Celebrating the life of a great husband, father, surfer, community leader
A Malibu Icon
As a youngster in Malibu and especially living on Pt. Dume, I surfed. That was our lives and our culture really. There was a pecking order as every surfer knows, you respect the pecking order. Dusty was at the top of that pecking order.
One day in the early seventies when we had one of those big south swells, I was out for hours struggling to get a wave or two. Back then, there were so many of us "locals" that we made our own crowd. So I drifted down to "Mistos" which is a great wave when it works, but very inconsistent. I found myself all alone for a very short period of time. I had taken one or two waves when Dusty paddled down to Mistos as well.
I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. I thought to myself, "OHHH NOOO!" Just then a very large set came and we were scratching to get outside. I turned around and took off and as I did, so did Dusty, right in front of me. Those of you that knew him later in life may not have realized what a powerful surfer he was. He cut a wake two feet deep on this short little gun that he was riding. All I could do was ride through it and be thumped by it each time he came down for a powerful bottom turn. We were riding this big wave and in some cases crossing over each others wake and not once did he acknowledge that I was there. Why should he? Thats the pecking order and thats just the way it was!
Many years later, I then got out of the military and was doing quite a bit of surfing at Pt. Dume. Once again out on a very big day during the summer of 93 or 94. Surfings now different. We all use leashes. Back then none of us ever used leashes. You wouldn't be caught dead using one at Pt. Dume. I found myself out at the outer with a giant crowd that were all sitting way outside. However, there was one surfer sitting on the inside away from everybody else.
Dusty yelled at me "hey Mike, come over here." That was unusual because I hadn't talked to him in years. He said, "everyone is sitting way outside, but lots of waves are making past the outer/outer and I'm getting some great rides. By the way I'm glad your out of the military!" I thought to myself that I had finally arrived! Here is Dusty Peak actually talking to me as if I were a legitimate surfing partner. We traded waves and stories for the next two hours and I think that was one of the highlights of my time in Malibu.
When I think of Malibu and I have thought about it many times over the years, I would think about its beauty, and the community we had then and that you have now. Invariably I would think about Dusty because we was such a part of Malibu. I wasn't in his circle of friends but I had a deep respect for him and his way of life. I was truly shocked when I learned of his passing. Dusty lived his life the way he wanted to. He was an Icon, synonymous with Malibu, the place, and the feeling that it evokes. He will be missed.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by denise on -
Dear Mike,
Forgive me for my tardiness to address your sweet letter but I always say better late than never. I appreciate your letter and wanted to let you know how it touched my heart. I love hearing these stories. Ironically I never took up surfing but being here for over 40 years I have always appreciated how important it has been to my family. Thanks so much for your story and I vaguely remember you from high school but I grew up down by Sycamore Park on the beach side. Does your family still live on Dume Drive?
Take care my friend I appreciate your kind words Denise
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Permalink Reply by Michael Sullivan on -
denise said:Dear Mike,
Forgive me for my tardiness to address your sweet letter but I always say better late than never. I appreciate your letter and wanted to let you know how it touched my heart. I love hearing these stories. Ironically I never took up surfing but being here for over 40 years I have always appreciated how important it has been to my family. Thanks so much for your story and I vaguely remember you from high school but I grew up down by Sycamore Park on the beach side. Does your family still live on Dume Drive?
Take care my friend I appreciate your kind words Denise
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Permalink Reply by Michael Sullivan on
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denise said:Dear Mike,
Forgive me for my tardiness to address your sweet letter but I always say better late than never. I appreciate your letter and wanted to let you know how it touched my heart. I love hearing these stories. Ironically I never took up surfing but being here for over 40 years I have always appreciated how important it has been to my family. Thanks so much for your story and I vaguely remember you from high school but I grew up down by Sycamore Park on the beach side. Does your family still live on Dume Drive?
Take care my friend I appreciate your kind words Denise
Hi Denise,
I am currently on a business trip and my thoughts turned to family and malibu. honestly, I don't think of malibu without thinling of dusty at some point. I thought I would check the site and I noticed you recent reply. My family does indeed still live in Malibu. My Mother and Father are Pat and Annette Sullivan on Dume Dr. my Mther and Father-in-Law are Bob and Nancy Hart on Wildlife. I believe Dusty worked for Bob as an
electrician for a time. Not sure about that but will ask Bob. I really miss being out there and the community that we had at the time. I'm sure it's still there but I kind of feel like an outsider when I visit, which as all too
infrequent. Dusty was one of those people you might say to yourself," gee I wish I had just a little bit of that personality!" Larger than life! Anyway, hope I get a chance to meet you some day, and I wish you and your family all the best!
Michael Sullivan
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