About Mr Brights

 
 

Brett "Mr Brights" Davies

With over 37 years of surfing experience, Brett ‘Mr Brights’ Davies has travelled around the world in search of perfect waves, finally settling on the Gold Coast of Ghana, where 335 miles of tropical coastline are filled with some of the best right point and beach breaks in West Africa.

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.

Professional Accreditation

Globetrotting surf writer and filmmaker Sam Bleakley explains…

 “It’s seriously inspiring to see Brett making positive waves of change at grass roots level as he drives the West African surf scene forward, training the crew to become surf instructors and thus empowering them to teach other Ghanaians and travellers, but above all developing a culture of beach safety through lifeguarding and clean beaches through environmentally sensitive stewardship. Brett’s work is a blue print for sustainable surf tourism, and Ghana is one of the most magical countries for a surf traveller to experience.”

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On behalf of WSL Africa we would like to acknowledge and congratulate Mr. Brett Davies and the Mr. Bright’s Surf School on the growth and developments of surfing that they have been doing in Ghana. Africa and especially West Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, Surfing has been proved to be a fantastic way of therapy for young men and women. It not only gives them direction but also makes them more productive and happy people, we need to produce more happy people around the world. Once again, a very big thank you to Mr. Brett Davis from the World Surf League in Africa. Mr. Nelson Mandela said you cannot change the world in one day, but you can change the life of one child, one day at a time.
Best of luck to Mr. Bright’s Surf School. Keep changing lives.

Colin Raymond FitchWSL Africa Operations Manager
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I have known Brett for 20 plus years, in that time I have seen him evolve as a surfer and person. Brett worked at Rip Curl for many years in sales then was promoted to product manager and then he got into surf coaching. Brett has been training and shadowing me to become an ISA (International Surfing Association) course presenter as he is super keen to train the future coaches of the sport and particularly in Ghana and West Africa where he is now based. He is really doing his bit for surfing development in that part of the world and I take my hat off to him and wish him every success and that surfing in Ghana will benefit immensely from his time spent there.

Baz HallSurf Coach Academy, Newquay, Cornwall, UK.
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Having known Brett for many years through competing in the UK and working for Rip Curl UK, his love for surfing and sharing his passion with others really shines through. I have been following and supporting Brett along his journey for many years both personally and documenting his surfing and work in Carve surfing magazine. It's really great seeing Brett chasing his dreams in Ghana, and donating his time and effort helping the local surfers. Helping to grow the sport of surfing throughout West Africa, with gathering surfing equipment, organising surf contests and helping the local surfers. He’s a good lad who loves surfing, doing great things and he is an amazing surf guide.

Steve EnglandEditor in Chief Carve Surfing Magazine
 
 
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