Jack Robbo Cops Brutal Burn From French Customs Officer At Brisbane Airport  - Stab Mag
457 Views

Jack Robbo Cops Brutal Burn From French Customs Officer At Brisbane Airport 

“Better luck next time son. Go back to your ocean.”

elsewhere // Aug 14, 2024
Words by Ethan Davis
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Salt in the wound.

Fresh off the plane from the Olympic surfing event in Tahiti, where he clinched a silver medal against Kauli Vaast, Jack Robinson found himself on the receiving end of a sharp-tongued jab from a French customs officer at Brisbane Airport.

“What are the odds of being welcomed like this?” shared Robbo on TikTok, recalling the encounter to his 67.5k followers.

@jackrobinsonsurf What are the odds of being welcomed like this 😭🥈 #TeamAustralia #olympics ♬ original sound – Jack Robinson

“Yeah, ze French guy in the Australian customs,” Robinson parrots, doing his best to mimic the accent. “So on my way back from Tahiti, I arrive from ze flight, and I get ze dec-er-al-ation. I come to ze customs, and the guy looks at me and says, ‘Ey, better luck next time, son, go back to your ocean.'”

The 26-year-old from Western Australia, who’s currently sitting pretty at #3 on the World Tour and is known for his prowess in heavy waves, seemed to take the roast in stride, finding the jibe more amusing than offensive.

Play on. Robbo’s a good sport. Photo by Dom Mosquiera

Naturally, the online community rallied behind Robinson, with fans praising his “amazing efforts” and telling him how proud they were of his performance. Some even shared in his frustration over the lull-ridden final, where it’s been said there were so few waves that “they shouldn’t have handed out medals at all.”

But not everyone was on Team Jack. Among the sea of supportive comments, a few cheeky buggers couldn’t help but back the French customs officer’s joke, with remarks like “haha that’s a classic” and “he didn’t mean it badly” rolling in.

It seems Jack, ever the good sport, took the ribbing as well as he rides a barrel, with a grin and a shrug. After all, if you can’t laugh at a little Franco-Aussie banter, what can you do?

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

What Happens When The Best Surfer On Earth Leaves The Tour?

The second order effect of John John's departure.

Feb 4, 2026

Velvet Pipeline And Nine Point Faceplants

A CT qualification update from the North Shore.

Feb 3, 2026

“It’s Louder Than An Atomic Bomb. If You Were Anywhere Near It, Your Head Would Explode.”

The Southern Ocean is now open for international pillaging.

Feb 2, 2026

“They Don’t Call It The Challenger Series For Nothing”

Local excellence and universal beatdowns on Day Two of the Pipe Challenger.

Feb 1, 2026

How Billy Kemper Convinced The WSL (And The Mayor) To Have Locals In The Pipe Challenger

And more musings from the ground here on the North Shore.

Jan 31, 2026

Exclusive Interview: Why John Florence Put The CT On Indefinite Pause

"The tour has a cap. I want to find a space where everything grows bigger."

Jan 29, 2026

Is Firing Pipeline Too Much To Ask For?

The inaugural Pipeline Challenger event starts in 24 hours. And we're en route.

Jan 28, 2026

Watch: Episode 02 of Stab In The Dark X Starring Kelly Slater

Are we all ordering five fin setups now?

Jan 28, 2026

Breaking: John John Florence Will NOT Be Surfing On The 2026 Championship Tour

Is this it?

Jan 27, 2026

Why William Aliotti Picked Up The Bong

Europe's premier freesurfer on leaving Volcom after 15 years and joining Billabong.

Jan 26, 2026

Here’s Why We Included A Wildcard In Stab In The Dark X 

The Mann among men.

Jan 23, 2026

Watch: Only The Best Waves From EAST With Mikey February

11 minutes of star-studded velvet.

Jan 23, 2026

Rumor: Is The CT Quitting J Bay In 2026?

And where it might be heading instead...

Jan 23, 2026

Parker Coffin + Dane Reynolds Saddle Up In Ch11’s ‘This Is Where I Am.’

Long-form storytelling refuses to die.

Jan 21, 2026

Watch: Episode 01 of Stab In The Dark X Starring Kelly Slater

Who will the greatest surfer of all time crown the shaper of the decade?

Jan 21, 2026

On Junior Surfers, Baby Turtles, And Surfing’s Hope Imperative

Dane Henry and Isla Huppatz won World Junior Titles. What does it mean?

Jan 21, 2026

Night Will Never Fall On The Rising Sun

Peep Billabong's new Andy Irons Collection, help kids in need.

Jan 20, 2026

SEOTY: Brody Mulik Stars In ‘fourteen.’

Homeschooled at The Box and Tombies, the fifteen-year-old might be Western Australia's best student.

Jan 19, 2026
Advertisement