GREENSBORO, N.C., August 5, 1998 - Despite being a veteran of 7,000 jumps, skydiver Tom Welgos was a little more anxious than normal about a free-fall he took Wednesday before an excited audience at Greensboro's Oka T. Hester Park.
The park was the site of the Kids Klassic tournament, part of the 28th annual BASS Masters Classic world championship week of events built around the sport's most important tournament and the crowning event of the Tournament Trail. And Welgos' arrival was the highlight of a morning that included a fun fishing contest for youngsters and a free autograph session with the 46 Classic pros.
"I wouldn't say I was nervous, but I was a little apprehensive," said Welgos, a member of the Golden Knights precision free-fall parachute team stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. "It was very exciting, probably one of the most exciting jumps I've ever made.
"It was exciting because it was something that nobody had tried before, and the kids were down there. I really didn't want to disappoint the kids."
And he didn't. Welgos jumped from his airplane at an altitude of 3,000 feet and upwind of his target - a Ranger 519VS bass boat anchored in the park lake that was surrounded by several hundred cheering youngsters. After pausing momentarily to wave to the crowd, he hit his mark perfectly, landing in the center of the small aft deck of the Ranger.
"It was really exciting," Welgos said. "I could hear the kids cheering from about 1,000 feet above the lake. The reception I got was great.
"It was also exciting because of the fact that there was a swirling wind over the water, and the Greensboro (airport) was only a few miles away. In fact, we were pretty much in their flight path and some flights were vectored around us to keep it safe."
Welgos, 37, holds the rank of sergeant first-class and has been in the service for nearly 19 years. Welgos, whose first jump was in 1983, skydives daily (when the weather allows it) and competes in competition jumps throughout the world. "For me, personally, it's all about the exhilaration," he said. "There's nothing like it on earth."
Welgos has one other passion however - bass fishing. A member of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, he plans to compete on the circuit upon in retirement from the military in the near future.