Shaun Tomson
Encyclopedia
Shaun Tomson is a South African professional surfer and former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author and businessman.
, South Africa
. As a Jewish athlete, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He learned to surf in the beachbreaks in and around Durban under the watchful eye of his father Ernie, and alongside older cousin Michael Tomson.
Shaun attended school in Durban - Clifton Preparatory and Carmel College. Shaun went on to dominate amateur surfing competition in South Africa and began venturing over to Hawaii in the late 60's, courtesy of a barmitzvah present from his father. It was on one of these trips that an awestruck 14 year old Tomson eyewitnessed the so-called "Biggest Wave Ever Known" by Californian Greg Noll at Makaha in 1969. Hawaii's surf proved to be a daunting challenge for Shaun, but he continued to mature and train in South Africa's hollow waves, such as Cave Rock, the Bay Of Plenty, and Jeffrey's Bay.
On a performance level, Tomson completely changed the way the tube of the wave was ridden, using a completely unique style of pumping and weaving through and around collapsing sections of the barrel. Even today, his electrifying performances at Off The Wall and Backdoor Pipeline stand the test of time. A very underrated aspect of Tomson's inventiveness was his in the tube punch throughs where he escaped unscathed from hideous closeout sections over a shallow reef.
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Life and career
He was born Shaun Tomshinsky in DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. As a Jewish athlete, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He learned to surf in the beachbreaks in and around Durban under the watchful eye of his father Ernie, and alongside older cousin Michael Tomson.
Shaun attended school in Durban - Clifton Preparatory and Carmel College. Shaun went on to dominate amateur surfing competition in South Africa and began venturing over to Hawaii in the late 60's, courtesy of a barmitzvah present from his father. It was on one of these trips that an awestruck 14 year old Tomson eyewitnessed the so-called "Biggest Wave Ever Known" by Californian Greg Noll at Makaha in 1969. Hawaii's surf proved to be a daunting challenge for Shaun, but he continued to mature and train in South Africa's hollow waves, such as Cave Rock, the Bay Of Plenty, and Jeffrey's Bay.
Surfing and the Free Ride generation
In 1975, Shaun was an integral part of the "Free Ride" generation. Along with Australians Rabbit Bartholomew, Mark Richards, Ian Cairns, Peter Townend and Mark Warren, they rode the infamous waves along Oahu's legendary North Shore with a style, aggression, and raw courage unseen prior to their arrival. Collectively, these surfers changed the face of surfing and were the first to really apply themselves as serious professional surfers. With his good looks, eloquence, and undeniable athleticism, Tomson served by default as the face and voice of this movement, and he is still viewed as the prototype blueprint for today's pro surfer, with legions of fans throughout the world. Tomson won the highly coveted IPS World Championship in 1977.On a performance level, Tomson completely changed the way the tube of the wave was ridden, using a completely unique style of pumping and weaving through and around collapsing sections of the barrel. Even today, his electrifying performances at Off The Wall and Backdoor Pipeline stand the test of time. A very underrated aspect of Tomson's inventiveness was his in the tube punch throughs where he escaped unscathed from hideous closeout sections over a shallow reef.
Tomson and film
Shaun Tomson has appeared in many films including Free Ride, Fantasea, Many Classic Moments, and In God’s Hands. Tomson also co-produced an award winning full length feature film about the benchmark mid-70's surfing era called, "Bustin' Down The Door" which premiered in early 2008.Tragedy
The Tomsons' son Mathew died on April 24, 2006 in Durban, South Africa from an accidental death caused by playing the "choking gameChoking game
The fainting game , refers to intentionally cutting off oxygen to the brain with the goal of inducing temporary syncope and euphoria. There are two distinct methods used to achieve oxygen deprivation: strangulation and self-induced hypocapnia.-Differences from erotic asphyxiation:According to Dr...
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See also
- Mark RichardsMark Richards (surfer)Mark Richards , known as MR, is an Australian surfer, five time world champion , and highly respected by his peers.In 2000 Mark was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his service to Surf Riding.- Youth :...
- Ian CairnsIan CairnsIan Cairns is a former champion surfer who was also influential in establishing the world professional surfing circuit and particularly the World Championship Tour....
- Bustin' Down The Door