Stab Surfer Of The Year: Stephanie Gilmore, Albee Layer, Josh Kerr, Bruce Irons, Conner Coffin

Day three of Stab Surfer of the Year is here. Yesterday we heard from the likes of Creed Mctaggart, Laura Enever, Seth Moniz, Jimmy “Jimmicane” Wilson and J.O.B.

With two days down, the leader boards looks like this. The two world champs, Italo Ferreira and Carissa Moore take a cratering lead over the pack. Russell Bierke’s Flow State got a few extra votes and the Junior race has yet to spread its wings; Maui’s Eli Hanneman currently tops the leaderboard.

Stab Surfer of the Year Day Two results:
Male (Top 10)
1. Italo Ferreira (31 points)
2. Gabriel Medina (16 points)
3. John John Florence (10 points)
4. Russell Bierke (8 points)
=5. Mason Ho (7 points)
=5. Noa Deane (7 points)
6. Kolohe Andino (6 points)
=7. Griffin Colapinto (5 points)
=7. Jordy Smith (5 points)
=7. Ethan Ewing (5 points)

Women (Top 6)
1. Carissa Moore (20 points)
2. Stephanie Gilmore (12 points)
3. Caroline Marks (13 points)
4. Coco Ho (5 points)
=5. Lakey Peterson (3 points)
=5. Jaleesa Vincent (3 points)

Best Junior (top 4)
1. Eli Hanneman (3 points)
2. Crosby Colapinto (2 points)
=3. Dakoda Walters (1 point)
=3. Jackson Dorian (1 point)
=3. Joao Chianca (1 point)
=3. Jai Glindeman (1 point)

Best Edit
1. Flow State starring Russell Bierke (5 points)
2. Left Brain Right Brain starring Chippa Wilson (2 point)
3. The quieter you are the more you can hear starring Craig Anderson (1 point)

Today we hear from Albee, Steph, Conner, Josh, and BI. 

Albee Layer

Age: 29 

Bio: First to land the double-alleyoop and double backside air reverse, noted contrarian, surfed Jaws once.

Men 

1. Italo Ferreira (5 points): He’s just always so fun to watch. I haven’t gotten close to getting sick of watching Italo. I surfed with him in France. I don’t really get to surf with any of those guys, so when you see it in person, it’s a lot cooler. We were surfing a big, closeout-y shore break day, and he was still able to hit some sections and do some turns and other stuff where I was just like, Fuck, he’s just so fast and solid, it’s crazy.
2. Gabriel Medina (4 points): He’s just always so gnarly to watch in contests and everything. I’m just a big fan. He’s just like the ultimate competitor. Although I don’t want to hang out with him like I do Italo, but I love watching him in the heat, especially when he’s up against it. He goes pretty ham in his heats. The best surfing he’ll do, he’ll do for the crowd. He rises to the occasion, which I always really like.
3. Ian Crane (3 points): His whole edit [Beach Head] that he put out was pretty fucking insane. Usually, people can put out a pretty good three-minute piece, but for him to put out that whole movie he did was pretty wild. Then he won the Red Bull Airborne in France, that contest was frickin’ insane too. It didn’t seem like he had many bad days this year. He was really going hard and crushing it.
4. Matt Meola (2 points): He’s been fucking crushing it. You probably won’t see the footage for another couple of months though. And what he was doing it in France at the Airborne was crazy. Even though he wasn’t making those attempts, the sections he was hitting and how what he was going at them was pretty damn impressive. A lot of people try hitting big sessions, but the way he does it, he’s hitting them believing he’s going to land. No one else sees that as an opportunity like he does. He’s the most naturally gifted surfer, on the progressive side of surfing, that I’ve ever seen in my life.
5. Jack Robinson (1 point): That clip he put out from Gnarlaloo [12 Hour Barrel Bender] was so gnarly. And he’s on tour now too. I haven’t been that excited about someone being on tour since John John. 

