ME AND MOMOA
MATE’S SPECIAL AQUAMAN BOND
GOLD Coast surfboard maker Tim Beban did not know of Aquaman star Jason Momoa a few months ago.
Today, he is in almost daily contact as his business partner.
Mr Beban has become a global hit since a chance meeting with Momoa – whom he now calls J – through his The Surfboard Warehouse in Miami.
He has shared family trips with the Game of Thrones star, designed a surfboard, and drank Guinness out of the front of his luxury Gold Coast pad, and barbecued with billionaire Elon Musk and Amber Heard.
THE MEETING
“Our paths crossed when J walked into our store with his son Wolfy and daughter Lola looking for a board,” Mr Beban.
“Apparently, they saw what they wanted as they drove past. The staff mentioned that he was freaking out over the boards. He was so impressed that he left his number for the owner (me) to get in touch with him.
“I had seen Game of Thrones but still wouldn’t have recognised him, and I didn’t know his real name, so I guess I had a very casual approach to meeting him.
“He asked me to drop it to his beach house on Hedges Ave in Mermaid.”
THE BONDING
The men realised they shared many passions, namely family and surfing.
“We got talking while we drank Guinness on the beach,” Mr Beban said.
“He complained to me that even in the midst of social media posts pleading with the media to leave him and his family alone, that they would not let up. I told him of a secret surf spot up north that was only accessible by four-wheel drive and I watched his ears prick up.”
THE BARBECUE
Mr Beban said it was interesting explaining to his Game of Thrones-obsessed wife that they had been invited to Khal Drogo’s house for a barbecue.
“I can still picture her face when he walked out and introduced himself and welcomed us to his home,” he said, laughing.
“Our kids and his kids instantly hit it off and were destroying the house together straight away.” Mr Beban would meet some interesting people at that gathering.
“I don’t follow the social column and have no idea who’s who in the Hollywood scene so the night got pretty interesting when one of the guests asked me what I did and I told him that we have the largest retail surfboard and SUP business in Australia and he seemed genuinely impressed,” Mr Beban said.
“I asked him what he did and he modestly said he had some investments in energy and liked to invent things.
“Not long after, I got called away to change my son’s nappy and on the way through the kitchen I asked another guest if she knew where the thin bins were.
“She told me to follow her and kindly opened the bin and noted how cute my kids were. J called me over and asked me if I had any idea who I was talking to. I said ‘No mate’.
“He said ‘that’s Amber Heard in the kitchen and that is Elon Musk who owns Tesla’.”
THE CUSTOM CHARITY BOARD
Mr Beban took Momoa and his family to his secret surf spot where they continued to discuss designing a custom board.
By the day’s end, they’d agreed on a deal to donate $100 from each board sale, split 50/50 between both men’s selected charities.
The board is made of carbon and lightweight expanded polystyrene foam.
“He was the hardest and most annoying customer I have ever had,” Mr Beban said of the design process. “Every detail needed to be perfect from looks to construction and weight.”
THE CELEB IMPACT
After Momoa posted an image to his 3.3 million-plus online followers, Mr Beban says “all hell broke loose”.
“It was on a Monday and randomly I started to get calls, texts and emails from our six retail stores asking what was going on.
“Our online team were inundated with phone calls and our voice mail system crashed due to the amount of traffic.”