THE BROWN BROTHERS [07.09.2009]Industry

THE BROWN BROTHERS
Interview by The Colt

Surfing hellmen are in a league of their own. These guys pull into waves the size of world-class hotels with no competition money and only a small amount of worldwide recognition. It's a sport that's 100% dedication for the love and the thrill of the ride. As 'spectators' we love seeing these guys getting slung into enormous waves, be swallowed by the monster and then spat out the end, finishing with a relaxed kick out off the back smiling like a little kid on Christmas morning. Their cool, calm and collected nature is a must when it comes to this side of the sport, and as I found out when shit goes wrong, it really goes wrong.

How many times have you watched a clip of some poor dude get axed on a 20ft+ draining chamber but actually took the time to think about the ongoing hammering that arose while it all went down? We're lucky enough to forget about it all and move on in life, remembering whether or not we're supposed to pick up the milk on the way home. What you didn't see is that after they went down he lost his board, the jet ski couldn't get in for the pick up and the went under for another three wave hold down, wondering if they'd seen their last days!

Well I had the privilege to speak with two of the worlds best chargers that are proud Aussie's and frequent the depths of W.A. The Brown Brothers. Kerby and Courtney are a duo that deserve full respect for what they put their lives through for our viewing pleasure! These guys are out there on the search every time a new swell rolls through, as a matter of fact as I write this, they're down the south coast of W.A chasing a new pulse. These guys live, eat & breath surf. It's a lifestyle they wouldn't change for anything and the fact these guys have a brotherly connection makes it that much tighter.

We chat about what it's like being out there amongst the monsters, heaviest hits, why Kerbs doesn't have a major sponsor and what's on the cards moving forward. Two bro's out doing what they do, not for the money, not for the fame, but for the fact they love to surf...



KERBY…

Now Kerbs, to tackle some of these monsters surely you have to be insane or have balls made of brass? Can you talk us through your thoughts from the planning of hitting a swell to being towed into a monster slab.
I’m usually really excited when we know it’s all about to happen. It’s not easy to get these places pumping. You spend so much time looking at maps and hoping these particular slabs are going to be on so when you rock up and see a 12 footer unload you know it's game on.

So when you get to the spot what goes through your mind?
I don’t like to look at it for long just get straight into it. I’m usually thinking I want to get as deep as I can and make it. There's nothing worse than seeing the photos or footage after the session and realizing you could have been deeper! I’d rather get deep and fall than make a barrel that you’re barely in.

Spoken like a true nutcase bro! I will say it's awesome watching you go super deep into a wide eyed monster slab, so thanks for putting your body on the line bro to keep us all frothin'!
So what’s it like being on the other end, whipping in your bro into a cavern? Do you ever worry you’ve given him the last sling and potentially pushed him too far?
Yeah I do for sure. I tow him deeper than he would like to be a lot of the time but we’ve been towing each other for so long now it comes naturally. He can be a little bit more cautious driving  me. I know he is going to be stoked if I tow him deeper than he wants to be as long as he makes it, ha ha. There's been a few situations where you kind of go, ‘holy shit am I going to have to peel the little fella off the rocks?’.

Brotherly love, nothing beats it. Having two bro's I know the feeling of what can seem like a good idea at the time only to become a freakin' nightmare seconds after.
Now the words 'big' and 'heavy' are two very different elements when it comes to surfing. Some guys surf big waves, but not necessarily heavy waves. Can you talk us through the 'heaviest' wave you’ve ridden…
Yeah that’s what a lot of people don’t understand. The big deep wave bombies are taller but are nowhere near as challenging to ride and the consequences of falling are nowhere near as bad. Bombies like Cow don’t take half as much skill to ride as a steppy barreling wave. The judges in the big wave contests don’t realise this either.

It's hard to pick out the single, most heavy wave. I would have to say the big right I got last year would have to be one but there have been a few that I have been more scared on. This wave at home breaks off this Bluff and is a down the line barrel with 2 sections. The second section you have to backdoor into it and once you're in the barrel the ledge actually can stick out of the water. There's no way you could ride over shallower water. You have to wear straps and olley the reef on half of them. I have had some horrifying rides at this place it’s next level.

