The insatiable cravings of Michael Tomson
Time, gentleman, please.
The most distressing thing about Michael Tomson’s latest brush with the law over cocaine is that he doesn’t seem able to stop, and unless he does, it’s going to kill him.
Surfer dies of addiction is sadly not exactly a new story, of course, but here we have a man of fierce intelligence and relatively deep pockets (still) who has had, and still has, the contacts and resources necessary to confront and defeat his addiction, if he ever chose to do so. And surely there must be one friend left in Laguna Beach who could mount an intervention. You’d think.
I say this as a friend of Michael’s, although it’s quite a few years since we last shared a bottle of California Chablis as we talked and watched the sun set behind Catalina Island. When we met more than 40 years ago we were both aspiring writers and editors. Michael had just had an article published in the New York Times, and for a moment in time he was more serious about a writing career than he was about surfing, although that changed somewhat when he finished the first year of the IPS World Tour ranked number five, ahead of his more celebrated cousin.
People tend to forget how good MT was. When they reminisce about the Free Ride Generation and Bustin’ Down The Door, it’s all about Rabbit and Shaun, but Michael was in the thick of it, and he was just as accomplished at fifteen foot Sunset as he was at Kodak Reef providing cover fodder for Merkel and Divine. Like Cairns, he was a big man whose power was matched by his agility, and he planned his way through waves and even heats. A thinking man’s surfer.
I loved to watch Michael surf, but our friendship was built on our shared love of good writing, magazine design concepts and, it has to be said, the devil’s dandruff. This was the ‘70s and coke was unavoidable, but some people constructed better avoidance plans than we did. There were plenty of all-nighters, washing the stuff down with whisky and wine, arguing with increasingly scary intensity the relative merits of Tom Wolfe and Hunter S Thompson. I look back on those times with more pleasure than regret, but we all knew it was a phase we were going through. Or most of us did.
In the ‘80s I dropped back into mainstream journalism and he went into business, and I didn’t see much of Michael for a few years. When we reconnected Gotcha had made him a millionaire but already he’d put much of the profits up his nose. His coke bingeing was an open secret in the surf industry and he was already on the police watch list. Pulled over for speeding one night on the 405, he threw a vial of coke under the wheels of the thundering freeway traffic before the cops frisked him. They looked him up and down, thinking, only a matter of time.
At some point in the ‘90s it all began to take its toll on his health. I remember being a little shocked with his nasally whine and rattly throat when he showed up in France for the first Quiksilver Masters in 1999. Things fell apart, including his nasal passages. One night he nearly died in the ER. Then the dotcom boom was going to save everyone’s arse, but it didn’t, and Gotcha got sold off to Perry Ellis, who stripped out its cred and put it in the big box malls.
“My baby’s turned into a whore,” MT lamented when we were drinking wine on his terrace, his once-handsome face creasing into a lopsided smile. And its creator’s turned into a train wreck, I thought cruelly as I smiled back.
Michael’s passed 60 now. It’s time to bite the bullet, to show the strength of character he did when he pulled into all those bottomless pits and just charged. I truly hope he can do it before it’s too late. //PHIL JARRATT
Comments
Can't wait for your tell all book Phil, is there any more good mates you've got the dirt on?
" Coke unavoidable". Not really Phil, lots of us who were around at the time very successfully avoided it.
'" Coke unavoidable". Not really Phil, lots of us who were around at the time very successfully avoided it. '
Always the positive thinker blinder! Unfortunately your exuberance is somewhat mistaken. There are only two of us.
Nothing more entertaining, more ludicrous, than watching those 'good maaaaaayyytttess' frolicking in the snow. A whole new meaning to the words cunning and conniving... watching the sharing and caring of the snow flakes.
Good on you ijkarma, the white squall definitely runs amok. Forever changes them. Entrepreneurial, bad arses, slick mo fuckas. Yes, I've seen title shots, heavy baggers, geetar stars, drag racers, rock stars, golf champs, 2 month black belt hip flop doo stars, 'thletes, dogs, knives, guns, all round genius's, slick operators, gangsta's, studs, artists, wrasslers, trappers, hunters... well fuck, there's literally zilch that the white squall can't do.
Basketball stars... however as much as I hate, as I despise having to bring this up... again... the score, if you could call it that, forever recorded, in print, in full view of the peninsula, including the tourists, before the surf was pumping next day (there is a God), was Lifty 79, thats seven/nine, and... no, this isn't a misprint.... to .... to... to fucking 1. One. One. 1... the nostrils flared and dripping white squall. Champs, 'Entrepreneurial, bad arse, mo fucka 'thletes. O... N... E. Minor setback for the ever champeen, advancing, squall.
