Aussie surf star dies in Pattaya motorcycle crash

A well-known Australian surfboard designer has died after crashing his motorcycle in Chon Buri.

Kym Thompson smashed into an electricity pole while avoiding a truck turning at a junction on November 1. CCTV shows how Thompson was flung from his bike and skidded along the road.

Rescuers said the entrepreneur died at the scene having broken his neck, arms and legs in the accident. His bike was found near the site with its bodywork severely damaged.

Katawut Tangkaew, an eyewitness, said…

“He was dodging the trailer at the intersection. The motorcycle was travelling very fast.”

Thompson, from Torquay, Victoria, set up the surf brand Water Cooled in the 1970s before moving to Thailand, where he worked with the local brand Cobra.

The company said in a statement…

“Kym was one of the Cobra Core Team members. He came to Cobra with his Water Cooled brand from Australia back in the ‘80s with the dream of shaping amazing boards and developing a mass-production solution for the surfboard industry.

“Kym achieved these goals and so many more along the way, a true industry legend that will be missed by many. Our condolences to the entire Thompson Clan.”

From the age of 15, Thompson made designing surfboards his life’s work, designing and shaping everything from single-fin boards to multi-fin configurations. Thompson began shaping longboards and as the shortboard era took hold, he transitioned his designs to meet the demands of the market.

A funeral service will be held for Thompson at Samnak Bok temple in Chonburi before his cremation on November 6.