SAS Australia has seen Koby Abberton emerge as this season’s villain thanks to his brash nature, and the former Bra Boy is no stranger to such a title.
WATCH: Koby Abberton exposed on SAS Australia for cheating
The former professional surfer first rose to local prominence back in 2007 with the release of the documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, which followed the lives of Maroubra-based surf gang ‘the Bra Boys’.
The 42-year-old is now causing a stir on the reality series, with social media slamming the star for cheating in a gruelling physical challenge in a previous episode.
It’s been a while since Koby has been in the headlines, so here’s a round-up of what the Bra Boy has been doing prior to hitting the small screen as a recruit on SAS Australia.
Rise to fame
Koby and his brothers, Sunny and Jai, gained attention around the world with the release of Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water in 2007.
The feature-length documentary was written and co-directed by Sunny Abberton and narrated by actor Russell Crowe and detailed the story of the Bra Boys from the viewpoint of the gang members, particularly the Abberton family.
The film would go on to become Australia’s highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary film and won the Best Documentary at the 2008 Movie EXTRA Filmink Awards.
Run-ins with the law
In 2006, Koby was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in an incident surrounding his brother Jai Abberton, who was charged but found not guilty of the 2003 murder of stand-over man Anthony ‘Tony’ Hines.
In November 2008, Koby was jailed for three days by a US court after he was found guilty of assaulting an off-duty police officer in a fight outside a nightclub in Hawaii.
Then, in 2008, Koby spent three days in custody for assaulting an off-duty police officer in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Island living
Koby left his hometown of Maroubra to move to Bali 10 years ago, saying he would have ended up in jail had he stayed in Sydney.
“And it’s interesting that from Maroubra, which was always very Australian, that my life has turned out to be so multicultural now,” he said of the seachange.
While living in the popular tourist spot, Koby became close to jailed drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran prior to their 2015 executions.
“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.”
When Koby’s not teaching surf lessons on the island, he’s using his Facebook pages to help teenagers survive bullying and 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.”
Married life
Abberton is married to Olya Nechiporenko, a Ukrainian model, psychologist and accountant who he met in Bali. The couple has a son, Makua, born in July 2015.
“It totally changed my life,” he said of finding love with Olya.
“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. It was love at first sight, but also I credit all the love and compassion I have now to her.
“I’ve always been helpful and honest, but I wouldn’t be the man I am now helping out people and wanting the world to be right without her.”
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