Youth Tripping In The Old World

What happens when you take four of the world’s best teenage surfers, send them to Europe for the first time, present them with a blank check for $10k and tell them that the best surfer of the week’s name will end up scribbled on it?  

A cliche—and fairly stupid—question. What happens is exactly what you’d expect to happen. They surf all day. They find relative amounts of trouble between sessions. They go hard and they have a good time. Certainly not rocket science, but a reliable formula for entertainment nonetheless. 

Quiksilver’s Young Guns Surf final wrapped up in Portugal last week. It was hosted by Kanoa Igarashi. Judged by Troy Brooks, Tiago Pires and Stab’s own Morgan “Pritamo Ahrendt” Williamson. Won by Levi Slawson. And enjoyed by all parties involved. 

With the full film dropping on Wednesday, we decided it’d be a good time to revisit some photos from the affair. Keep an eye on our site to see it all in motion.

Old friends, new friends. Same thing.

Adventure? Hmm, yeah, pretty sure that’s adventure.

Leo Casal was like a bulldog mixed with a labrador retriever mixed with Ian Gouveia mixed with Gabriel Medina. That might make more sense when the film drops.

Levi Slawson was 4 years old when Trilogy dropped. Still, he regularly referenced Parko’s section in the film. This use of rail is what you’d come to expect from a 16-year-old with a cerebral hard drive loaded with mid-2000s surf films.

Kanoa Igarashi can say hello in many different languages. This layback is just one of them.

It’s Super, thanks for asking. Luke Swanson navigating an authentic Tubo.

And now, an alley-oop with gusto. Oscar Berry at Coxos.

No rotation needed. Levi Slawson.

Sketchy rock jump = core score up

No tents. No athlete zones. No jerseys. Hardly any rules. Dare you to call it rootsy.

Photographic proof that style counts. Leo Casal, laying back.

Lenni Slawso — your 2019 Young Guns Surf champion. Kanoa might want to work on his handwriting.