The Beeg Is Back!
I think one of the more, very embarrassing things ever aside from tripping and falling, missing your mouth when eating soup, and dying, is being a fully-grown adult who, ‘has a favourite surf section.’
Surfing is the best, and I love it. But we are people who’ve centred our entire existence around riding mountains of energy that regularly travel halfway around the world, usually giving a few people nightmare deaths along the way, and that’s upsetting. It is exceptionally brilliant but also weird and nerdy and sad. Like: imagine you were at the pub and your friend showed you a video of a different person doing a thing they do day after day. Even better: imagine if your psychological-industrial complex was, like, jogging. Imagine for a moment your life if you were bang into jogging. How embarrassed would you be going to the pub with your mates who, like, can play an instrument, and you whipped out your phone to fire up a clip of your favourite runner? Look at how unique his gait is! ‘Yeah, mate, do you see a pair of wraparound glasses around my eyes?’ I’m training for a marathon too, actually. ‘Look, there aren’t any gel packs hiding beneath the crisps, the finish line for the 10,000 meters isn’t out front so Mo Farah isn’t going to come triumphantly through the vestibule any time soon, and you’re freaking me out.’
However, in saying that, have you ever seen Brendon Gibben’s bit from Epokhe’s, Listen Now, Misty Dawn? It’s spectacular and fully ablaze, fuelled by a mixture of phenomenal shots and better music. The specifics alone set the standard: filmed and edited by Kai Neville, very-trademark styles (the hair flips!) on both ends of the lens, and all soundtracked by ‘New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84),’ by The Simple Minds. What clip do I watch when I need to get excited about paddling out to two-foot, onshore wind slop? This clip. What would I show a curious, objective observer if I wanted not-so-but-a-bit-forcibly show them something I consider objectively, genuine good surfing? This clip. What's my favourite surf clip? I'm sorry, what more do you people want and did you just read any of this?
Well, some great news, is Brendon is back and he’s got a new part coming out. And even better, it’s being put together by the wonderfully talented crew at Chapter 11.TV. When’s it coming? Hard to say. Especially because I don’t know. In saying that, though, we thought that was as good a reason as any to call up one of the most supremely polite, articulate, and just overall genuinely pleasant people in all of surfing, Brendon Gibbens, and see what he’s been up to. Between moving back home, bagging clips, and supporting the local surf scene, he’s had a full schedule. He’s even managed to apply, accept, and receive US citizenship between all of that, too…
Hello Beeg, how are we doing?
I’m doing well, how about yourself?
I’m doing good. It’s almost noon here on a Friday, so just doing the usual… dreading built-up work and such. It's like, what, 10 PM by you?
Yeah, yeah. Getting close to it.
Quiet one then it sounds like?
Yes, I'm actually in bed.
Oh no am I cutting into your precious eight hours here?
(Laughs) It’s all good. I surfed a lot today. I'm so tired. It's like been incredibly hot, too. But I’m not complaining. It's been great.
I mean, that just sounds like a dream. You're down in, where again? A bit around Cape Town area?
Yeah! Well, on the Cape Peninsula, so to the south of the CBD of Cape Town.
Oh, a lovely spot. I’ve never actually been but living vicariously through the internet and such it all seems lush.
It is, it's good. Good vibes.
And the waves have been good too it sounds!
Well, actually it’s been, like, just this year, January in general, was the flattest, though this was what other guys were telling me, it has been in ages. But you can still get in the water every day and catch waves. And between all of that there is still the odd, good day of decent-sized swells. It's hardly something you can really consider to be that much of a flat spell.
Ah, well, considering you’re coming from Costa Mesa previously, I’m sure you understand the meaning of a true flat spell. Or at least the dynamic between a bad day of surf in Southern California compared to a bad day of surf in South Africa and how the difference can be a bit more stark.
I get what you’re saying but, it’s hard to compare. It's the other side of the planet.
It's truly about as opposite from one side to another as one can get, for sure. When did you move back home full-time?
Almost two years, I think it has been. Yeah, it was May, 2022. It's crazy. Like, it’s so dog to say, ‘Oh, time flies,’ but it is actually crazy. I cannot believe it. It's mind-blowing. It literally feels, for me, like I left Costa Mesa just the other day.
So did you just move back to be closer to home then?
Well, really, I wanted to come visit friends and family and then just kind of got bogged down and stayed. I'm very grateful for the fam and being able to do that with my life. Yeah, I’m very grateful for that.
And you had a pretty good jaunt in Orange County, no? Four or five years or something like that?
It was, yeah. It was a pretty substantial amount of time. I lived back there in like 2012 as well, so I did spend some time there. Not really like living full-time back then but, yeah, I actually really enjoyed living in Costa Mesa (laughs).
