NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW when Mike Flook became Flooker. Coach Ray Haas may have nicknamed him, in the same way he took to calling me Craiger. Or, Flooker may have always made sense, felt natural, like the kid was born with that handle. Either way, unless you're a serial killer, a nickname is mostly a sign of affection, or respect. Flooker–it's hard to imagine anyone more loved, or respected.
In the narrow wrestling pipeline between Los Alamitos High School and Cypress College, Flooker came first. He competed for Los Al at a time when the new wrestling program stunk. In fact, the Griffin mat team was one of the lowest in all of Southern California. Flooker stood out as the best of the worst, but never really landed on anyone’s recruiting radar. He lived in Cypress, an easy jog from another fledgling program at Cypress College. The Chargers were led by Pennsylvania native Haas, and the coach was busy putting his program on the wrestling map. He collected the best kids in Orange County, guys like Jim Shields, but he also welcomed anyone who loved wrestling and wanted an opportunity. Flooker loved wrestling, so he got snared in Haas’s wide net.
A year later, Mike was one of only three returning starters–along with Malony (142) and Bill Postmus (177)–on a team heavy with freshmen. This imbalance landed him a role he never expected: team leader.
Ted Wilton, a freshman and future All-American at Cypress, describes sophomore Mike this way: "I remember when I first met Flooker. He came up to me and introduced himself in the wrestling room. We both had long curly hair. We were wild and we constantly made each other laugh. It was an instant bond that lasted many years. I was more muscular than Mike, but he was a much more dangerous wrestler than me. He taught me the secrets to his fireman's carry. During his time on the mat, no one executed a better FC than Mike Flook. He taught me how to dance with my feet. He showed me his set-up. Outside tie, tap and distract the head, the shoulder, constantly dancing and changing sides. It was the first time I ever saw multiple set-ups for one takedown. The dude was a genius . . . Jimi Hendrix type genius."
As a high schooler, I spent some time at Cypress CC open mats. One night I watched Ted and Mike scrap, long floppy hair flying, pounding each other, stalking, chasing, attacking. Neither ever scored, and I thought, they're trying to kill each other. As they scrambled across the room, the mat cleared around them. There wasn't enough space to contain them, and anyway, everyone had to watch. It was my first encounter with true, violent intensity on a mat.
Flooker's leadership role grew even more prominent midway through the season, thanks to an unusual situation. When Malony returned in the fall of '71, he'd already completed three semesters, and had just one remaining. The Charger co-captain decided to use his final year of community college eligibility during the first semester, and then transfer to the University of Nebraska to join his former Western High and Cypress teammate, John Bell. Malony cruised through the first semester, racking up 28 dominant wins against 0 losses, with four tournament titles. The Nebraska coaches could hardly wait to welcome their prized recruit.
But something happened on the road to Cornhusker country. In early January, Cypress competed at the annual Cal Poly Junior College Invitational, Malony's last competition as a Charger. The Mustangs were the NCAA Division II powerhouse of the time, and their legendary coach Vaughn Hitchcock spent the weekend enticing Malony to the scenic shores of San Luis Obispo. A week later, Malony suddenly switched his commitment, signed with Cal Poly, and became a Mustang.
Ironically, Mike Flook may have benefited most from Malony's exit. No longer the "other guy" in the lineup, Flooker matured and embraced his inflated leadership role, as the Chargers began their stretch run. "Mike's improvement was noticeable," recalled former teammate Mike Henry. “He projected an air of confidence on the mat during the final few weeks of the '72 season, and just seemed more at ease."
With each match, Flooker gained confidence. In the post-season, he captured the Southern California Conference championship. A week later he placed 2nd at the Regional tournament, earning a spot on the state bracket. He capped his sophomore year with a runner-up finish at the state meet, becoming the fifth wrestling All-American in the brief history of Cypress College.
• • •
IN THE TINY Los Alamitos High School to Cypress College wrestling pipeline, I came next. Mike’s little brother, Randy Flook–a kid with his own nickname, Frog–and I were teammates and best friends at Los Al. We spent most of our free time together, and it was through Frog that I met Flooker. Frog worshipped his big brother, and before long, I did too.
Mike was a lightweight wrestler (134 pounds) but larger than life, especially to a young kid like me. Along with being a stud on the mat, Flooker was colorful, creative, wild, hilarious, good looking, and had a never-ending stream of beautiful ladies pursuing him. He was the most charismatic person I’ve ever known. Legendary, really, and what all us teenagers aspired to be. I grew to love him, just like I loved his brother, Frog. It was even better that we were Griffins.
Los Alamitos wrestling was slightly improved by the time I competed there, but like Flooker, I came out rough around the edges. Much of what I learned in wrestling prior to Cypress came courtesy of Flooker during impromptu clinics where he would torture us in someone's living room or backyard. The torture sessions often occurred along with a little 1970s style shenanigans. Those who knew him, know Flooker was a multitasker.
