THE BEGINNING

    PAINTBALL WAS INVENTED BY CHARLES GAINES AND HAYES NOEL. THEY HAD ALWAYS ARGUED THAT THEY COULD TAKE EACH OTHER IN THE WOODS. ONE DAY, THEIR FRIEND GEORGE BUTLER FOUND A PAINTBALL GUN IN AN AGRICULTURAL MAGAZINE THAT WAS USED BY CATTLEMEN TO MARK COWS. THEY SOON PURCHASED TWO OF THESE THINGS AND HAD A DUEL. CHARLES WON THE FIRST DUEL, BUT THEY KNEW THEY HAD STUMBLED ONTO SOMETHING BIG. THEY NOW HAD THE TOOL TO PLAY THEIR SURVIVAL GAME. THEN A MAN NAMED BOB GURNSEY GOT INVOLVED AND HE STARTED TO FORMULATE THE RULES AND IDEA OF THE GAME. THE THREE OF SPENT THE NEXT SIX MONTHS ARGUING ABOUT THE RULES AND HOW A LARGE SCALE GAME WOULD BE STRUCTURED. THEN, THEY HAD A GAME WITH NINE PEOPLE. ONE OF THEM WORKED FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED AND GOT THEM PUBLICITY. THEIR GAME TRANSFORMED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.