07/23/2026
Charles Gaines (1942–2026): A Visionary Who Changed Two Worlds
The worlds of bodybuilding and paintball lost one of their true pioneers on Tuesday, July 21, with the passing of Charles Gaines at the age of 84. While many people knew him as an accomplished author and journalist, those who understood his life's work recognized something even greater. Charles didn't simply write about history—he created it.
His influence reached into two very different worlds, yet in both he left an enduring legacy that continues to shape millions of lives today.
In 1974, Charles Gaines helped introduce the world to a young Austrian bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Through his groundbreaking book Pumping Iron and the documentary of the same name, Gaines brought competitive bodybuilding out of the shadows and into the mainstream. The film became one of the most influential sports documentaries ever produced, launching Schwarzenegger to international fame while forever changing public perception of bodybuilding.
That success was no accident. Charles possessed a rare gift for recognizing compelling stories long before the rest of the world saw their significance. Over the course of his career, he authored 25 books, many of them in collaboration with Schwarzenegger, and established himself as one of America's finest outdoor writers and journalists. Whether writing about adventure, hunting, fitness, or competition, his work reflected a deep curiosity about people who challenged themselves and pushed beyond ordinary limits.
Just a few years after Pumping Iron, Charles would help create another phenomenon—one that would eventually spread to virtually every corner of the globe.
On June 27, 1981, Charles Gaines became one of the twelve participants in the very first game of paintball. But his contribution went far beyond simply showing up to play. Charles wrote the original rules that governed that historic competition, helping transform a simple idea into a structured game. Alongside Bob Gurnsey and Hayes Noel, he became one of the three founding fathers of paintball.
Following that first game, Charles partnered with Bob Gurnsey to form the National Survival Game, the first paintball company in history. What began as a unique outdoor competition quickly evolved into an international sport enjoyed by millions. Today, whether played recreationally in local woods fields or professionally on tournament fields, every game traces its roots back to the vision shared by Gaines, Gurnsey, and Noel over four decades ago.
I first met Charles in the early 2000s when he attended the International Amateur Open to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Years later, in 2019, I had the privilege of interviewing Charles for The Complete History of Paintball, documentary film. Charles was a storyteller—and his words that day helped preserve paintball's early history forever.
What stands out most about Charles Gaines is that he never set out to build empires. He simply pursued ideas that fascinated him. Whether documenting the rise of bodybuilding or imagining a competitive game played with marking pistols in the woods, he followed his curiosity wherever it led. The result was two cultural movements whose influence continues to be felt around the world.
Few people can honestly claim to have changed one sport forever. Charles Gaines helped shape two.
Every professional bodybuilder who steps onto a stage, every recreational player spending a Saturday with friends, every tournament competitor chasing a championship, and every young athlete discovering these pursuits owes something to Charles Gaines' vision. His fingerprints remain on both sports, even if many participants never realize it.
The paintball community has always honored Charles as one of its founders, but his legacy reaches far beyond our game. He was a writer, a creator, an innovator, and above all, a man whose ideas inspired generations to compete, explore, and dream bigger than anyone thought possible.
Charles Gaines leaves behind an extraordinary legacy—not only in the books he wrote or the companies he helped create, but in the countless lives enriched by the worlds he helped bring into existence.
Thank you, Charles, for giving us a sport, preserving its history, and showing us that one great idea, pursued with passion and conviction, can change the world.
Rest in peace.
John Amodea
www.PaintballFilms.com
www.Paintball.Media
