| Back in 1970, a gentleman by the name of | | | | invented a "washable marking fluid" formula |
| James C. Hale, an employee of Daisy | | | | for soft gelatin capsules, which were more |
| Manufacturing, designed and patented a device | | | | accurate and bright easy-to-see marks that |
| to be used by the forestry and farming | | | | would wash away easily with water and/or |
| industries to mark trees, trails and | | | | detergent. This patent became the Nelson |
| livestock. This mechanism was to become the | | | | formula for paintballs, as they were the |
| very first paintball gun - the Nelspot 007, | | | | perfect mix for the sport. |
| and was manufactured by the Nelson Paint | | | | |
| Company. | | | | The very first paintball outdoor playing |
| | | | field opened in Rochester, New York in 1982. |
| Charles and Evan Nelson founded the Nelson | | | | Very soon after, paintball originator Charles |
| Paint Company in 1940, as the forest and | | | | Gaines began marketing it as the National |
| farming industries needed a way to mark hard | | | | Survival Game (NSG), and the following year |
| to reach places. Charles is credited with the | | | | saw the first NSG championship complete with |
| creation of pellets filled with paint that | | | | a $14,000 cash purse for the triumphant |
| could be shot out of a regular type of gun to | | | | party. Upcoming years saw the first indoor |
| complete this difficult task. | | | | playing field in Buffalo, NY, as well as |
| | | | recognition and outdoor fields in Canada, |
| The first game-style milestone in paintball | | | | Australia and England. |
| history came in 1981 New Hampshire when 3 | | | | |
| friends (Bob Gurnsey, a sporting goods | | | | 1988 brought with it the IPPA- the |
| retailer, Hayes Noel, a stockbroker and | | | | International Paintball Players Association, |
| Charles Gaines, a writer) planned to play the | | | | a non-profit organization dedicated to the |
| organized game "Capture the Flag" with 9 | | | | safety, education and growth of the entire |
| others. On June 27, 1981, the game was | | | | paintball industry. The NPPL (National |
| played using the original Nelspot 007 | | | | Professional Paintball League) was founded in |
| paintball gun. The winning team never even | | | | 1992, which then started the NPPL Pro-Am |
| fired a single shot. The twelve friends had | | | | series that are found all over the U.S. |
| such a good time, they decided to buy into | | | | |
| the Nelson Paint Company, and began marketing | | | | Paintball has evolved into quite the |
| their newfound fun as a recreational sport. | | | | lucrative business, boasting quite an array |
| | | | of products for its trade. The accessory |
| The paintball guns themselves had to evolve | | | | trade has grown to include barrels and sites |
| along with this newfound recreational | | | | for the guns and sport-specific paintball |
| activity, as alternations to make the paint | | | | clothing and gear, with lots of the newest, |
| pellets fire softer so they wouldn't hurt | | | | latest inventions adding to the paintball |
| their human target. George A. Skogg, | | | | family -the Paintball Bodybag to organize and |
| employee of the Nelson Paint Company, | | | | carry all of your gear in one handy carrier. |