Congrats on the new clip! Can you give us a brief introduction into who Cohen Thomas is?
I’m 25 years old and grew up in Tasmania, Australia. I could not tell you how many years I’ve been Bodyboarding, maybe over 10? Hahah. I studied nursing in Tassie and after I graduated, I decided to move to Western Australia to experience different waves and what another state had to offer. I only planned be there for a few months, Ive been here there years now. I’m currently working on a mine site in Emergency Services – My roster is great and it allows me to have allot of time to chase waves.
Looks like you scored some epic sessions. How long did all the footage take to compile?
The footage is roughly filmed over a two-year period, I could have released it almost a year ago but it took time editing it and getting the clips all together.
It looks like you covered the length of the W.A. coastline chasing waves. Any funny or hectic stories from wave chasing?
WA is such a big area – it blows me away how many different waves are all over the state. I haven’t had too many hectic stories while chasing waves apart from this one time we had borrowed my girlfriends, friends car and took it on the beach, with a rising tide and a jacking swell we got severely bogged and spent a couple hours getting It out. That was a close call. Haha but if W.A also doubled as “When Abroad” there has certainly bin some funny stories that were not meant to leave the tropical island. Lets just say it as soon as the plane touched down home it was the first thing that came to mind when people asked about the trip. The story involved a couple of large men, too many beers, a robbery and a mate in the pool having the time of his life.
Does any one session stand out above the others during the filming of the clip?
Two sessions definitely stand out. The Box session was pumping, the tide was so high you could pretty much catch any wave and have the security that it was going to be really good. Sometimes box gurgles dry on the end bowl and the rocks out there are not forgiving.
The Shipsterns session was memorable. It was the final day of my trip home, and my first wave was a good one (the last one in the clip). The sun had not even come up yet and making it to the channel was a really good feeling after not surfing there for a while.
How did you come to pick up support from Pride boards?
In 2019 when I got picked up by Good Earth Surf, Daz (Owner) linked it up through “Pride Bodyboards Australia”. Now days I just email Pride directly, there really good company to ride for and I like the direction they are taking with their sustainable wetsuits. Sponsorship these days for me isn’t so much about free gear, but more so about being included in something.
What about goals for the future?
The slabs down south are my focus at the moment in WA, some of those waves take a fair bit of logistics in surfing them which often means they don’t always happen overnight. Hopefully, this winter provides some big swells with light winds.
I would also love to do some overseas travel again now that COVID restrictions don’t seem so limiting. I’m not sure where yet though.
Any other information or comments you’d like to include feel free here.
Thanks to everyone who filmed and helped me out with the clip. And a big thanks to Pride, Nobody, Nymph Wetsuits and Good Earth Surf for the ongoing support.
Watch my new clip “Coco Out West” COCO GONE WEST // COHEN THOMAS BODYBOARDING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA – YouTube
