This great short video provides an insight into Kai Otton's life after leaving the World Tour, settling back into the country lifestyle and slowing things down on the far-southern NSW coast.
Lived in the area for a too little while. It's a magic little stretch of coast, fickle, cold, but insanely beautiful and bountiful on it's days. Kai was one of those surfers whose heat's i'd always watch. His style matched his homelands.
Island BayTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 7:53am
Win win win!
BDTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 9:30am
Great little slice, classic guy "I won one from 110"
Island BayTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 9:47am
That's still one more than Kolohe Andino.
Not to be sniffed at.
BDTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 9:53am
haha I'm a fan i liked how self deprecating he was, i watched him and Dayan charge Deadmans when groms, always blew me away how comfortable he was at that spot
wax-on-danielsonWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 11:06am
Yeah way better than most which is 0 from 0.
Queef JerkyTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 10:08am
His dad probably remembers it before the National Fence and Gate Authority
tangoTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 10:22am
Nice to see The Grommet in his natural habitat, and that they didn't expose anywhere.
I'd like to hear Slim's opinions on the NFGA, too.
Lachlan IslesTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 12:21pm
Awesome. 2 hours away and your getting fresh tracks at the snowy mountains or marlin in the summer time .
BlowinTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 3:42pm
He’s landed on his feet. Good on him. Keep it simple and keep yourself grounded. That life isn’t for everyone- just the lucky ones.
I was of the belief that he was a tube pig specialist till I shared a fun beachie session with just him and another pro. Sure he wasn’t Toledo in those waves but he really surprised me how much he lit the session up. Proper ripping.
sorrentodenTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 4:24pm
I think Kai was just a baby in nappies when I stayed at his dad's home with my ex wife ---would have been 1985/6 I think. Dr George mtn --I got to ride a quarter horse there..amazing forests. Funny time. I played in the Tathra pub cricket match the first day we arrived there. I think I played for Top bar vs bottom bar. I fluked a hat-rick of wickets and hit the winning runs!..so I was immediately asked to stay and live there, get a job and marry the kings daughter...ahhh no...anyway...their home was great. We stayed upstairs and it was summer...hot up there...especially as the oven below had the chimney/flu going through that room! I remember going on weekends to help make mud bricks with a local owner builder on a nearby property. Great community feel there. Surfed a few beachies out in front of their place - awesome to come out of beautiful forest straight onto the beach. The memories from Kai's family and his home are etched in my mind. Special people.
bluediamondTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 6:30pm
Awesome story!
Island BayTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 6:17pm
Will never forget this photo:
goofyfootWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 7:17am
shoulda gone, pussy….
:-0
CraigWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 7:19am
An incredible moment that! The same even Dion Atkinson just charged and made some crazy ones as well!
zenagainWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 8:35am
Remember Kai at macking Cloudbreak charging and getting scorpioned on a real meaty one. Can't remember if it ended his heat but I remember it as a total guts effort.
blackersTuesday, 21 Sep 2021 at 6:24pm
It’s a doozy IB, can totally understand the “think I’ll pass on this one” look on his face.
Island BayWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 6:12am
"Yeah, naaah..."
thermalbenWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 7:26am
Love stretches of coast like that - there's certainly a deficit of A-grade surf spots, but a lovely conglomerate of unusual locations that fire on their own day.
Great video too, nice laidback vibe. Good to see Kai's found an ideal work/lifestyle balance exiting pro-surfing, that must be pretty hard to do after years of living the dream.
rogerdodgerWednesday, 22 Sep 2021 at 11:13pm
Talk about one very likeable and very chilled fella. You can get the man out of Tathra but you'll never get Tathra out the man. God's country.
Not sure if I agree with your last comment re the pro circus Ben. It seems to me he is living the dream right now, and has plenty more great years ahead. He's worked this thing called 'life' out I reckon. Good on him.
Stef_OllyFriday, 24 Sep 2021 at 1:25pm
Legend Otts! Great to see he's doing well post tour
groundswellFriday, 24 Sep 2021 at 8:01pm
Last time i was in Tathra was on a mission to MP and phillip island in vico and on the way back scored better waves in three days than a month of living in a panel van in vicco. excellent beachies was learning to standup as i was getting bored of the lid in waves other than slabs and got some memorable barrels on a beach near bunga head. lots of empty perfect beachbreaks and couldnt quite find bunga head walking from south of it as the cliffs are trouble but the beachies were A grade. no corwds too but this is like 98 or 99 after my mate inherited 250 000 dollers and shouted me a trip to vicco instead of going solo to the phillipines.
groundswellFriday, 24 Sep 2021 at 8:07pm
And it looked like that monster slab Otts is paddling over was a cleanup set he just made it over as you can see the paddle strokes. no chance in taking off on that one. he needed momentum under the lip from outside.
bellySaturday, 25 Sep 2021 at 6:51am
Clean this up please Ben. Same as recent Vic notes. Cheers
JamyardySunday, 26 Sep 2021 at 3:06pm
Had a few fun sessions at Tathra beach.
