SAS Australia has a new villain in town and it’s none other than former Bra Boy, Koby Abberton.
The 42-year-old is causing quite a bit of controversy after he was caught cheating in a physical challenge during one of the episodes.
The former professional surfer hasn’t dominated the headlines for a hot minute, but back in 2007, he rose to local prominence after he was featured in the documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker Than Water, which was written and directed by members of the group, and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe.
But who are the Bra Boys? Let’s discuss.
In the early 1990s, the Bra Boys (the word ‘bra’ referencing the Sydney suburb of Maroubra) consisted of a group of brothers, who wanted to protect their home while surfing big waves.
But soon, the beach-side group became something far more sinister and had a reputation for anti-social behaviour and street violence.
Members have been charged with murder, armed robbery and smuggling cocaine, and the gang in its entirety have been allegedly linked to organised crime.
Koby was one of the founding members of the gang, along with his brothers Jai, Sunny and Dakota Abberton.
A decade ago, Koby made the decision to relocate to Bali from Sydney to avoid imprisonment.
It was there the SAS Australia contestant formed a friendship with drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, prior to their execution in 2015.
“People make mistakes,” he said. “Myself, I’ve been involved in things and those guys were like normal human beings and they were good people.”
Now, besides appearing on the gruelling reality show, Koby uses Facebook to connect with teenagers who are suffering from depression.
“People are writing to me on Facebook, up to 10 a day saying they are thinking of taking their own life,” he said.
“It’s sad to see but if I can help stop kids and encourage them to get out of their rooms and go and jump into the surf, or go out with a skateboard, that’s good.
“Life can be a beautiful thing.”
The Bra Boys are no longer in operation, but when they were, they were heavily talked about.
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