The Challenge of Champions Video Broadcast

Chuck Link sent me over a DVD of some classic Paintball footage several months back containing the October 14th, 1991 broadcast of Sport Channel’s Paintball Challenge of Champions.

The Challenge of Champions match pitted the former PMI/Skirmish International Champions against each other and this broadcasted portion was part three of this three game tournament.

For this upload, quality isn’t the best and sound isn’t great but if I get a better copy eventually I’ll upload it to replace this copy. Since some of the music is copyrighted, Youtube has placed ads on the video automatically but the information and footage is priceless and is a great example of tournaments at the introduction of the semi automatic.

Paintball Sports Magazine / International’s Article

Paintball Sports Magazine/International covered this game in their February 1992 issue and was one of the event sponsors, with their commercials airing throughout the broadcast, even giving a 60-40 cent a minute 1-900 number that you can call to order subscriptions.

In the article, Paintball Sports Magazine states that the teams were all former champions of the PMI/Skirmish International Championships. The competitors included the PMI Piranhas, the Master Blaster and the Lords of Discipline.

Paintball Sports International states:

“Three former world and international paintball championship teams, the Piranhas, winners of the 1990 World Cup and the 1990 PMI/Skirmish International Championships, the Lords, winners of the 1988 PMI/Skirmish International Championships, and the 1988 Masters and the Master Blasters, winners of the 1989 1990 PMI/Skirmish International Championships, came to the Survival New York playing fields in Newburgh, New York ready to play the first televised paintball tournament.”

Page 5, Scanned from Paintball Sports International’s February 1992 issue.

I believe this tournament was televised out of order, with this match of the Lords vs the Blasters airing first and the 1st game from the tournament with the Lords vs the Piranhas airing early in 1992. I don’t know if the second portion ever aired on Sports Channel.

Players in the game are using F1 Illustrators and PMI Trracer paintguns, Gogg masks, Indian Springs Loaders, tubes and harnesses, and PMI/RPS Paintballs.

Event Sponsors included Paintball Sports International, Direct Connect, PMI, RP Scherer, Survival New York and Goggs. Games were refereed by the All Americans and the DJs out of NY and the tournament took place at Survival New York, in Newburgh, NY.

Jerry Braun, of Paintball Sports International and Survival New York, and Olympic Gold Medal winner, Jim Naber voice the commentary throughout this video.

The Games, Master Blasters vs Lords vs Piranhas

Game 1 featured the Piranhas playing the Lords. The Lords end up winning with the most points after two games.

Game 2 featured the Piranhas playing the Master Blasters. The Piranha’s won.

Game 3 is the video featured above which shows the Lords against the Master Blasters. The Lords win and secure their title as champions of this challenge.

After the game the All Americans played arena ball which is cut into this broadcast footage.

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Video Transcript and times

And below is a transcript of the video with events at certain times in the broadcast and several quotes from dialog I’ve pulled out.

1:30 – Intro dialog between Jerry Braun and Jim Naber:

Naber – “This is the first time the sport has ever been covered as an event on television. Many of you are wondering, how unorthodox this event is. In reality there is a lot of parallels to the sports commonly on SportsChannel.”

Jerry – “You’ve seen a hockey or a football game, you’ve seen an offense trying to score a goal or score a touch down and you’ve seen a defense trying to prevent it. The same thing is true here, you see an Offense trying to score a capture of their opponents Flag and you see a defense trying to prevent it.”

2:45 – Commercial for Goggs. “They’re incredably cool!”

3:10 – PMI Trracer gun commercial. “The only paintball gun you’ll ever need!”

3:30 – RP Scherer commercial. “Our biodegradable paintballs set the standard for the industry.”

4:45 – Lords talk strategy. Over played dialog with Naber and Braun.

Naber – “Have any teams tried to work with Walky-talkies or radio communications?”…

Braun – …”Professional just go out there on their own and use their voices and use runners to communicate between squads.”

6:38 – Richard “RT” Travis covers strategy with the Master Blasters.

Naber – “Richard Travis, he goes by RT.”…”RT likes to run a really tight ship, some have even accused him of being a general…”…”The team is very loyal and very well organized.”

Braun – “RT is the field marshall of Survial New York Playing field. A lot of people on the Master Blasters judge for SNY, but you’re right and the loyalty is there because the ability is proven. Generally there is no second to RT in terms of tactics on the field.”

8:00 – Paul Robito – Ultimate Judge and the breakdown of points for the games.

30pts for a flag capture and return.

5 pts for the first flag pulled.

1 point for each player eliminated.

All American from Pittsburg are also refs. The All American’s refs included:

John Loobey

Flynn Barnett

George Davison

Bill Gardner

Bud Smart.

The DJs from Long Island are refs with the All Americans. Their squad includes:

John Stanley

Allen Yee

Dan MacMonigle

Michael Oneta

Anthony Savino.

8:40 more dialog from Naber and Braun.

9:18- Dialog with Jeff Perlmutter

“PMI started in 1982…”

“Tremndous growth over the last 5 years…”

“PMI plays two roles. Marketing and promoting and providing high quality equipment…”

10:32 – Braun says Permutter, “The Perl”, is a player on the Piranhas.

