Hay josh! Hay brendo!

HAY Josh! from Moonrat on Vimeo.

This is a quick clip of Josh and I surfing a few days together at home. Its only a tease of Josh's surfing. You'll be seeing more of Josh and Brendo in our movies in the future.



Lately I've been surfing a bit with the Hay brothers, Josh and Brendan. They live just down the road from me at copacabana. Josh is 16 and Brendo is 14. Josh surfs natural and Brendo surfs goofy.

This is Josh flicking his tail high for the ladies of copacabana.

You and your brother are turning into fine young surfers, you've both been competing a bit lately. How have you been going in the comps? What has been your favourite comp to compete in?

B: Josh and I go ok in in comps, we both won a cadet cup at Freshwater Beach. Josh goes better in comps than I do but I think I like free surfing a bit more. There's no pressure and you can do what you want.

J: Yeah Brendo and I have been going well this year, it's always tough. my favourite comp that I have done would have to have been a comp when we stayed at Jarrad's house because Brendo and I both won, ha ha! it was the harboard community bank pro. Um yeah I love competing, just being able to go out there and have a heat with your mates, it's fun.

Brendo and a turn the size you rarely see from 14 year olds.

Have you ever beaten josh in any competitions?

B: Nah I cant say I have, we haven't really surfed against each other that many times.

Did you want to stay riding for the same company as your older brother so you could stay together for comps and things like that? Or it didn't bother you changing sponsors?(Josh and Brendo were both riding for O'neil before Brendo recently made the move to Billabong)

B: Um it kinda bothered me with not staying together and stuff but I didn’t really mind . It's cool having different sponsors.

J: Yeah I didn't really mind aye, I was sort of glad it happened in a way but yeah I didn't really care to be honest. I rather do my own thing, he is too annoying at home.

Jarred (Howse) has been coming to the comps with you, has he made a difference in your results?

J: Yes he has, Jarred is a massive help when it comes to comp strategies. He teaches you so much in and out of the water, it's cool to have him as a coach and a friend. He has definitely made a difference with my surfing and my personality too, it's great.

You're both from Copacabana, Matty Wilko country. Do you surf with him often? Who else inspires you to surf in your area?

B: Yes we surf with him a fair bit when he's home and it's pretty fun hanging out with him. Also Browny (Dan Brown rips, local guy from copacabana, he charges hard too), Ace and that Mooney guy inspires me as well because they all charge and shred.

J: Yeah we do sometimes when he is home, we usually surf and get shot by Woody (Jacob Wooden, apprentice of Jack McCoy) it's heaps fun makes you wanna surf better every time. Ace inspires me a lot, Micro, and that Andrew Mooney guy, hahahah.

Where do you surf, mostly at home?

J: I surf Copa point a fair bit and Avoca. Also surf spot X … Josh cracks up (spot X is what I refer to as the overcrowded Box Head).


Josh at 16 shows maturity and strength in his surfing. He has a great attitude towards surfing which I think will take him far. Sliding around a short few minute walk from his house, should say a short nagging phone call to mum for a lift up or down the hill.


There is a huge rivalry between the MOB (which is my boardriders) and Avoca Boardriders (which I have competed in and surfed for in the past).
If your dad lives at Macmasters Beach, how come you compete for Avoca Boardriders and not the MOB?

J: Haha well, I did do the MOB a while ago when I used to do nippers, then did both, then just did Avoca, not too sure why. I guess my trainer Mick Power, did boardriders at Avoca so I decided to stick with him, he knows what he is talking about as a coach and is also a nice guy. Yeah that would probably be why.

B: That’s a tough question! Haha, I competed in Avoca Boardriders before I started [competing in] the MOB so when they made that shit rule I went with who I started with, but the MOB guys are so chilled out and mellow, it's sick.

When I was your age if the tele was on it was pretty much because a surf movie was playing. Do you have any movies you watch religiously or is there any surfer you watch to learn from?

B: Yeah whenever the TV is on it's always a surf movie on. There is heaps of surf vids I love watching, like Modern Collective, Still Filthy and Craig Andos' section in One Month on the Moon, but also Moondog in that as well, haha.

J: Ummm well yeah it's really the same here, if Brendo and I aren't surfing, we are watching surf movies and eating and hanging out, waiting for the next session. We just watch everyone pretty much. Pretty much whatever movie is out we watch till we get over it.

I know your surfing in small waves is coming along at a great pace but I was wondering if you have any plans to get some big barrels at places like the zone and Crackneck? Are you keen to start surfing these spots?

B: For sure, I’m keen to start surfing those spots when I get a bit older! Them waves are so crazy and powerful.

J: Yeah I've been out there a couple of times just to know what its like, but yeah I'll definitely stop being a pussy and have a go soon, you'll have to take me out there again and call me on some bombs!!!

What did you think when you got out there and saw it up close?

J: Yeah it was a bit scary, like when you said its only like 3 foot when we were at the car park, we get down there and its like 6 foot.

If your mum was going to let you have any girl sleep over for the night, who would it be? Which of your mum's favourite dinners would you request for that night?

J: I'm not sure ayyy, it would probably have to be Miranda Kerr, because she is hot and it would be funny as. I'd want her to try one of mum's baked dinners.

B: The girl who I would want to sleep over would have to be Megan Fox! The dinner would be a baked dinner. PERFECT!

Josh, you used to have beautiful blonde hair, then you shaved it off, do you find it harder to get chicks now and have you found it tough to find a date for your formal?

J: Yeah it's growing back, i didn't really have a problem with chicks! Haha I've actually had a date lined up for the formal since year 8 or something.

Whats she look like?

J: Yeah she is good looking, she is actually going out with one of my best mates, sorry man!

Haha pretty tough for both of you. You won't be getting any that night and he'll just be wondering if you are!! Haha

So your out of the water at the moment and had a pretty tough trot lately with niggling injuries, tell us a bit about what's been going on?

J: Yeah I cut my head open in the gromfest and I couldn't surf for a week, then I hurt my ankle after state and I was out for 2 weeks, then after that I found out that I had to get my appendix cut out so thats why I'm out for a month. I just started getting sick all the time and didn't really feel right then I woke up one morning with crazy pains in my stomach and went to the hospital and had to get an operation pretty much straight away.

Brendo going crazy at Copacabana. You can see god's country in the background, MacMasters Beach.

Have you guys set any goals for your surfing, or are you just enjoying it and seeing where it takes you?

B: We both definitely want to make the tour and all that but at the moment just having fun and seeing where it takes us.


Anyway boys I'll see you in the water.