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5 with 5’s: Sunny Abberton
For Bra Boys Sunny and Koby Abberton of Maroubra, N.S.W., Australia, this was just a recounting of their lives, their home, and their brotherhood. With the production and release of the Bra Boys documentary in the spring of 2007, they set out to simply tell their version of what they believed to be a very one-sided story at the time. In doing so, they ended up breaking box office records and seeing an unprecedented level of success that never could have before been imagined.
The demand by those not only throughout the surfing community, but all over the world, to witness their story has continued to grow over time and has seen the film end up in very unexpected markets. The Bra Boys Collectors Edition DVD just hit stores on July 29, and with a Hollywood version of their story in the works being directed by Oscar-winner Russel Crowe, the success of their story is sure to continue.
It´s been a whirlwind ride of success for the first family of the Bra Boys brotherhood, but through it all they have remained what they have always been at heart – an extremely tight-knit family that’s as passionate about surfing as any I’ve ever come across.
This is part one of a two-part 5 with 5’s with Sunny Abberton and Koby Abberton. Sunny and Koby were kind enough to give 5ones some of their time to give us a glimpse into what´s going on with them and their journey following the release of Bra Boys. We thank them for that, congratulate them on their massively successful project, and encourage any of our 5ones friends who have yet to see the film to go out and do so.
5ones: Thanks again for your time and congratulations on everything you accomplished with the release of Bra Boys. How has the massive success of the film affected the city of Maroubra, as well as the rest of the Bra Boys?
Sunny Abberton: You see people, a lot of people come and take photos of the beach with them in it like it was a tourist attraction. It has also helped the boys with gaining more respect for what we do. As well, its been better for some of the younger guys like Richie Vas (guy who gets stabbed in the neck and laughs) to gain sponsorship as a big wave rider. Johnny Gannon who trains the boys and who does the training in the extra section on the DVD has been picked up by World no. 3 Taj Burrow to travel the World Tour with him as his trainer in the hope Johnny will help him win a world tittle.
5ones: What were your biggest obstacles when trying to break through and become successful as surfers, and what was it that you feel kept you pushing through all of the turmoil toward reaching your goals ?
Sunny: The biggest obstacles to succeed at anything is just trying to remain focused on your goals and stay on the right path of being fit and healthy.
5ones: What words of wisdom would you hand down to the younger, up and coming surfers who are from rougher areas in the world and face similar struggles to those that you guys faced growing up in Maroubra?
Sunny: Don’t get caught in the cycle of your area; drugs, crime, and jail. You can rise above it. You just have to find an outlet, like the surf.
5ones: How would you best describe the Bra Boys and what they are about?
Sunny: A big family over 100 years old.
5ones: It’s just Sunny, Jai, and Koby heading out for a dream session….Where would this take place and who will be charging the hardest?
Sunny: Well Koby, Dakota, and I are all natural footers so Jai would have to listen to us. It would probably be in the Mentawai Islands and it would be very competitive.
Tags: 5 with 5's, Bra Boys
Posted by Shaun on Monday, August 11th, 2008 in Surfing.
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