Water Stunt shows on jet and sky skis

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.

- News Herald (Front Page and headline story)- The Wednesday The News-Herald • edition published since

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.



- Downriver Detroit New herald (Main story, Sports page)- Sunday The News-Herald • Print edition publi