Kham, 1740038648
I had the honour of riding a Fireball shaped for Tom Curren, that somehow ended up as an un-glassed blank in the hands of a friend in Bali. Supposedly, when Old mate somehow contacted Tom to ask about fin placement, Tom lost it, demanding the board back, to which my friend thanked him for his time.
I met Tom once when he was visiting a friend in a mental health ward I was working on, I was struck by how polite and articulate he was, I didn't let on I knew who he was to respect his privacy, but as a long time surfer I was quite starstruck.
RIP Tom.
freeride76, 1740047034
Nothing more needs to be said about his proclivities, for which his capacity was legendary. Even just hearing about his daily routine made me queasy. But on a factual level he needs to be in the pantheon with others infamous for their capacity for putting it away like Keith Richards and Hunter S Thompson. If it came down to a last man standing scenario in that company I would put my last dollar on Tommy Peterson. This was not a man to whom the normal limits applied.
Given that, his reliability was astounding. Hunter S Thompson, as his fame peaked, developed notoriety for being unable to come up with the goods. He would take the money and not come up with the goods.
Tommy would take the money and come up with the surfboards.
The other thing that marked him in my eyes was his ubiquity. He was ever present in Coolangatta.
I don't think I ever made a trip to the "Gatta without a Tommy Peterson encounter.
Walking past the front bar of the Sands- there was Tommy having a lunch-time schooner and a steak.
Pumping Kirra, Tommy was up at the Iron Eagle lookout, casting an eye on proceedings.
Any comp at Snapper you'd find Tommy in the Rainbow Bay surf club on the balcony with an astute judgement ready to be made about who was doing what in the water.
It was almost like there were ten Tommy Petersons living in Coolangatta- he had every haunt fully covered.
Every encounter of course, was funny as fuck- he was no dunce and his wit was withering. But he was always friendly, open and generous.
You couldn't imagine another Tommy Peterson. Hunter S Thompsons quote from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fits him perfectly.
"There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."
RIP Tommy Peterson.
zenagain, 1740049920
Sadly, never met the man himself.
RIP Tommy Peterson.
seahound, 1740054983
So many funny stories with or about Tommy. Here's one. Late 70's I and a few others were working as labourers on Murray Bourton's new house being built back of Tweed Heads in the beautiful hinterland. Working for new Pipedream boards was a great deal. Tommy was the site foreman. Which meant every smoko break was guaranteed with the finest Mullimbimby purple heads we'd ever encountered. Tommy looked around, creative as ever. Next thing we know, a spiral staircase is being built around a living tree trunk inside the house. It became a proper feature. I am sure Murray loved it. One of the other things that always impressed me with Tommy, even later in years with his alcoholism etc, was his prodigious memory. His power of recall was amazing. He could remember certain heats in comps and who placed where and so on. And he'd always remember people's birthdays too. A proper larrikin who plotted his own eccentric course to success and lived life to capacity, and some! Good man yourself Tommy, you will long be remembered. RIP.
Oink, 1740089245
I remember an interview in Tracks when he was talking about Kirra and said it was such a perfect wave that average surfers could get a full barrel and then fall off trying to do a cutback - felt like he was talking about me!
thermalben, 1740091164
And here's that spiral staircase:
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2023/07/24/the-father-the-house
John_Clark, 1740091729
I've seen plenty of people that can barely surf get barrelled at Kirra!
Island Bay, 1740092301
Geez, the man could write!
udo, 1740099519
RIP Thomas
Condolences to Joan and Denice
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
65 mins Hand Shape is Skill
https://www.instagram.com/p/9KGf_dE_5l/
A Finless for Slater
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBGYUiiOp-f/?img_index=1
udo, 1740170889
https://youtu.be/mx2Vz1IzPa4?si=e0oTGKVF3SAYprni
Vonski, 1740173858
Tommy..R.I.P.
With a radar like ability to hear through walls, he would knock on our door at dawn as we readied ourselves to surf the early.
We would creep round on tip toes, put the kettle upon a towel and say "ssshhh, youll wake Tommy" and despite best efforts, he would appear like a blood hound and approach the bench. We were groms then and Tommy, master scrounge, would liberate us of our meagre supplies in a fashion that left us with mixed feelings.
Priceless and unforgettable, we certainly paid in kind for the experience. Tommy, death and taxes.
Rest in peace.
Mal Caithness, 1740179056
Vale Tom Peterson, the more "relatable" of the offspring. Mean that in the nicest of terms. Michael could cause some grief to us groms however Tom would always stick up for us, when we transgressed,& I formed a loose friendship with him over the ensuing years.
Funniest memory I have ... Saw the Sunny's at The Patch one night in the early 80's. After the gig headed up to The Hill nightclub ( I think that's what it was called) for more shenanigans. It's now 2am & run into Tommy at a packed bar & strike up a conversation. Tom's off chops, nothing new there. I then notice he has a big bud sticking out of the top of his shirt pocket in plain sight. Thinking I'll let him know, consequences in Qld for possession were unruly in that era. Tom pulls it out in plain sight, snaps it in half, & scoffs it. Hand's the other half to me & tells me to do the same. Couldn't let him down, hide the evidence etc etc. We laughed our heads off & Tom had a partner in crime that co incidentally ended up buying drinks for the rest of the morning.
Saw him on odd occasions over the following years as our path's would sometimes cross. He was the epitome of the likeable rogue. Worked hard, played hard & you knew where you stood with him. For me, the no bullshit attached creed was Tom's moniker albeit the delivery could be tempered with a little intoxication by substance. Couldn't care less, had a big heart our Tom.
Sorry to hear about his passing. Coolangatta will be a little more less colourful these days as another character of the era rages into the other realm. See ya mate. RIP
udo, 1740221145
https://www.gofundme.com/f/tommy-peterson-surfer-shaper
AndyM, 1740287652
I'm sure someone like Tommy would laugh till the tears ran down his leg over that - get the punters to pay for the boys to have an almighty piss-up at the wake.
lindo, 1740298380
RIP. Another Goldie legend gone but not forgotten. Back in the early 80s on a trip south from Noosa I bumped into Marty Tullemans at Kirra - knew him well from earlier days when he lived at Noosa - he was getting ready to surf Kirra - 6' off the outside groin. He said 'let's get out there' and introduced me to Tommy - affable in the lineup but not missing or giving waves to Sunny Coast blow-ins- like his brother he knew the wave inside out and dominated the session, absent MP. Times change, as Kirra has with the sand flow. But that era was pretty special. Barbarian Days has a section about it - worth a read.
the-u-turn, 1740348941
well scribed, Stunet.
Patrick, 1740449947
https://youtu.be/7wY2NxkHfGA?si=0bGn5q13ZiKIBTOu
billie, 1740469157
Cool!
bbbird, 1740479643
A few words from Tommy Peterson in 1975
What are your plans now?
"I hope to go to Western Australia at the end of the year.
I've never been over there."
Just for the trip?
"Yeah.
Just for about two months.
Just to have a bash at some big waves over there.
I've surfed Hawaii, but not over there, though I've heard a lot about it."
I know your mother has been a big help with Mick.
I suppose she has helped you quite a lot too?
"Yeah.
She helped put me in Hawaii, She's been a really big help to both of us.
She's really a top lady.
A fairy godmother ... but we got more than three wishes."
https://www.surfresearch.com.au/1975_10_Tom_Peterson_Breakaway_n23.html
May we all find nirvana
udo, 1740705919
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGj5gFzyOJd/