🚀 go-pugleaf

I have been monitoring the discussion on "godness" in refence to Tom Piras.
I have met Tom many times.  I hosted the world's first 100 way boogie in
Vancouver that Tom, Rob Laidlaw and BJ Worth organized.  At the risk of being
severley flamed by god-struck netters I would like to post my observations.

1) No one can dispute Tom Piras' skydiving skills.  His dedication to his
sport is evident in the National and World medals he has received and the
number of world records he was on. (I point out it takes many more than one
person to do any RW (oops! Formation Flying) and especially the large
formations that constitute the last few records.)  I needn't belabor this
point.

2) A person's success is often directly related to the number of peers that
have less than good to say about the person.  In Tom's case the number of
complaints about him indicate he was one of the world's best.
3) I don't care if someone is the Queen of England there are certain rules of
conduct that all human beings should follow. (Insert your rules of conduct
here!)  Tom was an excellent skydiver but in the last 6 years or so I have
not heard of him spending time with newbies other than when paid by said
newbie or a DZO looking to promote his/her drop zone.

4)  Tom was chastised and placed on probation for activities at the World
meet that not only put the USA in an embarassing light but skydiving in
general.  Details are not pertinent to this discussion.

5)  Last but certainly not least, Tom was a human being.  As such he was
subject to many of the failings that we all face.  His ego was the biggest.
Tom was good and he knew it.  I personally believe that being cool was the
reason behind no helmut/frap hat and turning off his Cypres.  I can conceive
of no situation that required him to leave the hat behind and turn off his
AAD.  (The Golden Knights, who hold more RW medals than any other team in
history, do a training camp in Vancouver every year.  These guys are class,
they all wear frap hats and are strong advocates of AADs.)

        In closing Tom Piras was a skygod, in the good and the bad definition
of the term.  My dealings with him left me sour on him as a human being
without detracting from my respect for his skydiving

Bobby Magee
D-371
Robert_Magee@mindlink.bc.ca