Meet the Finalist: The Gator Hater

Thomas Cooprider
Pembroke Pines, Fla.

    Whether you like Thomas Cooprider’s (a.k.a. Coop) comments or not, the mustachioed man is ready to go make his voice really heard at this year’s finals. “It’s all about fun,” says Coop. “If I can make someone laugh and cut the stress with a comment that’s great because I don’t know about the other guys, but I’m starting to get a big knot in my stomach.”
    Since he finished in third place in last year’s competition, the highest placing “non-professional” hunter or angler in Total Outdoorsman Challenge history, Coop has had one thing on this mind: training to win this year. “Last year didn’t go over very well with me. I beat myself, and I can’t let that happen again this year,” he says. The HVAC technician has been training since right after the tournament: fishing everyday, shooting his bow five times a week, and shooting sporting clays with his mentor, and fellow finalist, James Harrod. “James and his wife are Master Class shooters, so I’ve been learning a lot from them,” says Coop, who won the shotgun discipline at last year’s finals. “He bests me most of the time, but if he has an off day at the finals and I’m on, you never know.”
    When he’s not hunting for alligators in the swamps of Florida, Coop can be found with a fly rod and a baitcaster in his truck, fishing canals and waters on his lunch break. “The problem we have here in south Florida is there is almost too much water to fish,” he says. “Lake Okeechobee, the Keys, we have peacock bass down here, and catching them on a 5-weight fly with a minnow pattern tied on is just awesome.” But after the comments and the gator hauling, Coop is just looking to have a good time.
    “It was such a great time last year, I made a lot of friends—my boys and I even went to Alabama with Marissa (Lee-Saser, a 2007 finalist) this fall,” says Coop. “But I’m ready to back up my comments next week.”

Comments

[Tammi]

Dear Super Coop,

I wish you the best of luck this year, I know you can do it! Just relax and enjoy yourself, it's what you love to do! I'm so proud of you Bro!!!

xoxo,
Tamtam

[James Harrod]

"SUPER COOP"? He's going to have to be faster than a speeding bullet to win next week. Look, it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's "SUPER COOP". Come on guys, take my lead and run with this. What goes around ......

arkducks

[Diane]

Super Coop,

You took my husband gator hunting two times until wee hours in the morning and came home empty handed. Were you really gator hunting ???????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Coop]

Yes Diane i took him Gator hunting, and we caught 2 both times. They were blonde hair blue eyed University of Florida "Gators"...

[Diane]

If you and Jimmy think you can get college girls, then more power to you!!!!!!!! I think you are both over the hill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laurie]

Wendy and I wanted to tell you even though you did not come in #1 in the challenge we love and you and you will always be our #1.