Your Tom Kaye Stories...

[The Frymarker]

My Tom stories, hmmmm


He has been an awesome leader from the first time I came on these forums a few years ago.

He asked for some grips I made him some grips with money in them, and also a pair with scorpions. He basically supported me with anything I came out with. Even asked if I wanted to put the grips in his store front so I could sell them.

This past year I was honored to be a part of Shatnerball and help out with artwork and designing the shirts.

He gave me a chance to showcase my work and for that I am very grateful.

I got to have some space in the AGD booth to hand out posters and talk to the customers, it was I guess the pinnacle of my career.

I even got to play along side him at the start of Shatnerball. Standing on stage with him was the best and a memory I will hold forever!


I stayed up all last night just thinking about the fact that he is leaving, it's left a void. AO and AGD will not be the same without him.

[hitech]

...the fact that he is leaving, it's left a void. AO and AGD will not be the same without him.

Yes it has. And I think he has underestimated how much he will be missed...

[bsolomon]

I recall when I was just starting out, back in '91 or '92 we were at the Internation Amateur Open near Pittsburgh. I wasn't even playing on the tournament team - just assisting. Our team was in the process of transitioning from pumps to this revolutionary new gun called an AutoMag. HPA hadn't been invented, and nobody even knew most of the tricks for keeping them running happy on CO2 (no expansion chambers or anti-siphons, etc.).

We were playing what we considered a crucial game and we gave a key player an AutoMag that one of our players had just purchased at the vendor tent, even though he had never used one before. He had all kinds of problems during the game, got eliminated, came out and shot very hot over the chrono, earning us penalty points. He cleared the google-on area, threw his goggles one way, and the AutoMag the other. It bounced twice before coming to rest with the barrel stuck in the mud, very close to the feet of an interested bystander. The player's name I wont mention. The bystander was Tom Kaye...

Rather than get mad, Tom took the time to work with us, actually having a private tech session for our team back at the hotel. I bought my first AutoMag shortly after that, due in no small part to his obvious commitment to his product. Since then, I have never owned or even played a game of paintball with another brand of marker. tom will certainly be missed.

[TooDamnSweet]

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!

Ditto!!!

Because of Tom I met Gibby who is my soul mate! Tom also introduced me to William Shatner which is something I will never forget!!! Tom got me to play paintball and I really enjoy the game and have made alot of good friends because of it. My life has drastically changed and all in positive ways all because of Tom. I'm really happy that you crashed the WS BBS server back in 2002 LOL

Even though I don't know him very well, he is definately one of the most generous and sincere guys I've met. Every time I've had the opportunity to meet up with him, he's been busy but always made time to chat. I remember the first time I saw him at Shatnerball, I didn't realize he was soooo tall! I love all the great stories. Thanks for everything Tom! I love my man, my picture with Mr. Shatner and my hulamag!

[iwantanautomag]

I remember shatnerball 03, tom and i made-out after the game in a local bar. He was so drunk... not bad though... a bit too much tounge...

[Jackel411]

Well I only met him in the course of about 3 days up at IAO 2k3 it was damn fun and I was probally on my second or third ulcer by the time I actually got to talk with him..

As best as I can recall.. my head is to jammed with stuff since then.

Back when I ran with Divine Craft Paintball , we were hired out to do there first scenario game belive you me.. I almost defficated myself when I was told that. So when we got there the field that we were to use was not even ready to be played on..

No bunkers , no paths , no nothing and about 1500 feet of barbed wire was accross the main playing field.. so.. Day one consisted of getting ride from Glenn and Craig palmer to the sight ( this was the case of most the week we never got our rental car and we took a grey hound there ). Two days of this passed.. FYI I was clearing barbed wire and making paths while wearing dress shirts I never though I would be doing what I was. OH... let me make nice right here... debra... I think I REALLY broke that cart when I hit a tree with it and who ever was the 3 rivers ref that was with me when I crashed it.. MY BAD... your still cool

Any way.. it was industry party night and we were invited we showed up late to our hotel from the field and luckily our ride.. the palmers were late too so it wasnt a bad deal. We showed up there late so all that was left was some funky cheese puffs... I ate what I could and started downing bacardi drinks ( It was sponsored by them , Also at the time I was only 20 ) By about drink 4 I asked the bar tended to suprise me... bad move I was off my *** drunk..