NYE at Tathra pub, now that is an event you cant miss.
Comments
Living the dream.
What a legend!
That's the life!
What more could any man want in life?
Well done.
Great refreshing vid! Beautiful spot tathra
Yeah Tathras great, good vid.
Lived in the area for a too little while. It's a magic little stretch of coast, fickle, cold, but insanely beautiful and bountiful on it's days. Kai was one of those surfers whose heat's i'd always watch. His style matched his homelands.
Win win win!
Great little slice, classic guy "I won one from 110"
That's still one more than Kolohe Andino.
Not to be sniffed at.
haha I'm a fan i liked how self deprecating he was, i watched him and Dayan charge Deadmans when groms, always blew me away how comfortable he was at that spot
Yeah way better than most which is 0 from 0.
His dad probably remembers it before the National Fence and Gate Authority
Nice to see The Grommet in his natural habitat, and that they didn't expose anywhere.
I'd like to hear Slim's opinions on the NFGA, too.
Awesome. 2 hours away and your getting fresh tracks at the snowy mountains or marlin in the summer time .
He’s landed on his feet. Good on him. Keep it simple and keep yourself grounded. That life isn’t for everyone- just the lucky ones.
I was of the belief that he was a tube pig specialist till I shared a fun beachie session with just him and another pro. Sure he wasn’t Toledo in those waves but he really surprised me how much he lit the session up. Proper ripping.
I think Kai was just a baby in nappies when I stayed at his dad's home with my ex wife ---would have been 1985/6 I think. Dr George mtn --I got to ride a quarter horse there..amazing forests. Funny time. I played in the Tathra pub cricket match the first day we arrived there. I think I played for Top bar vs bottom bar. I fluked a hat-rick of wickets and hit the winning runs!..so I was immediately asked to stay and live there, get a job and marry the kings daughter...ahhh no...anyway...their home was great. We stayed upstairs and it was summer...hot up there...especially as the oven below had the chimney/flu going through that room! I remember going on weekends to help make mud bricks with a local owner builder on a nearby property. Great community feel there. Surfed a few beachies out in front of their place - awesome to come out of beautiful forest straight onto the beach. The memories from Kai's family and his home are etched in my mind. Special people.
Awesome story!
Will never forget this photo:
shoulda gone, pussy….
:-0
An incredible moment that! The same even Dion Atkinson just charged and made some crazy ones as well!
Remember Kai at macking Cloudbreak charging and getting scorpioned on a real meaty one. Can't remember if it ended his heat but I remember it as a total guts effort.
It’s a doozy IB, can totally understand the “think I’ll pass on this one” look on his face.
"Yeah, naaah..."
Love stretches of coast like that - there's certainly a deficit of A-grade surf spots, but a lovely conglomerate of unusual locations that fire on their own day.
Great video too, nice laidback vibe. Good to see Kai's found an ideal work/lifestyle balance exiting pro-surfing, that must be pretty hard to do after years of living the dream.
Talk about one very likeable and very chilled fella. You can get the man out of Tathra but you'll never get Tathra out the man. God's country.
Not sure if I agree with your last comment re the pro circus Ben. It seems to me he is living the dream right now, and has plenty more great years ahead. He's worked this thing called 'life' out I reckon. Good on him.
Legend Otts! Great to see he's doing well post tour
Last time i was in Tathra was on a mission to MP and phillip island in vico and on the way back scored better waves in three days than a month of living in a panel van in vicco. excellent beachies was learning to standup as i was getting bored of the lid in waves other than slabs and got some memorable barrels on a beach near bunga head. lots of empty perfect beachbreaks and couldnt quite find bunga head walking from south of it as the cliffs are trouble but the beachies were A grade. no corwds too but this is like 98 or 99 after my mate inherited 250 000 dollers and shouted me a trip to vicco instead of going solo to the phillipines.
And it looked like that monster slab Otts is paddling over was a cleanup set he just made it over as you can see the paddle strokes. no chance in taking off on that one. he needed momentum under the lip from outside.
Clean this up please Ben. Same as recent Vic notes. Cheers
Had a few fun sessions at Tathra beach.
NYE at Tathra pub, now that is an event you cant miss.