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The Story Behind The Art You’ve Seen Your Entire Surfing Life

A 7-minute biopic on Andy Davis, narrated by Cliff Kapono.

Words by Christian Bowcutt
Video: Sun Bum

In some beige-painted, run-of-the-mill San Diego classroom in the 1980s, a young Andy Davis sat bored at his desk as the teacher “sounded like all the adults do on Charlie Brown,” Andy explained. “You know… ‘wa wa blah blah’.”

This was before the ubiquity of ADHD diagnoses, and Andy, sensing he was a little different than his classmates, sought a career in professional surfing until — as they do for so many of us — those dreams dried up.

Andy switched to art. His work has since been featured in street murals all over San Diego, exhibitions around the world, and what the entire surfing world has likely seen the most of — collaborations with brands like Billabong, Vans, Captain Fin Co., Penny Skateboards, Igloo Coolers, Birkenstocks, YETI, Nixon, Uluwatu Surf Villas, Patagonia Cardiff, and Sun Bum.

From Andy’s current collaboration with Sun Bum.

“I’m really lucky to have a lot of freedom unless I have a deadline,” Andy told Stab. “But I try to be physically in my studio every day, music on, working on a piece. I actually work on the Sub Bum campus in Encinitas and have my own space there and everything. Sub Bum has been so good to me and while I’m not an employee or anything, I work with the creative team quite often and this collaboration came naturally out of that.”

Andy also offered up-and-coming artists in Stab’s audience some words of wisdom, “More than anything it’s the Three P’s: Practice, patience, and passion. And it just takes a long, long time,” Andy explained. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. In this day and age, you’re probably gonna have to do different things to pay the bills as you work on your craft. But if you’re really obsessed with it and extremely dedicated and use your relationships and social media you’re just gonna do it. But I’ve been working on my art 30 years now and it just takes time, you just keep whittling away at it.”

Andy at work on the mural outside of the Sub Bum warehouse in Encinitas.

Without a boss, Andy also ran us through the less sexy aspects of being an artist. “A lot of it too these days is normal work stuff — checking emails, looking at taxes, doing social media — even though I actually don’t have a computer, just my phone [laughs],” Andy said. “I know social media can be detrimental and for a long time I didn’t try to use it for exposure for my art but more as a scrapbook, but now I’m more into it. I think it’s a great way to share work and keep up with what my friends and artists are doing. I don’t really have anyone in charge of me, so I kinda have to hustle.”

For more Andy, enjoy the film above, the pics below, and this closing remark: “I try to slow myself down and let go of too much thought. Controlled chaos – that’s the fun element to me. I’ve been doing it for so long now that I’m not fearful of something that might not work—you can just keep going”:

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The Story Behind The Art You’ve Seen Your Entire Surfing Life

A 7-minute biopic on Andy Davis, narrated by Cliff Kapono.

Dec 11, 2024

William Aliotti and 27 of His Friends Will Make You Want to Jump on a Twinnie

Inside the inaugural Twin Fin Invitational.

Words by Pedro Ramos

Just recently, I arrived at the beach to find a group of unprofessional surfers putting together a makeshift contest, and by “contest,” I mean a banner and a couple of coolers filled with beers.

In the water, they rode long, narrow, inefficient boards from the early 1990s in zippy closeouts, documenting every tail-drop floater with obsolete Mini DV cameras. Have we become so disillusioned with the present — and the approaching future — that we’re desperately reaching for a past we never fully experienced?

If boardshort lengths, tribal motifs, and jizzy fonts are any indication, it sure seems that way. Or maybe it’s just a reaction to the sanitized version of competitive surfing that has been, often insincerely, shoved down our throats.

A few minds, however, are cooking up antidotes to the overproduced surf contest. William Aliotti, a staunch twin-fin segregationist who fell in love with the design six years ago after Ryan Lovelace shaped him one, managed to assemble an impressive crew for a two-day event in Seignosse, just a short bike ride north of Hossegor.

“I invited some of the world’s best free surfers, paid for their flights and a week’s accommodation (to help with jet lag), because they’d never have come otherwise!”

Former Stab Highway alum McKenzie Bowden, doing just fine without the extra fin. Photo: Ben Potier

Both enamored with the area and charmed by the format, a carnivorous vlogger from Raglan, New Zealand, remarked, “It’s good to see that there’s this community of people that don’t ride thrusters — and they’re a lot nicer people, actually.”

