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Press Reviews Watercrafters ready for a big show [+ Show] The News-Herald July 20, 2005 - The Wednesday The News-Herald • edition published since 1879 • Circulation 74,000 and readership of over 300,000! Watercrafters ready for a big show By Dave Merchant, The News-Herald PUBLISHED: July 20, 2005 Riding a personal watercraft is fun. Getting paid to ride one multiplies the fun by an order of magnitude. Advertisement Riverview's Tommy Nuttall, 42, is a professional jet ski driver and beginning Friday in Trenton he will bring his team of pro racers and stunt riders Downriver. "Typhoon Tommy" and the rest of his riders will perform all weekend long during the Trenton Roar on the River boat races on the waters near Elizabeth Park. Two of the big-name riders brought in for the event are Eric Malone and Josh Lustic, who are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world in the sport. Malone recently won his sixth World Freestyle title and he is credited with inventing about 90 percent of the tricks the sport has today. He also received a commendation from the White House by former President Bill Clinton for his heroics for saving people in Pennsylvania who were drowning in a flood. In addition to Malone and Lustic, Nuttall, his wife Rosie and John Lustic's brother Brad will perform. "Rosie is the most popular one out there," Nuttall said. "The kids just love her." Nuttall is a former 1982 graduate of the old Schafer High School in Southgate. In high school he was a three-time regional champion and state placer. He had 152 wins in high school and placed second at the NJCAA College becoming a first team All-American and Muskegon Community College Athlete of the Year for 1985. He was seeded sixth at the Nationals and wrestled "out of my mind" to get to the finals. "I did not start wrestling until I was in the ninth grade," Nuttall said. "There is hope for some new kids." Nuttall has been coaching wrestling since 1986 as either as head coach or assistant coach. He has five years experience as a head coach. He said that this sport in a lot of ways is like wrestling. "This sport is a lot like wrestling," Nuttall said. "You have your technical inspection and you have a long day with a lot of heat. In some ways you train like wrestling (as well)." He spent seven years working at the water sports attraction at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., and was the director of safety instruction. Nuttall also worked at the former SeaWorld in Aurora, Ohio, and coordinated the "Batman Forever" water show, in which $15,000 worth of pyrotechnics a day were used. After 9/11, theme parks were drawing smaller crowds, so the Nuttalls decided to come home and help his parents run their Big Boy restaurant in Flat Rock. He said that doing tricks on jet skis are a blast. "The rush from the tricks is unbelievable," Nuttall remarked. "When you catch a bunch of air and 'Bone' out a trick, I don't think it gets much better than that." For him so much of this sport is about safety and he stresses that. "Anyone getting into a sport like jet skiing has to understand the importance of safety and not to ride outside their level," he said. "I see this all the time, people riding outside their level and then they get hurt and they lose a summer." He suggests contacting a professional for lessons. This season the riders have performed at the Three Rivers Regatta in Pittsburgh at the Cincinnati Grand Prix and they are scheduled in August to be at the APBA Nationals and in October at the IJSBA World Nationals. The group will perform Friday night during the Roar on the River kick-off party and then between boat races on Saturday and Sunday. On July 30, the team will ride in the "Projekt Wake" event. Projekt Wake is an all-day event in Wyandotte held near the Wyandotte Boat Club. It features with a concert following the event. Trenton is ready for the big show [+ Show] The News-Herald Trenton is ready for the big show PUBLISHED: July 21, 2004 Boats big and small will be on the waters of the Detroit River this weekend as the Trenton Rotary presents the annual Roar on the River Regatta. The weekend-long event begins with boat testing, a jet ski exhibition and the "Taste of the Races" party on Friday. The stage has been set for a great weekend of racing and family fun at the annual "Roar on the River" Regatta hosted by the Trenton Rotary Club. This event, which has featured world championship races for the SST 45 boats for several years, will be the site of world championship runs for both the SST 45s and the larger SST 120s this year. In addition to the racing, which begins at 3 p.