About 5 minutes into a buzz the likes I still havent had I was talking to Tom.. more like jabbering semi coherently about me having a mill and me making a scenario mag for him when Ryan ( ? ) Maybe of One Shot productions came over and started interviewing us... MAN can you sober up quickly with a movie camera jammed in your face. First he went to Tom and Tom threw his arms around me and my then bussiness mate ralph and went on this speech about keeping the sport alive and these guys ( pointing to me and ralph ) are the future of paintball and will keep the game growing and going.. its sorta hit me strait home I was honnored ( I cant spell )

Not to make it sound like Im lauding myself... but I had to have the best EVER drunk line there....

" This party and this drink is the perfect catharsis to the 12 hour friggen bus ride I had the other day.... WOOOOOO "

If any one has the One Shot Productions vidio of IAO 2k3 can you make a copy of it for me?? Id love you for ever I never got one and they tanked I think and well never get it

[Doobie]

[pito189]

First time I meet Tom was at the Chicago WPF event. He noticed my left handed E-Mag warp setup and we talked for awhile about leftes and the beginnings of Level 10. I almost missed a game because of our talk.

Everytime I meet him he was always friendly and always wanted to know how your AGD product was working and if anything could be better.

He will be missed. Good luck with whatever you do.

[The Frymarker]

Yes it has. And I think he has underestimated how much he will be missed...

Yes I don't think he knows how much he will be missed either

[Scandalon]

The truth revealed! (Semi-Off Topic)

After the day I was even more suprised when he just hung out with us at the hotel where I taught him how to play Halo2 and listened to just an amazing conversation of the paintball industry.

Now the truth comes out...you got TK hooked on Halo, and now he doesn't want to mess with AGD anymore! :P

I never met TK, and I'm not a huge AO'er, but in all my dealings w/ AGD I've been pleasantly surprised, and AO specifically seems to be a real community. I just got my mag running and was looking into the next NorCal Vs. Socal, too...

[tdogreb]

last superstar

I started playing paintball around 87-88 in jacksonville fl. I was playing mostly at the jax warriors home field, though I was not yet a team member. The great Ed Head and I think Greg had went up to talk to Tom about this new gun , I remember Ed and Larry raving over it. Then a few weeks later there it was, a new 68 automag, small,lite,the most advanced gun in the paintball world. I bought no. 1515 a bit later, still got it , still stock, still play with it from time to time. Anyway I joined the warriors and off to tournys we went . I met Tom for the first time at the music city open , he worked on my gun and gave me a tech class at the same time, great guy. Tom made paintball what it is for me today. I have never played a game of paintball with anything but a AGD product. today I use an E-mag but my heart is heavy. good luck Tom, wish you the best.

[Snooky]

My best story, because it was awesome: http://www.automags.org/forums/showt...1&page=1&pp=30

Think it was like 2 years ago now or about then.

[magmonkey]

I met Tom for the first time At skyball,
I had NO money, I just got picked up for a team playing national events, and I was a trade school machinist. so I reverse engineered a micro mag.

a couple people on my team forced me to go and show him, I though he was going to be mad that I copied his design. I intruduced myself and showed him (very timidly) what I had done.

he grabbed it , brought it over to the tech booth and showed Rob , then brought it over the the SOBs and showed them and said " now thats a custom mag" and congradulated me on the work
my first thought was how cool he was when he could of been mad about the situation

the next time we met was at world cup 2001 they were setting up and we helped. in between field walking, he asked me if I would like Bob Long to take some time to teach us how to walk the fields, and he set it up for us now how cool is that....

him and Jon hung out with us until 3:00 am at the ao mega meet while we were locked out of the hotel room.

one of the most meaningful (and also sad) weeks of my life was this year at IAO

we got to hang out with people from just about every good guy type paintball bussiness...
sitting and talking with Tom, Jon, Larry and Aaron (from aka), Glen and Craig Palmer,
Ms. Dobbs (from ICD) John from jmj concepts. all at the same place at the same time (WAY too late in a hotel lobby bar) and having them all treat us like an equal will to me alway be the high point in my paintball career and something I will never forget.

thank you Tom for these memories and SO many more... you will never know how much you have done for me as a player and as a business owner.

Alan
DC

[FromTheBack]

Now the truth comes out...you got TK hooked on Halo, and now he doesn't want to mess with AGD anymore! :P

haha, I certainly hope not. But if I did I am expecting a Re-match Tom!

[wes]

i got personman to get his autograph for me---