Micheal Peterson the fierce competitor! July 29, 2011 – Tags:

Just finished reading the story of Micheal Peterson the Coolangatta King of the 70’s and undisputed cult hero and contest unstoppable from that era! The book inspired me to say the least, why i’m not entirely sure, Micheal’s life to put it in short was a whirlwind rollercoaster, that is lucky not to have been cut short by the mass consumption of drugs on a more than habitual basis!
Micheal’s life as a competitor in my opinion is rivaled by none, Peterson would psyche out his opponents by showing up for heats at the last minute from the depths of nowhere, followed by blatant intimidation in the water and out! The story is also a great history lesson on the famed Coolangatta pointbreaks and it’s surrounding area’s, it speaks of the original Cooly kids as well as the heroin epidemic that tore through the town sometime in the seventies, it’s really quite tragic. Micheal’s competitive career was illustrious, yet short lived, as he fell victim to his own heroin habit, then his battle with schizophrenia flared up also. Without wanting to give to much away the book is a great read, especially if you are interested in the history of a surfing mecca as well as the birth of legitimate professional surfing!
Other guys in this book that deserve a mention are Peter Townend, for starting Pro surfing on the path that it took today, Rabbit Bartholomew, who was terrorised by Micheal Peterson every time they met in the water and out, also Joan, Micheal’s mother who has looked after her son in extraordinary circumstances day after day for his whole life, she really deserves a medal. Do your self a favour, read this book and watch this video of Micheal Peterson tearing up the Stubbies Pro in 1977 which he won convincingly, in 6 foot perfection! Enjoy