I guess pushing the limits is what it's all about, but riding a shallow reef like that sounds freakin' gnarly.
So what about the heaviest wipeout you can remember?
I was paddling at really big Jakes at home with my bro and Craikey. I snapped my leash on the wave before so I wasn’t wearing one, there was about 30 minutes of light left and this huge set comes with just me and Corts out the back when he yelled at me to go! I swung around airdropped to the bottom didn’t get close to making it, burst my ear drum and was held down for almost 3 waves. I didn’t know which way was up because of the burst ear drum. I remember going through the whole drowning process. The panic scared stage for the first wave that went over me and then you get past that and go into the really relaxed floating stage where it’s really peaceful. This was the point where I finally came to the surface after being under for 2 waves and Craikey saw my arm in the wash and raced over to pull me out just as the 3rd big set was about to go over me. I think I was moments away from drowning, I was really lucky he got to me before that 3rd wave. Ry and Corts paddled me to the channel, I was barely conscious with my eyes rolling back into my head and had swallowed a lot of water. I ended up coming out of it ok but that was really the only moment in surfing where I thought this is it, I’m going to die here. I’m very thankful Ry was on the inside and saw me because otherwise I’d be gone.

I’ve had a shitload of stitches and broken bones. I shattered my heal airdropping onto dry rock. That was the most painful.

You're a freak mate. A pounding like that would have most thinking about life, packing up the family and moving inland to start farming. Most of the time we see you boys coming out of insane barrels and maybe the odd wipeout but never get into what 'really' went down after the hammering.
So mate, how does that stack up to that epic wedge (click here to watch) you pulled into in late 2008? I don’t think people realise how insane that pounding was? How did you mange to come out alive bro?
I think I was lucky to get as far as I did on that wave. There was a moment towards the start where if I had fallen I don’t think I would’ve come back up. I almost made it to the end and even still it was the deepest I have ever been pushed under water. I actually felt my ears pop I was so deep. The force of the wave coming down on me any earlier than it did may have been fatal. I had no life vest either which doesn’t help.


No vest and pulling into a slab like that. Mate you'd have to be the hardest dude I've met. That stuff is hard core. I hope people start to appreciate what you're doing for the world of big wave surfing.
Mate, what's this talk about no major sponsor? I know West help you out a bit, but no ones paying you coin for this stuff? Like WTF? Is there a common response from the various brands as to why they’re not backing you? I find it almost offensive mate that you get more coverage than half the top 45 and do a lot more when it comes to the world of surf and doing unique things and don't get squat. What's the deal?
Yeah it’s been frustrating. Unless you've been with a solid company from a younger age and built a relationship over time it’s hard to get someone to put the money into you. In saying that guys still get dropped like a sack of potatoes after the company has used them all up. It’s pretty ruthless and there’s not much loyalty in it at all these days. I’ve been unlucky with smaller companies that have gone under. I do get the same response which is always “we would love to help you out but we don’t have the budget” and usually followed by “I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding someone else”. I have almost completely given up on the surf companies. It would be great to get some backing from a company outside of the industry. I’ve approached a number of companies and asked for minimal financial support and what I can offer them in return is serious editorial exposure and marketing opportunities but still they won’t take me up on it.

All the exposure I have ever had has been generated purely by myself. No one has ever been there to send me on trips or to organize photographers for me. I’ve always done it all off my own bat. It's hard when you work so hard toward everything you’re doing and feel like you have a lot to offer these companies and they can’t even scrape together a small amount of money. When on the other hand they're throwing big bucks at guys that don’t do a great deal they just get told what plane to be on and where to show up. It would be easy to sit back and say fuck it I’m over the whole industry but I love doing what I do and that’s why I do it, so I’ll continue to keep backing myself and promoting ourselves through our web site. It's really frustrating though how money limits you. There's so much more I could do if I had the money. I really hope someone comes to the party so I can do a lot bigger and better things with my surfing career.