Despite being four decades older than Simon Anderson’s design, twin-fins, under the right feet, have been surfed in ways that feel so modern — and appropriate — in recent years.

“You get on these boards, and you do so much weird stuff,” Chippa Wilson said. “They allow you to draw different lines. The sheer speed out of them makes you do tricky stuff and lets you get a little more creative.”

The 28 participants — hardly comp guys or gals — had access to the best bank in the area and favorable winds throughout the event. Each invitee surfed three mixed-gender heats per day and was encouraged to swap boards between them. Beyond equipment limitations, the only judging criteria were style, flow, and innovative maneuvers — SFIM, a fitting onomatopoeia for a twin-fin slicing through water. No scores were given at the beach.

William had participated in other invitational contests, which gave him the idea for this format. “I went with a different approach to judging because, in the end, we’re all free surfers.”

If it tubes, Tosh Tudor will find it. Photo: Ben Potier

Judging decisions were reserved for the evenings, discussed over event-branded tins in front of a large screen where highlights were compiled into daily edits. The competitors themselves, along with the filmers, voted on who delivered the most convincing performances.

Ainara Aymat and Victor Bernardo were unanimously deemed winners, each taking home an oversized $5k check. Yet, there were several entertaining and standout performances across the field. “If we had to pick 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, it would’ve been impossible,” William said. “But in the end, Victor stood out and surfed amazingly with style and flow, making everything look so easy. And Ainara killed it on her backhand too!”

This event adds to a growing stack of invitationals providing a stage for free surfers who usually don’t compete. But as they continue, one has to wonder: will they become the very thing they’ve been resisting all along?

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William Aliotti and 27 of His Friends Will Make You Want to Jump on a Twinnie

Inside the inaugural Twin Fin Invitational.

Dec 11, 2024

Watch: Eli Hanneman Goes On A Bender

The 22 year old samples the North Shore's finest fruits.

Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson

Craving new experiences? Tired of the grind? Longing to be young, wild, and free? When life gets you down, you could always pack your bag, tell your boss to shove it, and dive headfirst into a life-changing, three-month narcotics bender. You’ll undoubtedly end up with new lovers, new perspectives, and a lingering glow of drug-induced psychosis. 

Failing that, why not lock yourself in a basement and binge-read unnervingly convincing Reddit threads that paint Mark Zuckerberg as a Russian war mogul who gorges on the blood of the youth?

Either way, you’re never really stuck. You always, always have options. 

Eli Hanneman has a different, and possibly healthier, interpretation of a bender. After dropping a highlight reel that made grown men gape earlier this year, it seems the 22-year-old Maui local has been indulging in another swell binge of late. His latest YouTube drop showcases sessions at Rocky Point, Haleiwa, and Pipeline.

As we wait for the Vans Pipe Masters to kick off, this might be the fix we need to get us through.

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Watch: Eli Hanneman Goes On A Bender

The 22 year old samples the North Shore's finest fruits.

Dec 10, 2024

Watch: A Surf Edit, With Creative Direction From Artificial Intelligence

Introducing Rivvia's newest recruit, Kai Gale Grani.

Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson

Therapy with chatbots. Algorithms digging into your insecurities and loves. An intelligence fluent in every language, spinning fake peer-reviewed papers and burying them in fake archives, poisoning public discourse. An artistic interpretation of Elon Musk in a cassock, secretly pleasuring himself in the confessional. 

Safe to say, we’ve plunged into an unsettling era of artificial intelligence. Despite expert caution, the weird does not appear to be going anywhere, so we might as well get used to it. A quote from Hunter S. Thompson would probably sum it up. 

Kai Gale Grani is a 20-year-old goofy foot, a rare Mediterranean export, and Rivvia’s latest signing. Born in 2004, he’s very much part of the AI gen — raised with it as the norm, not as a looming apocalypse. 

Kai spent a good chunk of time in Indo this year, and to show for it, he slapped together a 13-minute edit, heavy on AI-driven creative direction. Think smoke, flames, and, of course, some damn good surfing. 

Check out our interview with Rivvia biz owner, here.

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Watch: A Surf Edit, With Creative Direction From Artificial Intelligence

Introducing Rivvia's newest recruit, Kai Gale Grani.

