Watch: A Full Day Of Stab High China X Monster Energy Warm-Ups
Or, proof that the ramp is as big as we’ve been claiming.
Thank you to Monster Energy, Vans, Quiksilver, YETI, Sun Bum, and Ritual Vision for making this event possible.
How many years in a row can we say our upcoming Stab High air section is the ‘best one yet’ before somebody calls bullshit?
We’ve certainly been testing the bounds of this questions over the past few editions.
But, such is the nature of the wavepool arms race.
Every year, the technology gets a bit more sophisticated, the pools a few feet bigger, and the machinery a touch more powerful.
Yesterday’s engineering marvel rapidly becomes tomorrows outdated infrastructure. And, conveniently for us, the ceiling for what constitutes the best ever continues to elevate.
Which brings us to China.
We’ve been throwing a thesaurus of superlatives the Riyue Bay Surf Resort’s recently unveiled ramp; and the time has come to parse through the pudding for proof.
“Every pool has its own intricacies and subtle differences,” said Willy McFarland of American Wave Machines. “São Paulo and China have our new, more powerful system. Riyue Bay, in particular, has a very powerful setup. I think it’s fair to say we’re getting a little more punch out of it. So yeah, it’s definitely the biggest section we’ve made.”
Today, our entire field of Stab High China invitees were each given an hour to warm-up in the pool ahead of tomorrow’s competition.
“The ramp is pretty much a 10 out of 10,” said Timo Simmers, after channeling Bruce Irons on some two-story straight airs.
After the engineers drained some excess water out of the pool early this morning, the entire field gathered on the pool deck to cheer, gasp, and shout as they watched each other confront the extra large section.
Major standouts included defending champ Hughie Vaughan, Loci Cullen, Zeke Lau, Kepa Mendia, Curren Caples, Eithan Osborne, Zoee Bradshaw, Patti Zhou, and more. Click above to watch the whole extravaganza, and click here for everything you need to know about the event.
Webcast Times
Both days will be streamed worldwide on stabmag.com and the Stab Premium App. Set your alarms, adjust your sleeping patterns and double check the local start times below.
Dates: Friday, November 13 & Saturday, November 14 — Hainan Island
Friday
Local: 7:30 AM – 4:00PM
Honolulu: 1:30 PM – 10:00PM (Thursday, November 12th)
Los Angeles: 3:30 PM – 12:00AM (Thursday, November 12th)
New York: 6:30 PM – 3:00AM ((Thursday, November 12th)
Paris: 12:30 AM – 9:00AM
Sydney: 10:30 AM – 7:00PM
Saturday
Local: 7:30 AM – 2:00PM
Honolulu: 1:30PM – 8:00PM (Friday, November 13th)
Los Angeles: 3:30 PM – 11:00PM (Friday, November 13th)
New York: 6:30 PM – 1:00 AM (Friday, November 13th)
Paris: 12:30 AM – 7:00AM
Sydney: 10:30AM – 5:00PM