That’s funny, usually that exact area has the exact opposite effect on people.
I really, really enjoy it. Huge credit goes to my roommates who I was living with most recently. It was great. And I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it (laughs)
I heard you’re putting together a small clip with Hunter and the Chapter 11 crew?
Yeah, I’ve been stoked with the work those guys are producing. I mean, Dane’s been my hero for the longest time, and basically everything I've ever seen and produced, I think it’s brilliant. And I met Hunter… geez, a long time ago now. Right when he was first getting into videography and cinematography. And just to see how he's progressed and see how Dane’s still a phenomenal surfer, and also such a brilliantly creative person, it's just really cool and I'm stoked that it exists. And the fact that we're in a project together, I’m grateful for that as well.
To give you a bit of background to how this happened,…I’m obviously here in South Africa. Well, last year, in July, I was in Cape Town and they have the Ballito Pro, which is one of those challengers series. And I saw on Hunter's Instagram that he posted waves of Ballito and I was, like, ‘What!?’
And he was, like, ‘Yeah, I'm here with Eithan and we’re staying with Shane Sykes! What the hell are you doing? Come hang out!’ So, basically, I dropped everything I was doing. Flying domestically in South Africa, I forget, but I think the longest flight is only two hours. And that's basically what it is to Durban. So, it was quick and easy. I spent ten days with them and it was so much fun.
Also, seeing all the challengers' competitors, like not me being there, I’m not worried about heats or anything, but I was enjoying it and the environment. Everyone’s surfing on either side of the contest site and a lot of competitors are, I don’t know, warming up or whatever. But it was just cool to see everyone. It’s a cool vibe.
And with any contest there are a lot of people who lose and very few finalists. So, everyone gets knocked down and then goes and parties.
Yeah, they always turn into a bit of a burner one way or another. Obviously, you have Hunter and crew on the tools here, but are you still producing your own clips? I remember you had a hand in Pikes Bandit recently and then your YouTube channel is still relatively quite active.
I mean I am stoked where I’m at in surfing. I’ve got Monster supporting me and Manera wetsuits as well and then Octo, Panda Surfboards, DVD surfboards, and HaydenShapes have even given me a few and it’s just cool to do parts for them. I’m grateful for that too.
Well, everything that's been put out is rad. I particularly like the music, that’s all your own selection, right?
Yes! But it’s mostly on my Instagram these days, I guess.
I just rewatched it for prep but I think having Simple Minds track in your Listen Now, Misty Dawn parts is one of the most inspired choices out there. I fully rate it as one of the best sections ever, or at least one of my favourites.
Oh, that was actually all Kai (laughs). But, like, it’s weird looking back at old videos. I'm sure it applies to most people, looking back at any old project from years ago. You’re your own worst critic. I’ll look back at some of the old videos that I’m in and only notice the mistakes and never really enjoy the fact that it was created and exists. And hearing someone say they like some of it, it’s special.
So what’s your schedule look like around South Africa for the next, ah, foreseeable? Are you going to be travelling around anywhere? Going to be moving to the US now waving your shiny new citizenship about?
I mean, I never want to limit my options. And right now the whole program with my sponsors and being in Cape Town… It seems to be working. So, I'm just going to keep running with that. But, I’d actually be stoked to move back to Costa Mesa. I really enjoyed my time there. It definitely was, like, pricey, though. Not like I was ever going to be destitute or anything. Also, major credit to my roommates I was living with. They are incredibly accommodating. So yeah, just manage to get by and whatever. But now, my situation with surfing or whatever it’s just economical in Cape Town right now.
How’s the scene down in South Africa now? I mean it’s a very small sample size but with guys like Eli and Shane and Mikey it feels like surfing’s in good hands and just in a great place down there.
I was, like, nervous about leaving. My rental agreement in Costa Mesa was coming to an end and I was scrambling looking for a new place and there’s the whole nightmare of moving and heading to Cape Town was a feasible option. I was like, let me let me just go there and visit family, friends, and play it by ear. But then it was definitely inspiring seeing these once young kids who are now in their early 20s. Whereas, when, when I was in properly living in Cape Town whatever ten years ago they were just groms and now they’re decent young lads who are well-mannered and surf brilliantly. It's cool to see that, especially in Kommetjie, that it's the neighbourhood I live in at the moment. It's a small community, and it's a tight-knit crew, and it’s a good vibe. So, very, very happy for that, as well.
Well, it sounds like you’re in a good spot Beeg. Hope to see you here in the US soon! We’ll have to have a big welcome home party now I reckon.
Cheers!