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon, the Roar on the River will also feature a personal watercraft exhibition on Friday and three more exhibitions on each Saturday and Sunday. The watercraft show – the World Class eXtreme Show – will feature local stars "Typhoon" Tommy Nuttall and "Rambo" Rose Nuttall. In addition to the locals, the show will also feature five-time freestyle world champion Eric "Cyclone" Malone. There will be personal watercraft shows between the racing heats and a special show Saturday at 5 p.m. For racing fans, the SST 120 world championship means more of the big, fast boats will be in town. Introducing the World Freestyle Watercraft Alliance (WFWA) featuring the 15 foot ramp jump! [+ Show] jetwaves.com Introducing the World Freestyle Watercraft Alliance (WFWA) featuring the 15 foot ramp jump! Last news 02/02/2005 "THE FUTURE OF WATERCROSS..." WFWA Freeride Team WFWA includes team members Eric Malone, Josh Lustic, Brad Lustic and the 15-foot ramp jump. WFWA is an alliance of freestyle watercraft’s top riders and features PWC freeride and the future of watercross at it’s most extreme! Event and Regatta Promoters WFWA freeride stunt shows fit a variety of formats and itinerary or even turn into shows of their own! Advertising on 15 foot ramp jump depends on date and availability. Rampt DVE Vol. 1. Eric Malone and the WFWA have released "Eric Malone's Rampt!!" DVD features the new WFWA 15 foot ramp jump! Also available - "Eric Malone's popular On-Edge" Freestyle VHS. Go to the web site: www.wfwaalliance.com Malone wins pro freestyle world championship [+ Show] IJSBA Kawasaki’s Dauliach and MacClugage, Polaris’ Malone capture Pro World Championships at 23rd IJSBA Dos Equis World Finals Over 1,200 entries part of Dos Equis Desert XX At Crazy Horse RV Resort & Campground LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz (October 10, 2004) Malone, Duncansville, Pa., maneuvered a Polaris to an amazing top qualifying score of 49.5 out of 50 possible points for his two-minute plus one wake trick finals set in Pro Freestyle. He was even more impressive in Saturday’s qualifying when he received a near-perfect 49.9 score, including a perfect 10 from five of the seven judges. “I worked hard with the Polaris team this year, especially on testing and planning,” said Malone, who was second last year in this event. “Today’s results are due to all of that hard work, and I hope to come back next year with even more tricks. I just can’t tell you how good it feels to win my fifth IJSBA World Championship. Water Wonderland - Tom Nuttall continues juggling act. [+ Show] News Herald LP man strutting his stuff on the Detroit River By Joe Slezak, The News-Herald Juggler isn’t part of his resume, but maybe it should be. Lincoln Park resident Tom Nuttall manages Flat Rock’s Big Boy Restaurant, which his family owns. He coaches wrestling, last year as an assistant coach at Huron High School and the upcoming season likely as an assistant coach at Anderson High, his alma mater. And, he’s an entertainer, too. Nuttall, 39, runs Typhoon Tommy Productions, which provides entertainment involving personal watercraft. His Class Performers are strutting their stuff this weekend at the Detroit River — River Cruise, based near Detroit’s Roostertail restaurant. And, the group will provide between-race entertainment at the Roar on the River boat races, scheduled for July 25 through 27 in the Detroit River, off Trenton’s Elizabeth Park. The Trenton Rotary is helping to sponsor his group’s appearance. "I work it all together, being my own boss," Nuttall said. "I usually take my kids, and my wife does this (riding). I take my boys to the wrestling matches. It works all together." Nuttall’s wife, Rose, rides in the personal watercraft group, which also had two other area resident riders: Khan Funk of Southgate; and Keith Head of Waltz, who builds the motors.From Chicago are announcer/rider Mike Hoffman The group rides in other shows and competitions, as well. One or two riders at a time take turns in shows that last five to 10 minutes. Among the tricks are barrel rolls and submarine dives, and maneuvers that look like figure-skating moves. "It’s getting paid to do your hobby," Nuttall said. He said the group emphasizes safety and environmental friendliness. "Safety’s a high, high priority for us," he said. Among the environmental considerations are using higher-quality oil mixes; putting gas in the engines while the watercraft are on the shore, not in the water, in case of spillage; using quieter engines; and emphasizing the rules of the road. Nuttall spent seven years working at the water sports attraction at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., and he was the director of safety instruction. He also worked at the former SeaWorld in Aurora, Ohio, and coordinated the "Batman Forever" water show, in which $15,000 worth of pyrotechnics a day were used, at Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston. While in Texas, the Nuttalls’ first son, Dakota, was born. After Sept. 11, 2001, theme parks were drawing smaller crowds, so the Nuttalls decided to come home and help his parents run the Flat Rock Big Boy. His family also used to own the Big Boy near Dix and Goddard in Lincoln Park, but sold it a few years back. When Nuttall isn’t managing the restaurant or involved with water sports, he coaches wrestling. He was an assistant in 2002-03 at Huron under Ron Honacker as the Chiefs