Koby Abberton

Koby Abberton
Born	(1979-06-02) June 2, 1979 Maroubra, Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Professional surfer
Years active	2000s–present
Known for	Member of the Bra Boys surf group; featured in Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water

Koby Abberton (born 2 June 1979) is a former professional surfer from Australia and a prominent figure within the surf group known as the Bra Boys. He attracted significant national media coverage in 2006 after being convicted of perverting the course of justice in connection with an event involving his brother Jai Abberton, who was ultimately acquitted of the 2003 murder of Anthony 'Tony' Hines. Together with his siblings, Koby gained international prominence in 2007 through the documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, which was both written and directed by members of the Bra Boys. In November 2008, he served a three-day jail sentence in the United States following a conviction for assaulting an off-duty police officer in Honolulu, Hawaii. More recently, in 2021, Koby appeared on the television program SAS Australia.

Biography and surfing career

Born in Maroubra, a beachside suburb located in south-eastern Sydney, Abberton entered the world at home to avoid hospital involvement due to his mother's heroin addiction. His upbringing was marked by hardship, with his mother struggling with substance abuse and her partner involved in criminal activities, all within Sydney's so-called "housing commission capital." He is one of four brothers who all share a passion for surfing, including Jai, Sunny, and Dakota Abberton.

Koby's journey into surfing began after a violent altercation with his mother’s boyfriend, who threatened him with a baseball bat, prompting Koby to move in with his brother Sunny. Sunny encouraged him to channel his energy into surfing as a means of escape from their troubled environment. This support helped Koby develop into a professional surfer, eventually securing sponsorships and gaining recognition on an international scale.

In November 2010, Abberton was selected as one of 24 alternates for the 26th Annual The Eddie held at Waimea Bay, Hawaii. The competition featured a prize pool of US$98,000 and required participants to ride waves exceeding 20 feet (6.1 meters) during the season spanning December 2010 to February 2011.

Bra Boys and acting career

The Bra Boys surf collective is bonded by both their shared passion for surfing and strong community connections, often associated with the Maroubra Surfers Association. According to Abberton, "Bra" is a reference to their hometown of Maroubra as well as local slang for brotherhood. Some members display tattoos reading "My Brother's Keeper" prominently across their chests. One of the founding motivations behind forming the Bra Boys stemmed from Abberton’s personal encounter with heroin:

"When I was about 14, our crew started the Bra Boys, and basically started controlling the place. We said there's not going to be any heroin in Maroubra anymore, because we didn't want drugs in the place."

In 2004, Abberton appeared as himself in Second Thoughts, a 40-minute surfing documentary directed by Timmy Turner and shot in Indonesia. The Abberton family also featured in an episode of ABC TV's Australian Story broadcast in 2005.

Koby and his brothers played central roles in the autobiographical documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, co-directed by Sunny Abberton and narrated by Russell Crowe. This critically acclaimed film chronicled their family’s experiences alongside the story of the Bra Boys, setting box office records and receiving widespread praise.

The murder of Anthony Hines

In 2003, Koby Abberton became entangled in legal proceedings connected to the death of Sydney criminal figure Anthony 'Tony' Hines. His elder sibling, Jai Abberton, faced charges for Hines' murder that same year but was acquitted in 2005 after asserting self-defense, despite admitting to firing the fatal shot.

On 5 August 2003, Koby was charged with three counts of providing false information to police and initially pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder. However, on 21 March 2004, he altered his plea to guilty. Although Jai was ultimately found not guilty, on 24 November 2004, NSW District Court Acting Judge Brian Boulten sentenced Koby Abberton to a suspended nine-month prison term for obstructing justice related to the case.

Throughout these legal challenges, Abberton lost several high-value sponsorship deals linked to his surfing career. While Oakley, a prominent surfwear brand, initially stood by him, they eventually withdrew their $250,000 per year sponsorship.

Cronulla Beach riots, 2005

Following the racially motivated 2005 Sydney race riots at Cronulla beach, the Abberton brothers and their group, the Bra Boys, attracted significant negative media scrutiny. This coverage is believed to have intensified further disturbances at other Sydney beaches, involving clashes with youths described as having Middle Eastern backgrounds from Western Sydney suburbs. Before these events unfolded, Abberton told The Daily Telegraph that Maroubra remained calm due to the Bra Boys' presence. He emphasized that the beach belonged to "Aussie kids" and cautioned outsiders against instigating trouble.

Despite the Bra Boys denying any participation in the riots, Maroubra experienced retaliatory violence from Middle Eastern gangs afterward. The Abberton brothers took initiative by convening public forums with various community groups aiming to reduce tensions. Sunny Abberton characterized these efforts as attempts to foster dialogue and alleviate conflict during an interview on The 7.30 Report. Koby and other members were accused of provoking the unrest, with Koby particularly singled out. He refuted these allegations in The Sydney Morning Herald, expressing regret over the incidents and affirming that he and his brothers worked towards calming racially charged hostilities.

Bankruptcy and assault charges

In 2006, Abberton was declared bankrupt, facing liabilities exceeding A$1 million. His debts included A$940,000 owed to the National Australia Bank, A$150,000 payable to the NSW Crime Commission, and A$50,000 in legal expenses stemming from his unsuccessful defence against charges of perverting justice.

Two years later, in 2008, Abberton admitted guilt for assaulting an off-duty police officer in Honolulu and was sentenced to three days in custody.

The Mavis Abberton Foundation

The Abberton brothers founded the Mavis Abberton Foundation with a mission to assist children whose parents struggle with drug addiction or incarceration. Named after their grandmother Mavis—who raised them during turbulent childhoods—the Foundation seeks to decrease the number of "lost children in broken homes" and deter youth from falling into drug abuse or criminal activities.

In 2007, there were plans for a charity cricket match featuring the Bra Boys against the Compton Cricket Club—a team comprising former gang members from Los Angeles—to raise awareness for the Foundation during CCC’s first tour of Australia.

MyBrothersKeeper Apparel

Drawing inspiration from the Bra Boys' principles of camaraderie and loyalty, the MyBrothersKeeper (MBK) clothing brand emphasizes the importance of close connections between friends and family. Members of the Bra Boys, such as Abberton, frequently ink the phrase "MyBrothersKeeper" as a tattoo. Those who purchase the apparel or belong to the group are often referred to as MBK Soldiers.

External links

• Koby Abberton on MySpace