Women 

1. Carissa Moore (3 points): Carissa has been the best. I think it’s super cool she’s working on a project. I think she’s one of the few girls that actually puts some effort into getting clips outside of the contest thing. 
2. Stephanie Gilmore (2 points): She’s always freaking awesome. She’s so fun to watch and I just saw her win the contest here [Honolua Bay]. It was pretty nice. She’s not like anyone. She’s in everyone’s top three favorites ever.
3. Caroline Marks (1 point): I’m a big Caroline Marks fan. She’s really, really good, but I think she’s going to get way, way better, too, which is what’s really exciting about her. She’s got that ability to do some airs that, in the future, I think that are going to be pretty crazy.

Best Junior

1. Quincy Symonds aka The Flying Squirrel (1 point): She’s my favorite junior surfer in the world. She wrote me and wanted some tips on airs and stuff. Her whole goal is to do airs and surf Jaws and big waves in the future. She just tries so hard, and I’ve been keeping up with all her clips. She’s one of the raddest youngsters I’ve seen in so long.

Best Edit 

Flow State starring Russell Bierke (1 point): I loved everything about Russell’s Flow State. It was shot so good and the waves he caught were just insane. That one wave he caught at Shipsterns I swear is one of the best rides of all time in surfing. I think we’re kind of numb to how gnarly Shipsterns. We see it so much, but that was something else.  

Josh Kerr

Age: 34

Bio: Ex-CT surfer. certified air guy, head of the Red Bull Airborne, coached his daughter Sierra into winning the Stab High Ladybirds, and one helluva charmer! 

Men

1. Matt Meola (5 points): He just blows my mind with what he does and for how hard he was going in France [At the Airborne]. What he’s been doing lately has been on another level. 
2. Filipe Toledo (4 points): He seems like he has another gear compared to the other guys, especially when you watch him in a heat. 
3. Ian Crane (3 points): It’s been a good year for Ian, just watching him do his thing through the Airborne stuff and the way he carries himself across and through it all is impressive. He’s broken free from the Kolohe’s friend role. The Airborne stuff and the stuff he did in Stab High, he was doing those nuts backhand front oops. That’s when he really got put on the radar to me then he carried through the year. That backside Stalefish rotation is a maneuver is as hard as it comes in a backside rotation. And his Beach Head edit was mental. 
4. Torren Martyn (2 points): I really like that clip he put out in Mexico where he’s riding those mid-lengths is those waves. He’s so fun to watch. I just started watching his clips a couple years ago, I draw inspiration from the way he’s surfing. I don’t even know him, I’m just a huge fan. The lines he draws between turns are different but they’re always fun to watch. 
5. Asher Pacey (1 point): He’s been one of my favorite surfers for the last 15 years from his whole progression from air wizard to twin fin wizard. It’s so fun to watch him navigate his style through these different boards he’s getting shaped now. There’s a lot of good surfing going to be coming from him in the next year. 

Women

1. Molly Picklum (3 points): She’s going for it. She’s an Aussie junior, she’s 16 and did that backside full-rote at Waco. Sierra’s psyched on her. She’s got a boy kind of aggression in her pumping and she charges. 
2. Malia Manuel (2 points): She’s an amazing surfer. We love hanging out with her. 
3. Stephanie Gilmore (1 point): She’s the best aura of a women’s surfer possible. She’s just so fun to watch. 

Best Junior

1. Levi Slawson (1 point): The local boy to where I’m living now. He’s one of the nicest kids you’ll meet and he’s holding down for the guys in San Diego.

Best Edit

Left Brain, Right Brain starring Chippa Wilson (1 point): That edit was psycho. When I watch Chippa I think that I want to try something new, then I get bummed knowing I’m never gonna get close to some of those clips. He’s just nuts. I don’t people understand some of his airs, the way he pokes his tail, looks at his tailpad for the style points then whips it around and lands straight into a body turn. Every one of Chippa’s makes is a sick photo. It’s not like a Toledo full-rote. He doesn’t sacrifice style to get the rotation quicker or anything like that. 