won the Huron League championship and advanced to the Division 3 state quarterfinals. He said he’s likely going to be back at Anderson this winter, working under Coach Frank Vilardi. Nuttall was a standout wrestler at Shafer and Anderson high schools before graduating in 1982, and he went on to become a national junior-college runner-up at 126 pounds at Muskegon Community College in 1985. He wrestled for one season at Ashland College, but a knee injury ended his career. After returning Downriver, he was a successful coach alongside Keith Garland at Anderson. He said he’s proud that several of his former wrestlers have become coaches, including Jerry Frazier, who led Carlson to a Division 2 regional semifinal in 2003; Mike Fountaine, a former Allen Park head coach, who assisted Frazier last season; and Ray Stanley, an assistant coach at Trenton. Plus, Funk is one of his former wrestlers. As if the other three parts of his life aren’t hectic enough, Nuttall’s son, Dakota, 6, is a figure skater who already has appeared in Lincoln Park’s ice show. Dakota’s 2-year-old brother, Zane, also skates because he wants to keep up with his brother. Nuttall said both boys have watched their parents entertain people all their lives, so it only comes natural. Maybe someday they’ll get paid to entertain people. But for now, they’ve got to be content watching their parents draw the applause. Typhoon Tommy' will provide the entertainment [+ Show] Downriver Detroit news herald Typhoon Tommy' will provide the entertainment By Dave Merchant, The News-Herald PUBLISHED: July 22, 2005 Riding a personal watercraft is fun. Getting paid to ride one multiplies the fun by an order of magnitude. Advertisement Riverview's Tommy Nuttall, 42, is a professional jet ski driver and beginning Friday in Trenton he will bring his team of pro racers and stunt riders Downriver. "Typhoon Tommy" and the rest of his riders will perform all weekend long during the Trenton Roar on the River boat races on the waters near Elizabeth Park. Two of the big-name riders brought in for the event are Eric Malone and Josh Lustic, who are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world in the sport. Malone recently won his sixth World Freestyle title and he is credited with inventing about 90 percent of the tricks the sport has today. He also received a commendation from the White House by former President Bill Clinton for his heroics for saving people in Pennsylvania who were drowning in a flood. In addition to Malone and Lustic, Nuttall, his wife Rosie and John Lustic's brother Brad will perform. "Rosie is the most popular one out there," Nuttall said. "The kids just love her." Nuttall is a former 1982 graduate of the old Schafer High School in Southgate. In high school he was a three-time regional champion and state placer. He had 152 wins in high school and placed second at the NJCAA College becoming a first team All-American and Muskegon Community College Athlete of the Year for 1985. He was seeded sixth at the Nationals and wrestled "out of my mind" to get to the finals. He spent seven years working at the water sports attraction at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., and was the director of safety instruction. Nuttall also worked at the former SeaWorld in Aurora, Ohio, and coordinated the "Batman Forever" water show, in which $15,000 worth of pyrotechnics a day were used. After 9/11, theme parks were drawing smaller crowds, so the Nuttalls decided to come home and help his parents run their Big Boy restaurant in Flat Rock. He said that doing tricks on jet skis are a blast. "The rush from the tricks is unbelievable," Nuttall remarked. "When you catch a bunch of air and 'Bone' out a trick, I don't think it gets much better than that." This season the riders have performed at the Three Rivers Regatta in Pittsburgh at the Cincinnati Grand Prix and they are scheduled in August to be at the APBA Nationals and in October at the IJSBA World Nationals. The group will perform Friday night during the Roar on the River kick-off party and then between boat races on Saturday and Sunday. On July 30, the team will ride in the "Projekt Wake" event. Projekt Wake is an all-day event in Wyandotte held near the Wyandotte Boat Club. It features with a concert following the event. Party kicks off races on right foot [+ Show] News Herald Party kicks off races on right foot By Jennifer Mitchell, The News-Herald PUBLISHED: July 28, 2004 TRENTON -- Chalk up another success for the Rotary Club. Its annual food-frenzy fund-raiser, A Taste of the Races, was the prelude to the Saturday and Sunday Roar on the River hydroplane boat races. The $25-per-person event featured 18 local restaurants that donated their time and food to serve up a taste of summer. WFWA Personal watercraft professionals performed a stunt show on the river and musicians Fast Forward had partygoers on the floor dancing the hustle. It's only the second year since the Rotary moved the 2 1/2-day party to Elizabeth Park, but both the taste festival and the races came off without a hitch. |