Pellet's association with Tactics and describes the venue's woodland playing areas at Bethells Beach.[3]

The dates and results of the early Warlocks matches have not been independently recovered.

Dragons Claw

[edit]

Jackson identified Dragons Claw among the teams for which he played.[1]

Dragons Claw was active in Auckland tournament paintball during the mid-1990s. Two associated entries, Hell Patrol and Sentinels, competed at the 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals at Tactics, Bethells Beach, on 21-22 October 1995.[4]

Jackson's individual participation in those two tournament entries has not been established.

Dragons Claw should be distinguished from Black Dragon, a separately named team with which Jackson was associated in a 2001 tournament announcement.[5]

Other early playing activities

[edit]

Jackson also recalled playing stock-class paintball at Thunderbolt in Wellington, using a PGP pistol.[1]

He recalled organising a paintball party in 1991, before his later involvement in commercial field management and national tournament organisation.[1]

Tournament playing career

[edit]

Saints

[edit]

By February 1998, Jackson was a member of Saints.

His contemporary New Zealand Paintball player profile identified him as both a Saints player and an operator of Actions Paintball.[2]

In the same profile, Jackson named the Automag as his preferred paintball marker and expressed support for more international and inter-city competition in New Zealand.[2]

Black Dragon

[edit]

A contemporary announcement for the 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals identified Jackson as the tournament organiser and listed his team as Black Dragon.[5]

The announcement was preserved in an August 2001 Internet Archive capture of Paintball.co.nz. It identified Jackson as a member of Black Dragon before the tournament and separately advertised the participation of Australia's Jetts.[5]

The available records do not establish an organisational relationship between Black Dragon and the earlier Dragons Claw team.

Jetts and the 2001 Volcanic Rotorua tournament

[edit]

Jackson was involved with the Australian tournament team Jetts during its participation in New Zealand competitions in 2001.

A contemporary report by Rob Maddox on the 2001 Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament specifically identified Jackson of Actions Paintball as assisting Jetts.[6]

The tournament took place on 2-3 June 2001 at Rotorua International Stadium.

Jetts won Division One with 290 final-round points, followed by Saints on 220 and Katipo A on 145.[6]

The report documents Jackson's involvement with the Australian team, although it does not provide an individual match roster identifying every game in which he played.

Jetts at the 2001 New Zealand Nationals

[edit]

Jackson also played for Jetts at the 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, held at Actions Paintball during Labour Weekend in October.[7]

Maddox's contemporary tournament report explicitly identified Jackson as both the event organiser and a Jetts player.

The Australian team supplemented its roster with Black Dragon players after the collapse of Ansett disrupted the travel arrangements of some of its members.[7]

Jetts reached the First Division final stage and finished third with 160 points, behind Saints on 225 and Katipo on 165.

An initial scoring error resulted in Jetts receiving the second-place trophy. The placings were corrected following a countback.[7]

Jackson's involvement with both Black Dragon and Jetts in 2001 should therefore be understood in the context of team affiliations and tournament-specific guest playing.

Team Kiwi and Malaysia

[edit]

Jackson was subsequently involved with Team Kiwi, a name used by New Zealand tournament groups assembled for international competition.

Photographic evidence places him in Kuala Lumpur during the December 2004 Nation Cup. A photograph uploaded by Martin Dannefaerd on 5 January 2005 identifies Jackson in its caption alongside the tournament's airport banner.[8]

The photograph was taken on 8 December 2004 and forms part of Dannefaerd's Malaysia 2k4 album, which documents the 2004 Nation Cup organised by Xtion Paintball.[8]

Jackson was also associated with a later Team Kiwi delegation organised for competition in Malaysia. Complete event-specific rosters and results for the later trip have not been recovered.

Refereeing

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Early New Zealand refereeing

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Jackson's refereeing experience dates to the early period of his involvement in paintball.

He recalled refereeing games at World Challenge Tag around 1986, shortly after beginning to play.[1]

His subsequent experience as a tournament organiser also involved the recruitment and management of referees at competitive events.

2004 PSP Chicago Open

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Jackson refereed at the 2004 PSP Chicago Open, held from 23 to 27 June 2004 at Badlandz Paintball Field in Crete, Illinois, United States.[9][10][11]

The tournament was part of the Paintball Sports Promotions series and included five-player, ten-player, divisional X-Ball and National X-Ball League competition.[9]

Photographs originally published by the paintball media website Force of Nature were subsequently reproduced in Jackson's personal Facebook photo album.

Jackson uploaded the photographs on 15 August 2009, identifying the event in his captions as X-Ball Chicago 2004 and describing it as part of his 2004 world tour.[11]

One photograph records an incident involving Chris Lasoya, which Jackson described in the caption as a knee injury sustained while hanging the flag. Another caption recalls seeing Bob Long watching the tournament.

The photographs include an on-field referee, identified as Jackson through firsthand information supplied to WikiPaintball by a contributor with access to the original album.[11]

The screenshots establish a documented refereeing appearance at a major American tournament, rather than merely attendance as a spectator.

Actions Paintball

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Establishment

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Jackson established Actions Paintball in Auckland during the 1990s.

A retrospective business description dates the start of Actions Paintball to 1994 at Te Atatū North.[15]

A New Zealand Paintball field directory archived in February 1998 listed Jackson and Amon Johnson as contacts for Actions Paintball Sports Arena. It also documented the involvement of Saints players in operating the field.[3]

Actions subsequently operated recreational and tournament venues at Swanson in west Auckland and Beachlands in east Auckland.

Company records

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New Zealand Companies Register records identify Jackson as a director of Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1501339, incorporated on 2 April 2004.