That sucks Kerbs, I really feel for you bro. Mate, anything you’d like to say to the industry who are reading this?
I bet if I was a skinny blond muppet with my hair brushed forward wearing gay clothes doing the same air reverse every wave I'd be getting paid bank!
 
Well blonde does sell, you should know that. hahahah. Mate, if and when mesurf gets into the big game we’ll come find you and do what should’ve been done a long time ago. Seriously!
That sounds good I wish more people had the same attitude!

I'm sure I'm not the only one that looks up to you as one of the best chargers this industry has seen mate. Keep it rollin' bro and we look forward to seeing more from the world of KB.


CORTNEY…

It wouldn't be fair to give your older bro all the talk now would it? Now that you’re catching up to your brother do you ever feel you need to get him back for pushing you around as a Grommie? Maybe a late drop or whip him just that bit too deep to show him who’s boss?
Haha nah Kerb and I have always had a pretty good relationship, he didn’t give me too much shit as a grommie but I definitely owe him a few deep whips to get him back for towing me in way behind the peak everytime!!

You score a lot of editorial here in the Aussie scene, do you ever think it’s time for Kerbs to move over so you can come in and take the reigns?
Not really because we tow together every session and without him I don’t think I’d get half as many pits as I do and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way!

The brotherly support you boys have is epic. Good to see you both appreciate what each offers one another. So mate you spent a number of years surfing on the Jnr circuit but then pulled out. What was the motivation behind getting out of the competitive scene?
Its not that I hated competing it’s just the waves at those events were fucked, I mean who cares if you can do 10 wiggles to the shore on a knee height dribbler, not to mention it’s as about as exciting as watching grass grow!

hahahaha, yeah well said mate, tend to agree with you there mate and I'd much rather see surfers doing what they enjoy. Each to their own I guess.
So have you outdone your brother in taking on the biggest wave? What’s been the biggest/heaviest mountain you’ve taken on?
Every big session he’s had I’ve been there so it’s pretty funny how it works some days I’ll get the better one and other days he will. It just depends who’s on the rope at the right time, but I think he’s beating me so far with that big below sea level right he got last year. I got a few fun ones that day but he definitely got the bomb of the day!

And what about wipe-outs? Who holds the heaviest in that department? Any memorable floggings you can share with us?
Yeah we both have had some pretty heavy ones I think he's had more serious injuries than me but one particular session last year he towed me in too deep on this big left and I still tried to skip down it late but ended up getting licked and being held under for two waves. When I came up I had snapped my tow board and was seeing stars, luckily Kerb was right there on the ski to pick me up and when I finally climbed back on I was spitting mouthfuls of blood into my hands so I guess that was a pretty good one HAHA!

The fact you set each other up for a death pit and then you're there to pull you out when called upon. From start and finish. Awesome. Thanks Cortney.



THE BROTHERS…

So where do you draw the line with being madmen? I mean when will you know you’ve had enough? Is there actually a limit to how big or heavy you’ll go?
If it’s rideable then there’s no limit to size or thickness! Obviously if it’s closing out onto dry rocks we are not going to have a crack at it. I think we can find something bigger and crazier than anything that’s been ridden so far it’s just a matter of when.

Surfing extreme waves like this must take its toll on the body. What do you guys do to stay in shape, get the lungs up to scratch and all that stuff? Is it merely a strict diet of beer, redbull and marsbars or do you take a more serious approach?
Neither of us do any serious training. Some guys will be running underwater with rocks and shit but surfing and having a good time is pretty much our program. People wig out when they see us out partying 2 days before we head off to a huge swell. I think it’s all in your head when wiping out. You have to know how to relax and not panic. Plus you could be the fittest muscle man ever and it’s not going to help you when your going head first over the falls at Cyclops. It’s more about learning how to fall and what position to get your body in when you are about to get slammed into the reef. Kind of like a stuntman I guess.

