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Since the very first game of paintball was played in the summer of 1981 there
have been thousands of players, entrepreneurs, well-intentioned people and
even thugs that have left a mark in some way on our game. It’s very safe to
say that Jerry Braun is one of those that changed the game for the better. Jerry was one of the very first paintball field operators, he was a founding PSP
partner, a big time tournament promoter long before the NPPL, PSP or Millennium Series, and he was and still is an ambassador for the game we love. We
recently had the opportunity to speak with Jerry about his Woodsball World
Cup, his favorite stories from the early days and just about everything else
we could think of. Enjoy this rare treat of an interview.
By John Amodea
Jerry, you have a long, successful history
on paintball. Can you tell us some of the
things that you have been involved with
over the years that you are most proud of?
The first and foremost was in seeing from
the very beginning the potential of the
game and its impact on adults. When I first
played back in 1982, it engendered feelings in me that I did not have since I was
a young child. It was pure play. It was safe,
but frightening, much like in a game of hide
and seek, fearing that you would soon be
discovered. I was practicing law at the time,
but I saw the potential of paintball, both as
a business and an outlet for men and women to escape their daily grinds and become
kids again.
The field that my family began in 1982 is
still in existence today. I take pride in that
longevity and our ability to give full measure to our players. I also take pride in
having a hand in choosing the people who
january 2014
make that happen. 25 years ago, Rich Travis
joined our family, and stayed our field manager until his death in 2004. He was, and
still is, sorely missed. Today, Chris Masi, my
partner and Chief Operating Officer and
the employees he chose to implement and
execute our policies, my wife Joanne, who
runs our office, my daughter-in-law, Jessica who handles our marketing, are a team
second to none to where we have more than
doubled our player base every two years
since I took back the field in 2009.
It’s not necessarily pride, but gratitude, that
I was able to make so many friends in this
industry, this game and this sport, which
have lasted decades. My friendship with
Bob Gurnsey and the old Master Blasters
are cases in point. They have stood the test
of time going back more than a quarter of
a century, and in some cases, more than 30
years.
The first open class big money tournament,
called the Air Pistol Open was held at our