The Brah Grill with the Tripod - Ricky Basnett, Warwick ‘Wok’ Wright and Dan Redman

THE ZAG BRAH GRILL - WHERE WE INTERROGATE THE FAMOUS, THE UNKNOWN, AND THE INFAMOUS.

Ricky Basnett, Dan Redman and Warwick ‘Wok’ Wright need no introduction to SA surfing. The KZN trio has been close buds since they were groms, smashing big wins on the QS while pushing each other in the water, and just living the dream. But Tripod, as they’re collectively known, has now taken on a life of its own with the trio banding together to launch their website, appropriately named theTripod.tv. And the surfing world should be afraid, very afraid.

Expect plenty of punches below the belt, burnings, tomfoolery and all-round good times as the crew brings you their take on anything and everything…along with some mandatory red-hot surfing of course. Not ones to let an opportunity to get in a few low blows ourselves, we lined up the Tripod to find out more and naturally, we grilled ‘em.

Interview by Brandon Bradley

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ZZ: So you guys have just launched an online reality show-slash-blog called TheTripod.tv - where did the idea come from?

RICKY: Well, I definitely claim the name…

WOK: Naah, I’m convinced that I came up with the name…

DAN: I remember where it all started. We were on tour and in an airport in the States. We had all done pretty well with ‘QS titles under our belts and I came up with an idea that the three of us should do a trip together, for Boardriders TV. It all grew from there. But otherwise, one of these two muppets came up with the name.



ZZ: The name is obviously important to you guys. It also sounds cute and sentimental – like three bros supporting each other, or something like that. What does it mean exactly?

RICKY: Ja, it is exactly that. It means the three of us holding up the world…
 

DAN: Nah, wasn’t it from some chick flick we watched?

WOK: It’s from that movie The Girl Next Door that had the three chicks in it – they were called the Tripod…

DAN: Well we actually came up with the name to rip off all the other surfers who have formed little groups; like the P3 (Simon Nicholson, Davey Weare and Craig Parsons) and Them Three (Chris Leppan, Beyrick de Vries and Kyle Lane).

WOK: The P3 are all pretty much the naff, clean-cut, down-the-line version of the Tripod (laughs). We are darker and more edgy…

RICKY: …and we surf better too.

DAN: Well, that is how it started off, as a little joke, but it has stuck and become a little more serious now.

Wok plays silly buggers in the Canary Islands... 

ZZ: Serious? Never. But what is the deal with Durban surfers forming a group consisting of three people and naming it accordingly, like P3, Them Three - and now Tripod?

DAN: I figure it’s because when there are three of you, then two of you can always pick on the one guy in the team...

RICKY: …and that is why we always pick on Daniel. Because he is fat! It makes us feel better about ourselves.

DAN: Ja, it’s true, I always get vloeked by these guys. I just hang in until it dies out – whatever!

WOK: And that is why Dan is our foundation. He holds us together.

RICKY: …A solid foundation.

ZZ: Okay, on to the project itself: what can people expect from theTripod.tv?

RICKY: Well, for starters, plenty of laughs.

DAN: Ja, if you have a sense of humor then you going to like what we do.

WOK: There is going to be some serious burning of other people on there. We have some good stuff coming. So in one word - entertainment!

Dan knocks out a Mozam punt... (Image: © Patterson)

ZZ: How’s it going to work?

DAN: The idea is to update it at least three times a week each. So it will be ticking over a lot. Updates can be anything from linking to something we find funny or interesting on the internet and offering our thoughts on something, to uploading roughly edited video clips we shoot ourselves. And then of course the properly edited video episodes of the surf trips that we go on.

RICKY: There is going to be a lot of lifestyle and behind-the-scenes stuff on there too, so it’s always going to be changing. We also have a lot of video that we have ready to go up with the launch and we’re going to keep rolling from there.

ZZ: Has anyone told you that the media business it cutthroat, thankless and expensive? Are you really amped to get into it?

RICKY: It is expensive - these guys already owe me money.

WOK: I just think it is something different for us. We have done the tour life for years and now we can sit on the other side of it and commentate about it, slate owes, you know. And we don’t care about the abuse that we will receive because we are going to have the power (laughs).

DAN: Ja, I think we are going to get slated more often than we do any slating.

WOK: We are definitely going to be sarcastic and take the piss a lot. You might get a few people who hate it. But a lot of people will love it – anyone with a sense of humor.

ZZ: Do you guys have a mission for Thetripod.tv, or is it all just one big experiment?

RICKY: Well we are going to try and make it into a reality TV show, if we can.

WOK: I reckon we will get it on TV for sure. But right now it is a complete experiment. And that is what is so cool about it. We are figuring out stuff on the way. We are learning as we go.

DAN: Yes, as long as we are filming our trips and get stuff out there. We will be happy with that.

WOK: Thanks for that comment Dan.

Ricky Bobby, slashing...

ZZ: We all know that Ricky Bobby and Wok have a reputation of being a little, uh, twisted. Dan you seem to be the good apple of the bunch. Or are you just better at hiding it?

RICKY: Ha ha – that is the biggest load of bullshit! If you take Wok and me together, Dan is the product of that. He goes hard.

WOK: I remember when Dan never touched alcohol. Then on his second year on tour it all changed. Since that first drop touched his lips, he turned to the dark side.

DAN: Come on… let’s not exaggerate here.

WOK: But Dan has a new chick now, so he is on the wind down.
ZZ: Okay, to end, if you had a single word to sum up the next guy, what would it be?

RICKY: Dan: Massive / Wok: Useless

DAN: Ricky: Siff / Wok: Fried

WOK: Dan: Chunky / Ricky: Dirty

ZZ: Nice. So there you have it: check out theTripod.tv for some massive, fried, dirty, useless, chunky action and laughs. Shot guys and good luck.