Bruce Irons

Age: 40 

Bio: Brother of Andy, had a small part in the Bruce Movie, perennial Stab Favourite. 

Men 

1. Italo Ferreira (5 points): He’s been killing it this year. He’s fucking sticking all those big airs with confidence. I think he’s number one for sure. 
2. Noa Deane (4 points): He’s always dope to watch. I love the stuff he does. 
3. Dane Reynolds (3 points): He’s right up there, always. Dane. 
4. Jack Robinson (2 points): He finally fucking made the tour, which he needed to a while ago. He’s so good. 
5. Barron Mamiya (1 point): He’s been going nuts this year; he’s coming into his own. I’ve seen him get some mental waves at Pipe. 

Women 

1. Carissa Moore (3 points): She just has good form and she does some proper gauges. She surfs really good. 
2. Caroline Marks (2 points): Fuck, all the girls surf really good! Caroline is like 17 and figuring out her surfing. She doesn’t fall, yeah? She just gets on a roll. All the girls are stepping up their surfing game with their styles and performance. 
3. Lakey Peterson (1 point): She figured herself out, she’s surfing so strong and powerful. I really like that. 

Best Junior

1. Eli Hanneman (1 point): That kid’s gnarly. We’ll see how he grows into his body. He’s like a little guy. He charges. 

Best Edit 

RU.BU 994 starring Noa Deane (1 point): I just like Noa’s whole approach towards life. He has no ego, I like that. He could do anything he wants, I bet he could get on the tour and kill it if he wanted.  

Conner Coffin

Age: 26

Bio: Santa Barbara rail guru, CT surfer, dad rock fanatic. 

1. Griffin Colapinto (5 points): Griffin’s classic. He’s really fired up on surfing and has an appreciation for style. He watches a ton of surfing, even though he’s a competitor he’s a great all-around surfer too. Every time he paddles out he’s fun to watch surf, and that means a lot to me. He’s so well-rounded and charges. He’s had a sick year. 
2. Seth Moniz (4 points): I was super impressed with how well he did on tour this year. I hadn’t surfed with Seth besides on the North Shore for a few years, but he got on tour and was so confident. He improved a lot this year and surfed really well at almost every stop on tour. 
3. Parker Coffin (3 points): Parker, to me, is one of the most ripping underground surfers. When Parker paddles out I love watching him surf. He charges super hard, is a good tube rider and the way he attacks the lip on his backhand is my favorite backhand in the world right now. 
4. Mason Ho (2 points): Every time he paddles out I love watching him. He’s got a unique style and has his own approach. He’s not trying to fit into any mold, and he’s packaged classic style into his own thing. He’s creative, quirky, fun, charges, rides big boards and little boards. He’s an all-around good surfer and an amazing human. 
5. John John Florence (1 point): He’s such an all-around good surfer, I’m blown away at how good he is. I love the way he attacks big powerful waves. His first half of the year alone puts him in here. 

Women 

1. Stephanie Gilmore (3 points): I can sit and watch her surf forever. I love her grace and style and the way she links turns and reads waves. She’s always putting her board in the right place. She embodies what good surfing is. 
2. Carissa Moore (2 points) She’s the World Champ. She’s an incredible surfer, a super nice person and I think she inspires a lot of younger girls. Watching her hack the shit out of Honolua and days at Haleiwa is insane. She does huge turns. It’s badass. 
3. Lakey Peterson (1 point) I’ve seen her come up as a young kid, she’s from the same town as us. I’ve seen how hard she works and her dedication to surfing. She’s gotten so much better and it’s sick how far she’s come. She was an underdog when she got on tour and she’s worked so hard to improve and surfs bigger waves like Steph and Carissa and has been right there in the world Title race for the past few years, which is super impressive. 

