How did paintballing start?

Answer

The origins of paintball can be traced to the 1970s with the paintball marker used to mark trees and cattle. The first paintball game was played in New Hampshire in June, 1981 by Bob Gurnsey, Hayes Noel, Charles Gaines, and nine others. From there, the sport began to popularize quickly. The first recreational paintball field opened up in 1982. In 1983, the first tournament was held, with a grand prize of $14,000. The next year, 1984, saw the first indoor paintball field. In the late 80s, paintball fields began to appear in England and Canada. By 1991, fields were opening throughout Europe. In 1992, the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) was founded and began hosting highly-publicized tournaments offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes. By 1996, paintball fields and tournaments were being established and hosted all around the world. Paintball today is played by over 9.8 million people worldwide, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association International, making it the number 3 Extreme Sport behind in-line skating and skateboarding.

• Where can you find a Draco the Dragonator schedule for July 2008?
• How do you advance in karate?
• What year did boating become an official sport in the Olympics?