And for those that haven’t had the pleasure of witnessing a tow-in sesh, can you tell them what goes into a tow-board in regards to the different materials, fins, bindings, dimensions etc?
To be honest we try not to ride tow boards unless we totally have to. Most waves we can get away with riding our normal crafts. We both have semi-tow boards that are good. Shaped by Dave Lewy these are normal 6’3, glassed really heavy with no straps just a bit narrower and thinner. When we do bust out a tow board they are between 5’7 and 6’0 by 16 ¾ with lead weights glassed into the board. Made and set up for purely getting barreled.

So during the summer months when surfs at it’s worst what do you do to stay sane? Do you still like to get amongst the small beachies and play around?
Sure we will still surf if it’s small. It’s good to keep on top of your surfing in all conditions. Always fun to get the ski out and work on your airs to pass the time. Summer usually involves a lot of partying though. Perth is crazy in summer but has no surf so we head down south in between the festivities to keep sane.

Do you notice a big difference when moving back to your standard PU board? The different flex, surfing without straps?
We don’t use straps much so it is actually weirder making the transition to straps.


Recently you boys started up your site thebrownbrothers.com that has some awesome shots and clips running. How awesome is ‘Tomb Raiders’! That clip rocks. Sashimi barrels is a shit hot clip as well.
Can you tell us a little about the BrownBrothers project…
We film every trip we do and make a short clip for the site so people can see what we’re up to. We have been doing a lot of filming for Ry Craikes new movie so we haven’t been able to put as many clips together as we would like but he’s just finished so now we can focus on our stuff … there’s plenty more to come!

In regards to your latest drop ‘Tomb Raiders’, what was it like surfing with the competitive crew like A.I, Parko and Occy? Did you boys show ‘em how it’s done in true W.A fashion?
Yeah it was really cool. Andy and Joel seemed quite competitive with each other which was funny. Occy and Luke were cruising the whole time. Occ hadn’t been up there for 10 years! He is classic. We surf up there a lot so it was good to see those guys in the water. They didn’t get that many at Tombstones they were taking it easy. We towed up the point with Joel, he was frothing! We are spoilt and get a lot of barrels living in W.A . They [CT riders] don’t get so many [W.A sessions] chasing the tour… Joel did the biggest claim I’ve ever seen after a bomb he got. It was classic!!! He said it was the best barrel he had this year.

Each year we're seeing guys pushing it harder and harder in the world of big wave surfing, so where do you guys see the future of big wave surfing heading?
We're excited to think of the waves that are going to get ridden in the next 5 years. Guys are pushing it harder and harder each year. It’s truly getting crazy! There's truly no sport like it. Hopefully people will appreciate the risks involved in big wave surfing.

Any secret trips or waves you’ve got planned that we need to keep an eye out for?
We're always looking for new waves. That’s the best part of surfing - finding a new spot and being the first person ever to ride it.

Boys, thank you both for your time to have a chat. I'm (and mesurf crew) are huge fans of the brotherhood working together, pushing each other further and doing some amazing things in the world of surf. Lovin' the Brown Brothers project and we're looking forward to seeing more sweet action unfold through your site. Keep up the awesome work and let's catch up again soon.
Thanks very much Ben

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Surf Forecast:

2010-07-29 23:30:00

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Surf Report

The swell Is messy out of the ENE and has picked up to around 3-4ft and it's overcast with showers. The winds are light WSW early and are trying to clean conditions up, but NE winds are predicted later. Messy waves along the open beaches early and check Kawana pocket and Kings later when the wind goes NE. Check out the latest Coastalwatch forecast.

Weather

Wind:

5 kts WSW

Swell:

3-4ft ENE

Rating:

4

High Tide:

09:48 am & 10:05 pm

Low Tide:

03:59 am & 03:37 pm

Water Temp:

20

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Rainbow Beach Noosa Bar Noosa Coolum Marcoola Maroochydore Alex Headland Mooloolaba Kawana - Buddina Kings 2010-07-29 23:30:00

Outlook:

Wind: NE/NW 10/15 knots, reaching 15/20 knots south of Cape Moreton in the morning. Sea: 1.2 to 1.7 metres. Rain breaking up to showers during day. Late thunderstorms developing.

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