Best Junior

1. Crosby Colapinto (1 point): He’s been blowing up and surfing so well. He paddled out when I was out at Pipe and he’s been charging out here. He seems like he’s taking the world by storm right now, so that’s good see. 

Best Edit:

Home Cookin’ starring Bobby Martinez: I don’t get to see that much footage of Bobby but growing up he was by far one of my favorite surfers. Me and my brother have always looked up to him, and the waves are good and he’s surfing so well.  

Stephanie Gilmore 

Age: 31 

Bio: The Queen. 

1. Russell Bierke (5 points): After watching Russel’s edit [Flow State], he’s my number one surfer this year. That was insane. How confident he is in the most psycho surf is fascinating to me. He approaches the heaviest surf with such clear decision making. That blows my mind. 
2. Gabriel Medina (4 points): He’s just so good competitively. He’s a freak. I love watching him compete. He’s there for business. He’s there to take people out and that’s his sole purpose. It doesn’t even look that enjoyable to him, he just does it. Also, the way he won at J-Bay, it was awesome to see the lines he took at that stop as a goofyfooter. There hasn’t been a goofyfoot with as much power and flow on that wave since Occy.
3. Griffin Colapinto (3 points): He’s been surfing so well, even though he hasn’t been getting the results. You can tell he’s really studied Joel’s carves, and he does it so well. It’s weird that he hasn’t gotten the results because I feel like he’s been a standout all year. He’s just enjoying every little minute he can get in the water. 
4. Noa Deane (2 points): Noa should be in it every year. He’s the ultimate skater of the year/surfer of the year crossover. And his edit [RU.BU 994] was insane. He has a unique style and it’s becoming more his own. Some of those big carves he does I love. 
5. Jordy Smith (1 point) I enjoyed watching him compete this year and he had a couple of clutch moments where he would throw something crazy at the end. I really wanted him to win the Title this year, so that sucked when he lost. 

Women 

1. Laura Enever (3 points): I haven’t seen her video come out yet, but all the photos and screengrabs I’ve seen of her so far are so good. She’s just launching herself and whipping into some nutso waves. She’s just sending it, and I love it. 
2. Carissa Moore (2 points): She’s probably going to win this, so I’ll put her number two.
3. Caroline Marks (1 point): Caroline just had a great year. 

Best Junior 

1. Caity Simmers (1 point): She’s badass. 

Best Edit

The quieter you are the more you can hear starring Craig Anderson (1 point): It was the most enjoyable to watch. I love Craig’s style of surfing and the way it was shot. The colors of Craig’s boards popped so well with his shorts, and the music was really good. Everything that in that film was really enjoyable to me. 

Stab Surfer of the Year Day Three results:
Male (Top 10)
1. Italo Ferreira (41 points)
2. Gabriel Medina (24 points)
=3. Griffin Colapinto (13 points) 
=3. Russell Bierke (13 points)
=3 Noa Deane (13 points) 
4. John John Florence (13 points)
5. Mason Ho (10 points) 
6. Kolohe Andino (9 points) 
=7. Ian Crane (8 points) 
=7. Chippa Wilson (8 points) 

Women (Top 6)
1. Carissa Moore (30 points)
2. Stephanie Gilmore (19 points)
3. Caroline Marks (15 points)
=4. Coco Ho (5 points)
=4. Lakey Peterson (5 points) 

Best Junior (top 3)
=1. Eli Hanneman (3 points)
=1. Crosby Colapinto (3 points)
2. Jackson Dorian (2 points)

Best Edit
1. Flow State starring Russell Bierke (6 points)
2. Left Brain Right Brain starring Chippa Wilson (3 points)
3. The quieter you are the more you can hear starring Craig Anderson (2 points)

Stay Tuned, tomorrow we will hear from: 

Craig Anderson

Chris Cote

Barron Mamiya

Griffin Colapinto

Caroline Marks