Bra Boys

Bra Boys, narrated by Russell Crowe, is an entertaining and insightful story about the infamous surf community of Sydney's eastern suburb, Maroubra. The documentary is told from the eyes of the 'Bra Boys' themselves, describing a life of struggle where the only places they can turn to is the surf and their brotherhood.

The story focuses on the life of the Abberton brothers: Sunny (writer), Koby, Jai and Dakota. The four hold family loyalty in the highest regard.

Growing up in a home with a heroin-addicted mother, the boys learned to look after each other from a young age. The home of their late grandmother Mavis - known to everyone as 'Ma' - served as a refuge for the boys and their friends.

Maroubra, a poverty-ridden suburb made up of commission flats that sits 'in the shadow of Long Bay Jail', seems to offer minimal options for its youths, who skip many days of school, lack any sort of direction and tend to become heavily involved with drugs, crime and violence.

The documentary shows the deep hatred the group have for police, and the instant mistrust of anyone outside their tribe, evident in the fighting to 'protect' their local beaches. Symbolising the strong loyalty of the group, Koby proudly sports the famous tattoo on his chest, with the words 'My Brother's Keeper'.

On trial for the murder of convicted rapist and murderer Tony Hines, Bra Boy Jai Abberton emphasises the unfortunate path taken by many: drugs and jail. The boys have been in the news for all of the wrong reasons, with one of the biggest incidents occurring in 2002, when a brawl broke out between the boys and off-duty police.

On the other hand the Bra Boys are well known for their surfing talent, producing many 'big wave' surfers including pro surfer Koby Abberton.

In one scene the brothers jet-ski out to one of the world's thickest and roughest waves, off the south-west coast of Australia. At the wave known as 'The Cyclops', the boys show off their extreme talent and utter fearlessness.