Known for being one of the original freestyle motocross (FMX) riders of the late ‘90s and early 2000’s, Colin “Scummy” Morrison was an OG member of an elite riding crew that helped usher in a new era and style of dirt bike riding. Morrison and his cohorts traveled the world, making a name with dangerous tricks and stunts and hard partying fueled by drinking, drugs and reckless behavior off the track.
As one of the most popular extreme sports of the era, the party lifestyle, if not overtly encouraged, was largely ignored within the industry. Colin, who began traveling with the Warped Tour at age 16 was a staple on the scene, competing in the X-Games, appearing in videos and helping to establish a dirt-bike culture that is still going strong today. With no shortage of drugs, alcohol and permissive handlers, Colin and his cohorts sank deep into a culture where recklessness was rewarded and drugs were just a part of the deal.
In addition to the lure of drugs within the rock-star lifestyle, FMX is highly dangerous and failing at a stunt can be a matter of life or death. When you fall you fall hard, and for Colin and his crew, injuries and broken bones were frequent and gnarly. Meanwhile, these were the days when doctors were prescribing opiates like candy. For Colin Morrison, the combination was a recipe for disaster, and it wasn’t long before he was deep in the throes of addiction.
Colin Morrison Turns His Life Around and Is Now an Advocate for the Sober Life
Fortunately, Colin’s bottom was not death and after years of addiction to alcohol, pills and eventually black tar heroin, he hit a point of personal, physical and financial ruin that was the last straw. Through rehab and a daily dedication to the sober life, Colin has turned his life around and is now dedicated to helping others out of the darkness of addiction. Through his podcast, Talking Sobriety, Colin shares his story and his message that breaking free of addiction is possible and that living a sober life is a beautiful thing.
Talking Sobriety – Rehab and Doing the Work with New Origins’ Ron Honn
As a friend to the New Origins team and a sobriety advocate, we value and appreciate the work Colin is doing. Our Program Administrator, Ron Honn, has been on his show a number of times to discuss various aspects of addiction and the importance of rehab in the recovery journey. Like Colin, Ron is living a life of sobriety and is passionate about helping others break free once and for all.
(Watch Ron’s first appearance on Talking Sobriety here: Episode 30: Ron from New Origins).
In November of 2018, Ron was invited to speak on Colin’s podcast, where he shared his own story and the events that led to him deciding once and for all that enough was enough.
Listen to the podcast here:
Ron’s Podcast Appearance Leads to Detox Scholarship for Former FMX Superstar Caleb Wyatt
This appearance coincided with Colin’s reconnection with friend and former FMX superstar Caleb Wyatt, who at the time of recording was heavily addicted to drugs. Caleb, who in 2002 was the first person to successfully land a backflip on a large bike, was the 2004 Moto-X Best Trick X-Games gold medalist and is largely credited with helping usher in FMX’s next evolution from distance jumps to more extreme flip riding.
According to Caleb’s interview with Colin, a succession of injuries and a subsequent opiate addiction spiraled out of control and led to him losing his wife, spending time on the streets, and falling into obscurity. During the interview, Caleb acknowledged his need for help and Colin connected him to Ron, who offered him a scholarship to a detox facility.
As of this writing, Caleb is more than 30 days sober and doing the work to keep clean. He and Ron spoke with Colin on Talking Sobriety’s December 20th episode and, though it’s a day by day process, Caleb is heading in the right direction.
Listen to Caleb discuss his rehab experience in his own words here: Caleb Wyatt on Talking Sobriety