The company changed its name to Ace Paintball Limited on 22 March 2006.[16]

A separate Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1793502, was incorporated on 31 March 2006, with Jackson appointed as its director.[17]

These incorporation dates postdate the documented establishment of the playing-field operation.

Swanson and Riverhead

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Actions Paintball operated its Swanson venue until June 2013.

On 27 June 2013, the business announced that the site would close because of redevelopment of the land. It stated that the venue had been in operation for approximately fourteen years.[18]

From July 2013, west Auckland bookings moved to World Challenge Tag's Riverhead Forest venue, while Actions continued operating at Beachlands.

In June 2018, Actions announced the consolidation of its operations with World Challenge Tag, with the combined business operating solely from Riverhead Forest.[19]

Tournament organisation

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National Paintball League

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Actions Paintball Sports Arena was one of the three original commercial field operators involved in the National Paintball League, which began in 1997.

The league was established through an initiative by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet. Participating operators initially included Splatman, Strategy Tag and Actions Paintball Sports Arena.[12]

The NPL organised First and Second Division competitions.

After the original structure lost support from its participating operators in 1999, Jackson took responsibility for the remaining league administration.

According to the historical account preserved by Mercenaries Star, he discontinued Second Division while continuing the association of established tournaments under the First Division structure.[12]

New Zealand Paintball Nationals

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Jackson organised multiple editions of the New Zealand Paintball Nationals at Actions Paintball.

The 2001 championship attracted eighteen teams and used three playing fields: Minefield, Symetrical and Sup'Air.[7]

At the tournament's prizegiving, Jackson received a NeoTech paintball harness in recognition of his contribution to the Nationals and the four preceding editions.

The contemporary report credited him with helping develop tournament paintball in New Zealand.[7]

Jackson continued organising the Nationals during the 2000s.

The 2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals was held at Actions Paintball in Swanson on 20-21 October. Jackson published event information and updates through the NZ P8NT forum. Menace won the tournament ahead of Muppets Inc, with Fusion third and Intense fourth.[20]

Other tournaments

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A tournament calendar preserved by Mercenaries Star credited Jackson with changing APSA Mayhem from five-player to seven-player competition as part of a move towards international tournament formats.[13]

Jackson was also involved in preparations for an early Rotorua Invitational. Russell Clement reported that Jackson had been asked to manage the tournament while members of the organising team competed.[14]

This proposed management role concerned the Rotorua Invitational programme and should not be confused with his documented involvement with Jetts at the 2001 Volcanic Rotorua tournament.

See also

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References

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  1. Kyn Jackson, personal correspondence with a WikiPaintball contributor, October 2026. Firsthand recollections covering AKM, early refereeing, Tactics Paintball, Warlocks, Dragons Claw, early tournament opponents, stock-class paintball and recreational event organisation. Unpublished communication.
  2. Kyn Allan Jackson: Who's Who of New Zealand Paintball. Contemporary player profile, archived 4 February 1998.
  3. Fields, Clubs and Stores. New Zealand Paintball field directory, archived 4 February 1998.
  4. 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. WikiPaintball, citing Cameron McLeay, Australian Paintballer, December 1995-February 1996, p. 63. Contemporary results identifying Dragons Claw Hell Patrol and Sentinels.
  5. Actions Paintball New Zealand Nationals, 2001 announcement. Paintball.co.nz, archived 13 August 2001. Identifies Kyn Jackson as organiser and his team as Black Dragon.
  6. Volcanic Paintball Tournament, 2001. Rob Maddox, Paintball.co.nz. Contemporary report identifying Jackson's involvement with Jetts and the team's Division One victory.
  7. The 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. Rob Maddox, Paintball.co.nz. Contemporary tournament report identifying Jackson as organiser and Jetts player, the team's third-place finish and Jackson's prizegiving recognition.
  8. DSC02369. Martin Dannefaerd, photograph from the Malaysia 2k4 collection, taken 8 December 2004 and uploaded 5 January 2005. Caption identifies Kyn Jackson at Kuala Lumpur airport.
  9. PSP Chicago Open. Dawn Mills, WARPIG, June 2004. Contemporary event report documenting the competition at Badlandz.
  10. PSP Events. PBLeagues, official historical event listing identifying the Chicago Open dates as 23-27 June 2004.
  11. X-Ball Chicago 2004 photographs. Kyn Jackson, personal Facebook album, posted 15 August 2009. Photographs bearing Force of Nature branding; captions identify the Chicago tournament, Bob Long and Chris Lasoya. Screenshots supplied to WikiPaintball on 29 October 2026, together with firsthand confirmation of Jackson's refereeing role. Public access to the original album may require Facebook login.
  12. The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League. Mercenaries Star, historical account of league establishment and administration.
  13. Annual Tournament Events and New Zealand Paintball Series. Mercenaries Star, historical tournament calendar.
  14. Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days. Russell Clement, Mercenaries Star, tournament planning account.
  15. WCT Paintball business description. Retrospective Actions Paintball business history, reproduced by Infoisinfo. Records the stated 1994 establishment at Te Atatū North and Jackson's earlier involvement at World Challenge Tag.
  16. Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1501339. New Zealand Companies Register.
  17. Actions Paintball Limited, company number 1793502. New Zealand Companies Register.
  18. Actions Paintball: Latest News and Blog. Swanson relocation announcement, 27 June 2013.
  19. Actions Paintball: Our Fields. June 2018 announcement of consolidation with World Challenge Tag.
  20. National Champs Labour Weekend 2007. NZ P8NT forum, tournament announcements and results, December 2006-October 2007.
  21. About World Challenge Tag. Official operator history of its Riverhead Forest paintball facility.
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