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Thomi Hawk This interview was taken at the Wild West Arts Club annual Las Vegas convention 2001. Thomi Hawk is a long-standing member and avid tomahawk thrower. This year he sponsored and ran the tomahawk event. He also participated in most of the knife throwing events, sponsored by Pacific Knife Throwers (PKT) run by Rick Lemberg. I found Thomi to be an outstanding individual and feel honored to know him! Interview Thomi Hawk by John Bailey JB: "I'm here interviewing a very interesting individual. Give me your full name". TH: "Thomi Hawk". JB: "How did you come up with Thomi Hawk"? TH: "My Mom is American Indian and my Dad Irish and I just decided that that was a great name to take on because that was my skill, my favorite skill of all times so I just adopted that". JB: "Have you ever had a mentor or someone that actually got you started in knife throwing"? TH: "I guess really Ed Ames, watching the old Daniel Boone shows and the Johnny Carson outtake". JB: "How long have you been doing the stage show"? TH: "The big stage show acts basically started off with the "Frontier Riders Co." about four years ago. But I actually started smaller shows a couple years prior to that. I started performing when I was 13 as an actor throwing tomahawks; I won about every award I could win and one day I just had to stop. After doing the rendezvous and the reenactments for so long, after awhile I didn't want to throw anymore. It got to the point, every time I would be sitting around the campfire with the guys, someone would start passing the jug around; then sooner or later (like from an old B-western,) some new stud full of himself and liquor, would say, "Hey I got to throw against you". For ten years I had to hang it up because I just hated it. JB: You throw tomahawks mostly don't you? Or do you have any other routine? TH: "Primarily I was a tomahawk thrower. I just started learning how to throw knives about four years ago. I don't consider myself a knife thrower. I can't stand up with the big boys, like yourself, Lee and Che Che, Rick Lemberg and Dave Smith. You guys are pretty outrageous". JB: "Ya we do get a little out of hand. You have some other skills though. You put on a good show, a real showman. What do you use to fill your act up with"? TH: "I also do trick shooting. I shoot a rifle from just about any position, standing on my head, backwards, bridge shots, shooting underneath the rifle, I shoot over my shoulder with a mirror, like Annie Oakley use to do. I also do bull whipping, I do target whips, I enjoy that. I also do fast draw". JB: "How long does your show last? Do you do short shows for events or do you have long stage shows"? TH: "Basically, I work for the Frontier Riders, I'm very proud of them and I am very proud to be a member of them. They are a very select production group. The big thing is that we tailor make our shows to what a client needs. Yes, I have done shows by myself and I can put on an hour show, having fun with hecklers, funny talk and the four different skills that I have". JB: "Do you have any film credits or anything on TV"? TH: "Yes, some years back I made a couple historic movies. One was a documentary called The Battle of White Plains. It was made about the American Revolution. I also did another movie called the Other Side of Victory with David Naughtin also about the American Revolution. It also had William Sanderson in, "Hi I'm Larry... this is my brother Darrell and my other brother Darrell", that is William Sanderson. David Naughtin used to do the Dr. Pepper commercial, "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper", he also did American Werewolf in London. Ya, I worked with them. I had done some advising for different stuff, I have done a lot of historical work, some consulting for The Learning Channel... stuff like that". JB: "It sounds like you have had a real interesting career and I just wanted to make sure our people hear about it. TH: "John, I appreciate you interviewing me. Actually, the interview is a pretty big honor to me. Thank you very much!" JB: "It's an honor and pleasure". Interview Contributed by: John Bailey President of the WKTG 240 E. Bahama Rd. Winter Springs, FL 32708 bahamajohn@sprintmail.com It's free, and there's no obligation. |
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