Then of course, 'mmmmmmaaaaaaaayyyteeess' (nothing more entertaining than the divvy up). Or when the snow is melting.
"Or when the snow is melting."
Gonna be awhile;)
Interesting read. Must of had some epic times in those very early days, when you were both young, charging and bulletproof.............
'Must of had some epic times in those very early days, when you were both young, charging and bulletproof.............'
Yes, no doubt. Along these ... 'lines'.
I had to watch years of it... well, still do, its endless faarkin' reflex jabber!!!!
Your on fire tonight uppy. Keep goin Ol fella
Ta
Well Phil maybe your the friend he needs to get him thru but in reality hes gotta want to help himself,seen a few fall like this,too smart for there own good........good luck
I have lost so many old friends through drugs, and if the truth be told, if they didn't physically die, then they died in my eyes through their poor choices. So I simply moved on, and associated with surfers who had the ability to choose lifestyle decisions that where healthier, and more supportive of themselves and their family.
So sad really. I do miss them, but i could never support their drug riddled world.
I think getting sanctimonious or morally high over drugs is a waste of everybody's time. I feel sorry for anybody who can't break something which will end up killing them. Never tried it as it was never around in Oz when I was younger or if it was only the rich were using it. I wonder how close Shaun is to him and if he has tried unsuccessfully to get him off. And Phil you left off the most important surfer of Breaking Down the Door, MR.
I wasn't that close to him mate, the truth is Ive never met him.
Nice one Shaun, that one made me smile.
Maybe you can organise an intervention?
Wonderful idea Zen, I'll swing by and pick up filthy Phil and a bottle of grandiós shiraz .
And some coke please Shaun.
Touché
You pick up the coke welly,shouldn't bé hard to find on the gold coast, don't want to turn up empty handed.
Give Zen a lift if he wants to come ;-)
"Give Zen a lift "
Don't think Zen likes drinking that shit as well me.
The Jewish version of Scraface set to the backdrop of Hawaii 1970. What a movie. "Say hello to my bagel and singlefin"
Can't you ever stop saying Oy Vey all the time?!
If you ever get to read this Michael it's just to let you know. We were never the greatest of friends but it saddens me no less to see you in this situation,we are both in our 60s now and as you I am somewhat surprised to find myself making this age.Me as an ex Point Rd Wedge balls to the wall skollie for the better part of my life and you apparently still doing your thing.Mike I have been clean from all vices for a good few years now.Michael you owe this to no one but yourself brother and believe me looking at life through clear eyes is something to behold. All the strength in the world to you Michael your old whatever from Durban Jeff Sanders.
MICHAEL TOMSON played the crowning role in my life with surf movies…Through Bill Delany I was introduce to Michael. I had the lock on surf movie distribution and Delaney schlepped me claiming he told Michael he would not make Surfers if Michael did not hire me for distribution. Michael was looking at his spring/summer promotion with all his dealers and I understood it only to create a good movie run. Michael paid my asking terms, he took my phone calls and he provided all the tools and money needed to make a good run. A record run… when he wanted to go a second run I told him I would have to work twice as hard to take in 70% of the first round and he would have to pay me time as much. He agreed and never let the effort down.
Surfers the Movie was a success as surf Movies go. It was a lso the last surf movie to take on the circuit. Michale had a couple premieres. He handed me a separate contract to produce A $50,000 Premiere during action sports in San Diego…But even with spotlights and red carpets and the legendary venue of the Spreckles theater. I could not spend that much as hard as I tried. Also it turned out the Spreckls had sparking wiring in the walls but we went for it anyway. Delany only had a working cut of the film .I suggested Michael tell the crowd how special they were to see the work ahead of the finished product and we Lined up a special on-stage spot as Michael had ordered us to just be sure he looked good and we showed a work in progress… Michael shipped in the Condon brothers with a special separate sound deluxe and extra brite Xenon projection system which ultimately proved to be an expensive piece of crap…I you could not project a level line the Xenon bulb would heat up an explode but we made Michael look great on stage an Condon’s limped their projector through a beautiful screening of Delaney’ work in progress to a capacity house.
The movie set surf movie records on the road, and suffered one armed hold up… I traveled on Michael’s dime both East and West Coasts for two run’s of the film. It was a ride of events Michael Tomson style ….Thanks to Michael for all of it….Joe Mickey