Dec 10, 2024

The Vans Pipe Masters Heat Draw Is Decided

And the event is due to start tomorrow.

Words by Holden Trnka

Click here for our entire 2024 Vans Pipe Masters preview.

As of now, the forecast suggests 7ft@16 seconds of NW swell will be bashing the Hawaiian islands starting Monday, with predominant easterly trades sweeping the surface clean.

“We don’t really know what’s going to happen. It’s such a great opportunity and platform for the girls,” said Nate Fletcher. “I’d love to put the girls out in perfect Pipe and Backdoor conditions. That said, I also wouldn’t mind seeing girls paddle into the craziest, biggest, second-reef roll-in ever.”

Held at a pleasant estate across from Sunset Beach, the heat draw was defined by nervous laughter, lost bets, and some healthy competitive jeering. Surfers’ names were chosen at random from a bucket, allowing them to choose whichever heat they wanted (or whichever was available by the time they got up there.)

On the women’s side, best friends Zoe McDougall and Caity Simmers will split the peak with Moana Jones-Wong and emerging wrongfoot Chesney Guinotte, while Eli Olson, Nate Florence, Koa Rothman, and Ivan Florence will share a blockbuster heat to end the mens. 

Mens

Heat One:
Makana Pang, Jamie O’Brien, Tosh Tudor, Kaulana Apo
Heat Two:
Barron Mamiya, Noa Mizuno, Crosby Colapinto, Seth Moniz
Heat Three:
Cam Richards, Mason Ho, Russell Bierke, Kauli Vaast
Heat Four:
Noah Beschen, Noa Deane, Balaram Stack, Ezekiel Lau
Heat Five:
Koldo Illumbe, Imaikalani Devault, Benji Brand, Legend Chandler
Heat Six:
Eala Stewart, Kyuss King, Harry Bryant, Lucas Godfrey
Heat Seven:
Torrey Meister, Al Cleland Jr., Makai McNamara, Jake Maki
Heat Eight:
Lungi Slabb, Mikey Wright, Koa Smith, Guy Sato
Heat Nine:
Kuio Young, Kainehe Hunt, Billy Kemper, Kala Grace
Heat Ten:
Koa Rothman, Ivan Florence, Nathan Florence, Eli Olson

Womens

Heat One:
Caity Simmers, Moana Jones-Wong, Zoe McDougall, Cheney Guinotte
Heat Two:
Vahitimahana Inso, Sophie Bell, Erin Brooks, Eweleiula Wong
Heat Three:
Coco Ho, Luana Silva, Sierra Kerr, Milla Coco Brown
Heat Four:
Keala Tomoda-Bannert, Kirra Pinkerton, Maluhia Kinimaka, Annie Dos Santos
Heat Five:
Pua Desoto, Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Vahine Fierro, Kiara Goold.

Click here for our entire 2024 Vans Pipe Masters preview.

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The Vans Pipe Masters Heat Draw Is Decided

And the event is due to start tomorrow.

Dec 9, 2024

Stab Podcast: Pipe Masters Picks, Best Wetsuits + Beewax Surfboard Constructions

+ a cameo from Raimana Van Bastolaer -- the guy who invented screaming at people from jetskis.

Words by Ethan Davis

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Stab Podcast: Pipe Masters Picks, Best Wetsuits + Beewax Surfboard Constructions

+ a cameo from Raimana Van Bastolaer -- the guy who invented screaming at people from jetskis.

Dec 8, 2024

A New Chip In The Infinite Puzzle Of Board Tech

Campbell Designed presents 'Exo Flex'

Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson

Ain’t nothing sweeter, you’d have to imagine, than having a son who gives a damn about the family business. Teach him what you know, pass on your wisdom, and watch him grow. One day, you hand him the keys. You sit back, watching him take the reins, your pride swelling as you lean into the corner, a tear slipping down your cheek, beer in hand.

“What is Campbell Designed? A father and son team, both former professional surfers, with a passion for pushing the envelope of technology by creating boards that people love to surf and enjoy, whether you’re a beginner, or a high level pro,” says Ryan Campbell, son of Stuart Campbell, half of Campbell Designed.

