Raised in Newquay, England, the surfing capital of the UK, Brett learned to surf with his dad at the age of 7, and grew up with a golden generation of European professional surfers who went on to compete on the world short board tour. It was a natural path for Brett to devote himself wholeheartedly to the ocean, surf culture and the surf industry. He cut his teeth competing at national events, working in surf shops and producing surfboards for leading shapers, before taking a position with legendary brand Rip Curl as UK Sales Rep. Brett was soon promoted to Wetsuit and Surfboard Product Manager at the European head office in Hossegor on the Silver Coast of France.
Brett continued to travel whenever possible to spend time with grass roots surf scenes in remote locations and ride uncrowded world-class waves. After a trip to West Africa in 2007, he fell in love with Ghana, the untapped surf breaks, and its wonderful people. Now ready to branch out and start his own business, Ghana seemed to offer a golden opportunity to help a local surf scene develop. Brett decided to take the leap, leave Rip Curl, follow his dream and move to a new surfing frontier to become a surf school and surf club pioneer, working with tourists and locals in equal measure.
“Brett has changed the face of surfing in West Africa,” “Give a kid a surfboard and see what they can accomplish.”
Sidiq Banda.
In 2009 Brett qualified as a surf coach and lifeguard to start teaching at top level surf schools in France for three seasons to gain the priceless experience necessary to run his own school in West Africa. Returning to the Tropics each year Brett started helping the local crew by setting up the West African Surfing Association. With the generous support of surfers and surf companies throughout Europe Brett shipped his first container of equipment in 2010 and donated tens of surfboards to the emerging scenes in Liberia, Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana. Brett also started working closely with these surfers to help them train, organise local events, and travel abroad to compete at international contests in South Africa and around West Africa. This was the first time many of the surfers had travelled abroad. Brett was also instrumental in setting up the Kame Surf School in Cote D’Ivoire, where he met his wife Sandrine. Brett then started his surf school at Busua Beach in the Western Region of Ghana, and later moved the business down to Kokrobite to be closer to schooling opportunities for his family.
Kokrobite is a small, lively fishing village about 20 miles west of Accra, with a super consistent beach break (and some of the best left handers in a country famed for rights), great live music and mesmerising local dance troupes. With the support of his Ghanaian business partner, Sidiq Banda, Brett set up Mr Brights Surf School in the legendary Big Milly’s Backyard, an iconic resort run since 1995. Brett then launched the local surfing club, the Kokrobite Carvers. Mr Brights now serves as the base for surf lessons (from complete beginners to advanced coaching), surf camps, surf tours, a surf shop and the epicentre of the local surf culture. Brett has also been instrumental in helping a number of West African surfers win educational scholarships through the International Surfing Association (ISA). “No school, no surfing,” says Brett.