10:50 – Lords and the Master Blasters take the field.

11:10 – RP Scherer commercial. Players insist on a paintball of “maximum quality.”

11:40 – Commercial for Goggs. “Wear what the pros wear!” “Gotta get goggs!”

12:10 – Lords players:

#28 – Donna Eicke – Computer Systems Analysist

#45 – Rob Northrop

#94 – Tom Schick

#45 – Tim Brown

#8 – Renick Miller

#51 – Fred Eicke – Computer System Programmer

#7 – John Jackson – “Spud”

#87 – Dave Becker

#7 – Steve Copeland – “Cope”

#8 – Tom Klein

#51 – Gary Noblett

#45 – Ryan Northrop – Logger

#14 – Joe Park

#20 – Bill Zoll – “He’s a Forester”

#3 – John Verway

13:30 – Master Blaster Players

#1 – Richard Travis – “RT” 43 year old, “he’s the man to watch.”

#18 – Bob O’Leary – 47, likes to run Marathons.

#15 – Dana Mennerich

#28 – John Aitcheson – Fireman

#1 – Dave Arnold – Managers of the field

#25 – Ken Hefferle – Mortgage Banker

#10 – Jim Anderson – 44 year old Paintball Sport Magazine Account Exec.

#18 – Jef Wartenberg – “Boot” a garage door mechanic.

#32 – Steve Horaz – Founder and the first captain of the team.

#19 – Jim McGuffog – “Howdy” an airsmith and electrician.

#2 – Kevin Donaldson – 33, operates a paintball Store

#32 Steve Rose – 23 year old Machine Operator

#32 Robert Rose – “Rosie” 33 years old.

#35 – Danny Weisel – “Weibel” 25 years old – Construction worker.

#15 – Dennis Mood – 21 year old service technician.

They don’t include Charlie Maron in this segment but Maron is substituted in for the second half.

14:49 Horn and start of the game.

15:15 – RT on his Strategy.

16:06 – Braun on the Master Blasters moves so far.

16:52 – John Jackson and Steve Copeland, co captains of the lords, on their strategy.

17:34 – Lords grab the first flag. Rob Northrop with flag pull?

19:31 – Braun says that Paintball is “Probably one of the least intrusive games from an enviormental standpoint.”

20:53 – Lords lead at end of first half with 50 points to the Master Blasters’ 9 Points.

20:57 – Bob Hodgkinson, creator of Goggs. Talks about goggs and how great they are.

21:30 Second round of match starts.

21:48 Master blasters making a substitution. #23 Charlie Maron is in and Jeff Wartenberg is out for this round.

23:32 – Braun and Naber on the game at hand.

24:35 – Braun explains there is a slight rain but the RPS paint is holding up well.

25:16 – Blasters are up 2 or 3 players at this point.

26:42 – Thomas J. Pritzker from Hyatt Hotels Corporation talks about paintball. “It’s thrilling!” Also owns a paintball field? Not sure which field?

29:00 – Commercial for Goggs.

29:30 – RP Scherer commercial.

30:00 – Direct Connect. “Everything you see today is available from Direct Connect.”

31:00 – Back to game.

34:51 – Naber on Goggs, RPS paint, and PMI Trracer pump. With a demonstration, breaking paint in his hand.

35:50 – Back to Game, RT trys to move team into position but gets upset at Refs. Braun, “He’s trying to get a delay of game penalty called on the Lords.”

37:30 – PMI commercial. PMI Trracer gun, PMI RPS Paint, Safety Gear.

38:30 – Paintball Sports Magazine, covers the world. 12 months only 24.75 and a T-shirt included. Call the 1-900 number!

39:30 – Back to game. Lords retreat to defense.

40:41 – “Blasters are trying to push the high side”, says Braun.

43:35 – Paul Tournier talks about RPS – “The director of marketing for the paintballs used most often[, RPS]” – Naber.

44:31 – Action Sports Outfitters Commercial. Commercial shows Termites and other neat markers on the wall.

45:00 – Want more info, call the PSI 1-900 hotline for subscriptions or more paintball information from PSI!

45:30 – Arenaball – Speedball game. All American’s 3 on 3 action game. Using Trracer pistols with chrome whaler loaders?

46:50 – Karen McPherson – “Just as competative for women”

47:02 – Norie Gardner

47: 15 – Back to game.

48:15 – Lords’ player rolls over and drops his paint.

50:00 “Fewer than 2 or 3 players remaining for the Lords in the Game.” – Naber

50:10 – Dave Freeman, President of Direct Connect on Paintball.

52:14 Kevin Donalson and Howdy take the flag.

54:00 Second half score is 49 Master Blasters to 12 Lords.

Final score is Lords 62 and Master Blasters 58.

54:30 – Commercial for Goggs. “Gotta get goggs!”

54:56 – PMI Paint, assorted flavors?/ Colors? Pumpkin is mentioned.

55:26: Direct Connect and Illustrator “You’re direct connetion for all your paintball needs!”

56:00 Paintball Sports Magazine / International, get a musical alarm clock?

56:30 Perlmutter present trophy to the lords.

Lords thanks sponsors and event promoters.

Big thanks to Chuck Link for sending over this footage.