“My grandmother’s my inspiration, you know. She just only ever wanted me to do good’’ Koby Abberton
“I think Koby and my brothers and our friends would be, would be in jail or dead, you know. The beach is a great escape and it’s free.’’ Sunny Abberton, brother
“Everything was at stake because I brang myself out of such a hard situation when I was a kid. I thought I might go back to it’’ Koby Abberton
“I always comfort myself in the fact that if he dies surfing, he dies doing something he loves’’ Paul Chandler, friend and community social worker ’
Koby Abberton has a life most people could only dream of; unlimited travel, surfing the world’s best waves and plenty of money.
Over the past five years, Abberton, 26, has made more than 200 international trips in pursuit of giant waves.
His face adorns billboards worldwide. He’s been on more magazine covers than any other Australian surfer. But his path to becoming one of the world’s most successful ‘”big wave’’ surfers has been troubled.
He grew up in a Housing Commission flat in the Sydney beach suburb of Maroubra. His mother was a heroin addict. The surf became his escape from drugs, poverty and violence.
But two years ago, Abberton became entangled in a court case resulting from the death of a notorious Sydney underworld figure Anthony Hines. His older brother, Jai Abberton was acquitted of the murder earlier this year even though he admitted shooting Hines.
But although the worst was over for Jai Abberton, Koby was still facing the prospect of jail, as police had charged him with hindering their investigations. He is now awaiting the verdict of the court on November 24.
If convicted, he stands to lose much of what he has worked to achieve including his lucrative sponsorship deals.
パッションポップに出演しているサーファー
Wade Goodall (Sunshine Coast出身のパッションポップのスペシャリスト)
Laurie Towner (From Yamba)
Jordy Smith
Doz (Luke Dorrington from Coolangatta)
Woody (James Wood from Lennox)
Cans (SMullaway)
3×World Champ AI
PARKO
TAJ