Once, while watching one of our high school duals in Long Beach, Flooker pulled me aside and showed me a set-up for his signature fireman's carry. He'd shown me his fireman's another time, but this particular set-up was new, an open shot with no initial tie-up. It was a slick combination of fake-drag, rake-the-head and penetrate, and left the opponent reacting directly into the carry. I stepped onto the mat and promptly fake-dragged, raked, and carried my opponent to his back, first try, without ever having practiced the set-up. This wasn’t a testament to talent or skill on my part. Instead, it was the direct result of Flooker's ability to communicate technique, to really sell it, and motivate you to go for it. It was also about a kid's unconditional belief in his hero, and wanting to make him proud.
This kid went on to use his hero's set-up and carry throughout the remainder of his career, including a win in the state CC championship finals. Back at the hotel, Frog, who had come along to support me, insisted we call Flooker to give him the good news. After we told him, Flooker yelled into the phone, "NOT that old set-up!" I shouted back, "TWICE!" Today, I'm a little embarrassed to say that in 36 years of successful coaching, no matter how hard I tried, I was never able to get a wrestler to hit that set-up. Clearly, Flooker had a little magic in him.
• • •
MIKE FLOOK SPANNED THE LIFETIME of Cypress College wrestling, competing there in the early days, and coaching there until its end. The program began in 1968 with Ray Haas, and Mike competed for the Chargers from 1970-1972. He began coaching there as an assistant to Haas in 1985, became the head coach five years later, and remained until the program was axed in 2003. It's an unusual sidebar that a program lasting 35 years had only two coaches during its tenure. Even more unexpected, to my delight–one was a Griffin.
Flooker's story can't be told without hearing from those who knew him, those who wrestled for him, those who loved him. A few Flooker-trained wrestlers and relatives shared comments that scratch the surface of his life, on and off the mat.
Ernesto Vargas shared, "The Flooker once challenged every wrestler in the room to shoot on his drinking leg. Not a single takedown was scored that day."
Aaron Cross gave his perspective: "The Flooker was the greatest storyteller I ever heard. He could take some mundane thing and make it a memorable yarn. I still quote his story about him training to beat his nemesis Arballo from Fresno City and yelling, 'Arballllooo, you asshole!!' while he was running."
Gerardo Rodriguez related a favorite story. "Anyone who ever wrestled for Mike worked the fireworks stand. If he trusted you, you got to sleep in that sketchy parking lot and guard the fireworks stand at night. While the stand was running, Mike was in the Town Tavern. If you know Mike, you know he had a heart of gold and would do anything for kids. Frequently the kids from the middle school where he taught would come by, clear out the trash and run errands for free fireworks. One day one of our helpers needed to use the bathroom, so Mike, in his infinite wisdom, took the 12-year-old into the Town Tavern to use the restroom. The owner, who must have been 74 at the time, started giving Mike grief about bringing a 12-year-old into the bar. Mike proceeded to tell the guy that after all the money he had spent over the years in his establishment, he could at least let him bring a kid in to use the bathroom. After a back and forth, Mike says, and I quote: 'Look dude, you're not too old to get your ass kicked.' And that's how the Flooker was banned from the Town Tavern. The place went out of business shortly after. Coincidence? We will never know."
Rodriguez added, "We stayed close in the years after I was done wrestling. I loved Mike and I miss him . . . he was family."
Frog's son, Cypress wrestler Chad Flook, and Mike’s daughter Elke shared a cryptic exchange that dances around a harrowing but typical Flooker adventure. Chad: "The story about Uncle Mike making it to my wedding is epic. Gotta love Flooker." Elke: "Chad omg. The death-defying road trip with Jake to UT. What an animal." Chad: "Only your dad could do that. 'What an animal' is the only way to describe him." Takeaway? Daughter and nephew agree on ‘animal.’
• • •
ALUMNI OF ANY TEAM, college, or group enjoy a similar past. Charger wrestling alumni are no different. Together we make up the 35-year history of Cypress CC wrestling, having competed at the same college for one of two coaches who formed the backbone of our shared experience. Most of us logged our two years and moved on, but we'll never forget our time at Cypress.
Throughout the history of Charger wrestling, from the near-beginning to the very end–Mike Flook, the wrestler, the assistant coach, the head coach, the legend–was the single most persistent thread. The glue, as they say, fastening us all together. I'm an alumni of Charger wrestling. But like many of you, I'm also a grateful Flooker alumni, part of that fortunate set of folks he touched through the years.
Mike Flook passed away in 2015. Frog says with pride that his big brother "lived life his way, on his terms, all the way until the end." Yes, by all accounts, Flooker lived fully, unapologetically, without political correctness. Through good times, and during hard times, he maintained a creative, fun-loving spirit that infected the rest of us with happy memories.
In 2018, Flooker was posthumously inducted into the Orange County Wrestling Association's Hall of Fame. Elke, his light, was there to accept his award.
In an enduring show of respect and true to the Flooker brand, Aaron Cross shared a simple legacy: "I still yell, 'The FLOOKER!' when I hit blackjack on tables in Vegas."
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