Mickey Sills: The Legend of Malibu
Biker. Brother. Best Friend.
Mickey Sills was the coolest soul Malibu ever knew. He was a Harley man through and through—heavy chrome, loud pipes, and a heart of gold. I was on my Suzuki GSX-R (the Gixxer). We were a total mismatch on paper, but on the road, we moved in perfect sync.
Sparks on Decker Canyon
If you want to know who Mickey was, you had to see him on Decker Canyon Road. I’d be behind him on my sportbike, watching him lean that massive Harley into those hairpin turns until the floorboards hit the pavement.
Sparks would be flying everywhere, lighting up the road, and Mickey wouldn't even flinch. We cruised Mulholland and the wide-open farmlands of Camarillo just the same—two different bikes, one shared rhythm.
Like Family
We weren't just biking buddies; we were family. We both owned Airstreams and shared that "silver bullet" life. We spent countless nights sitting across from each other at the dinner table, just talking about life.
Mickey even gave me a True Religion sportcoat that I wore when the Travel Channel came to the Malibu Beach RV Park.
When I sent him the video of my interview where I mentioned Matthew McConaughey, he hit me back in seconds: "Jeff, what, I’m not famous? :)"That was Mickey—humble, hilarious, and real.
The Final Ride
When the 'ding' came on August 20, 2013, my heart sank. Mickey told me he had cancer and they’d removed his pallet, but his next words were:
"Come give me a hug will tell you more. Love love love my gift."
Even in his darkest hour, he was thinking about the energy of his friends.
Mickey passed within six months of that email, but he’s still with me every time I look at my arm or hear the roar of a Harley.
I’m the Sesh for Mickey because a man this awesome deserves to be documented forever.
METUT
The Final Chord: The Hard Road
I don’t remember much music playing when Mickey and I were hanging out—mostly because his wife Kimberly wasn't shy about letting me know when she didn't like my tracks.
She didn’t come to many of our parties, but I remember one night she actually liked what was playing. It wasn't some flashy pop song; it was "The Hard Road" by Hilltop Hoods.
That song has a line: "It's a hard road, and it's a long road, but it's our road."
Looking back, that was the story for all of us in Malibu. Whether we were leaning into the hairpins on Decker Canyon or facing the news of that 2013 email, it was a hard road, but it was ours.
I’m not letting the sun go down on Mickey’s memory. I’m the Sesh keeping the record straight.
"It's a hard road... but it's our road."
Ride on, Mickey. See you at the next site.
