I know there are all kinds of threads giving Tom best wishes and what not. What I want to hear are the stories about Tom. The first time you met him, the late night talks and even the confusing questions he would ask and knew you could not answer.
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I never made it out to a shatnerball, if toms there this year I WILL BE.
but i got to play in a big game with him in PA, i brought my girlfriend for her first time playing PB. We lost 2 guys to a "sniper on our flank, and up a hill, we couldent see him but we knew he was up there, alot of the tourny guys wanted to just go up there and go one on one with him.....but Tom called to a sniper to "leave now while you can" then looked at us and told us to all dump one pod on that hill (where the sniper was) when he said...."Ok now" 10+ e/x mags 15+ RT's dumping one pod each up there, true accruacy by volume.....we did not get shot at from that hill again for some time. It was amazing how he would direct volumes of paint like that......i want to be part of that again.
thanks Tom
on an off note with TOm gone and PB what it is today i think im gonna ditch tournys and dig out my old camies.....maybe its time to play big games/scenariosTom was the last of a now extinct breed, a breed of players who build a community, a breed of owners who gave to the sport never taking more than what they deserved. I hope to see you at the feild again some day.... -
The o-ring talk at Megameet... By far one of the coolest tech talks ever. How often do you sit around a table with an industry giant, have a beer or two and learn about something.
My brain is STILL fried!Comment
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I can't think of a good story, yet. However, the thing that always struck me about Tom is that he treated me (and probably everyone else) like a friend. Even though I have only talked with him a few times it always felt like I was talking with a friend. Not an industry leader. Not like the owner of a company to a customer. But ALWAYS like a friend. I'll miss that...
Hey Hitech your starting to sound like me! - AGD
Hitech is the man.... :eek: - Blennidae
The only Hitech LubricantComment
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I'd have to say the funniest talk I had with them happened at the past IAO, those who were there can back me up on this
Drink WineComment
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What was it about?Originally posted by ntn4502Comment
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The first time I met Tom was at a paintball expo out at SC Village. The donut fest was awesome and I believe it was the first time I saw the blue extreme emag on display. I was still sort of new to the AO scene and just barely getting to know the pros/cons of the mag.
After that, I would say the next time I got to meet him was at Shatnerball I. Afterall, had it not been for him TooDamnSweet and I probably would have never met. So I've got much to be thankful for to him. THANKS TOM for pimpin me a woman!
Next time I would meet him would be at the scenario event out in Jungle Island where he and Bud Orr would duke it out. Although he was very busy, he still managed to find time to chat with TDS and I and encourage one of her daughters to keep on playing paintball. In a way, we were hoping her daughter would grow up and after a few years under her belt, TK would give her a sponsorship...LOL!!! Too bad for that!
Then of course, there was the AO NorCal vs. SoCal event which Tom blessed us with his pressence. A lot of the players got to sit down and chat with him during his stay and he even gave TDS a little pressent and was unexpected. Thanks again Tom for that!
Oh, being shot in the head too and having a yummy welt on my forehead was my present from him. Gee...thanks Tom but TDS's pressent was way cooler! 
But it made for a cool photo op. 
I guess you can see that I'm very fortunate to have met such an influential person in the history of paintball. He's been very kind to TDS and I and hopefully it won't be the last we see of him.
Again...THANK YOU VERY MUCH TOM FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR US!! Good luck with your future and enjoy a stress free life!"I just came for your mayonaise." ~ TooDamnSweet
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I met Tom at the Nor Cal vs So Cal met. He took out the whole feild with a run down the right tape line.
He also spent time with us just talking. Thanks Tom for everything you have done.
-Jr/High school paintball coachComment
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Ok, I know I started it and never shared stories. My desktop puked and I was trying to get it back up and running. This is just going to be me rambling trying to remember all the conversations and time I had lost sleep at events because of Tom telling stories.
I met Tom Years ago at IAO. I know he does not remember it, and he was one of the many "inustry people I met that year".
It took almost 6 more years before I acutally talked to him again.
The year is 2001, the location, IAO. This was the first Donut Orgy I can remember. A small group of AOers sat behind the the tent and ate donuts and drank pop. I can not remember what we talked about, but it was the first time that I realized the Tom was a very approchable person.
Next event was SuperTour at AGD in Nov of 2001. This is when I realized that Tom cared about his customers and also when I realized Tom was smarter than your average bear. The best story from this event (besides me setting off the alarm at AGD) was Saturday night after played at Country Club going to back to AGD and a small group of us talking for hours. Tom then decided to show us the gun dyno. He showed us how it worked, how different the recharge rate of regs were. And the kicker, putting Nerobro's Stabilizer on the dyno and seeing Tom's eye pop out after seeing how good it really was.
The one thing about Tom is that he is willing to tell you everything he knows. He will talk for hours and then you look at your watch and it's 3am.
Tom's oring talk at the Megameet was a great time.
More to Come....Comment
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I agree with that 100%.
Originally posted by hitechComment
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NorCal vs SoCal he ran down the entire tape line off the break and took out 5-6 guys. One of the coolest moves i've seen in paintball.Comment
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YUP! And you know...I was one of the 5 or 6 guys!Originally posted by LittlePaintballBoy Hehe!
"I just came for your mayonaise." ~ TooDamnSweet
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Before Shatner 1, Tom was sitting around with me, Clare, mango, Riotz, spacemanspiff, and I think one or two guys from AGD Pride (then, and now again, Butterscotch Yo) plotting the next days plan.
None of us had a clue what we were doing, but we stayed up late as Tom laughed about how we were going to destroy Shatner.
None of it worked, of course, but it was a fun night none-the-less.
But probably the most memorable conversation I had with Tom occurred this year at IAO. Tom, I swear, I DO actually recall that conversation, even though some events from later on that evening are a little blurry.
It was a simple conversation about the state of the industry and where it was going while we sat in a booth at the Sheraton bar in Cranberry. I know anything I said at that point in the evening probably came out as gibberish but somehow what Tom was saying stuck with me.
That and Tom bought me a beer
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I met him at Mardi Gras 4 years ago. He remembered my screen name from looming on the forums. He and Jon invited me to hang out and even sit back behind the booth. Amazing approachability.
My biggest Tom memory is the one I'm most famous for. SC AO Meet 1, a day that shal live in infamy. Tom, Fatman and I are on the same team. I spent the night before messing around with the trigger and shimmed up my one magnet so the trigger would go off if you glanced at it. Right at the 10 second countdown I banged the barrel against the starting station 55 gallon and the gun went off. Right into Industry Giant Tom Kaye's left cheek...and not the one on his face.
But he gave me an X-Valve and made me a mod shortly after, so I guess he liked it.
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how could anyone forget?Originally posted by Load SM5
my memory too is from AOSC 1. I was a pithy young AOer and totally green to AO. I came down to write a paper for a class on the AO day. Tom gave me twenty or thirty minutes to interview him and we just talked. I loved it. He didn't know who i was....but he let me go with him the next day to Paintball Inc and it just made me feel welcome. I don't think i'll ever turn away from AO ever
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