At the Old School Big Game on November 8th, 2015, I talked a little with Frank and Hayden Figerell. From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990’s Frank played on Navarone and competed all over the country, seeing field time during some of Navarone’s biggest wins.
At the Old School Paintball Big Game, Frank and Hayden were both shooting Navarone Autocockers. Frank was shooting a Black Navarone Minicocker and Hayden was shooting the polished gun metal grey Full Bodies Navarone Autococker.
Frank Figerell began paintballing in the early 1980s at Field Games, where he met and joined the Bushwackers. When Field Games lost their lease (or was flooded out?) players moved to Sat Cong Village, which was only minutes away. Eventually Frank joined Navarone around the mid 80s and played with them for the next decade.
Frank is listed on the team roster that Tim Schloss, of Tiger Stripe Products sent me, which I believe dates to 1989/90 and in the video both Frank and Hayden are wearing what appear to be Tiger Stripe / Pursuit Products Pullovers.
During this video Frank Figerell remembers some of his journeys with the team, including playing in Tennessee in 1990, for the Manufacturer Series Masters (Lively Series), where Navarone took 3rd in the 10 man, and were also awarded as the Grand Circuit Winners.
Navarone’s original Autocockers likely date to 1990, when Buddy Farkas, of Fontana Paintball, arranged a deal with Bud Orr. Navarone’s Minicockers likely date to a couple years later (c. 1993/1994?).
Pictured above is an another full bodies Navarone Autococker, similar to Hayden’s, that was originally owned by Navarone player, Rick Rector.
What suprised me the most about Frank and Hayden’s setups, were that both were very close to their stock configuration. The Minicocker even had the original green Minicocker bolt, which now that I think about it, might not have been the original bolt when Navarone received them?
Looking at the cover of the January 1991 Action Pursuit Games, we can see Navarone’s captain, Bob Schryver along with Kristin Knittle, and Patty Schryver (not sure who is who).
In the cover photo, Bob is holding Navarone’s giant trophy for winning the circuit and Kristin and Patty are holding 1990 long snub body Line SI Bushmasters in the Diamond Dust finish. These two Bushmaster are engraved for Team Navarone on the sight rail.
Both have the square receiver front rails, and B cubed Loaders. One is pictured with the Line SI asa 12 gram Lever Stock, and the other is equipped with a valve body Lever changer.
One unique feature on the Bushmaster being held by the woman pictured lower right on the cover, is the hole through the grip frame rail. This was likely because this particular Bushmaster originally came with the sliding stock setup.
Find more details on the upcoming Old School Paintball Big Games at http://oldschoolpb.com/
Find more paintball history on Navarone at https://paintballhistory.com/tag/navarone
And other videos from the Old School Paintball Big Game at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJC7papTosfWueq8epPWWD0HYFJiin5XH
And vintage paintball magazines at http://www.baccipaintball.com/memorabilia/magazines.html