Ryan and Stuart, as you’ve just read, are the quiet innovators behind some of Australia’s finest performance surfboards, hailing from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The Campbell family’s shaping legacy spans three generations, and now, with a new tech ready to gift to the world, they’ve enlisted the help of heavy hitters — Dan Scott and Kai Neville — to tell their story.

The film gives a moving backstory into the surfing lives of the father and son, who both started shaping backyard boards at 12 years old before dipping their toes into professional surfing careers. When Ryan competed, he rode his dad’s boards, and when he stopped, he joined him in the shaping bay.

“We worked on all of his boards together through his competitive career,” Stuart says, reflecting. “Now, he’s the head shaper, and I’ve regressed to the factory grom.”

The real story here, beyond the nostalgia, is that the Campbell’s think they’ve cracked something big — a new stringer design they can’t keep bottled up.

“I built a few fast-sailing catamarans over the years,” Stuart says. “The way we used carbon fibre on the multi-hulls, like a leaf spring in a car or a trailer, I figured we could do the same thing with a surfboard. Built one for Ryan, and straight up — it went amazing. We see Exo Flex as an enhanced stringer replacement. It flexes right, snaps back faster, gives you more speed in turns, and it’s tougher than timber. No weak spots like the usual stringless EPS. It seems to like more powerful conditions.”

“It’s too good to just keep to ourselves,” Ryan adds. “We want to license it out, so everyone can get their hands on it, not just the guys riding Campbell Designed.”

This isn’t a half-baked marketing ploy, either. Stab’s in-house board junkie, Michael Ciaramella, got his hands on two of their creations, maniacally tore them apart, and came out the other side claiming they’re some of the best boards he’s ever ridden.

Now, the boys are ready to scale, searching for collaborators to help them share Exo Flex with the world. 

“We’re keen to link up with brands that care about making better boards and want to use Exo Flex,” Ryan says. “We’re also looking for someone who’s keen to take a small slice of the company and help us grow it into what we know it can be.”

Got some cash collecting dust? You could do worse than throwing it behind Exo Flex. 

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A New Chip In The Infinite Puzzle Of Board Tech

Campbell Designed presents 'Exo Flex'

Dec 8, 2024

WSL Announces Condensed 2025 Challenger Series Schedule

...and the four-stop 2025 World Longboard Tour.

Words by Holden Trnka

You can click here for our dissection of the official 2025 CT schedule

“We lost so many good guys… They’re surfing so good, but they just stopped,” Mateus Herdy recently told us, regarding the increasing cost and decreasing wave quality on the Challenger Series. 

Both topics have been perpetual axis points of conversation in our comment section over the past few months.

“Add improved locations on the Challenger to reflect CT-level surfing and make it economically viable for the top CS surfers, and then we’re really really happy,” wrote commenter Sick Hairrel.

“Fixing the CS would solve a lot of problems,” responded longtomssecondcuztwiceremoved.

Unfortunately, the WSL’s latest announcement doesn’t quite affirm either of these requests.

Per their recent announcement:

“As we head into the 2025 Challenger Series season, the WSL is excited for new changes, including the increase in women’s qualifiers to the CT,” said Travis Logie, WSL Senior Tour Manager, Challenger Series. “We look forward to kicking the season off at the iconic Surfest Newcastle, and to see who will earn their spot in 2026.”

2025 WSL Challenger Series Schedule:

  • Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia: June 2 – 8
  • Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: June 30 – July 6
  • Huntington Beach, California, USA: July 29 – August 3 (US Open festival window: July 26 – August 3)
  • Ericeira, Portugal: September 29 – October 5
  • Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: October 11 – 19
One less pointbreak, same sub-average beachbreaks. 

“It took Ramzi over 10 years to qualify and now he’s on tour it’s like, ‘why hasn’t he been here this whole time?’” said Mateus. “It just doesn’t feel like the current system is rewarding the best surfing. Your results aren’t necessarily a reflection of your ability, it’s complicated. People who understand surfing will know what I’m talking about.”

Would you spend $80,000 USD to surf that circuit? That’s what the 80 men and 48 women who qualified for next year’s Challenger will be asking themselves.

Along with the Changaz announcement, the WSL revealed the stops on this 2025 World Longboard Tour.

2025 WSL Longboard Tour Schedule:

  • Huntington Beach, California, USA: July 26 – 30 (US Open festival window: July 26 – August 3)
  • Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia: September 17 – 21
  • Surf Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE: October 21 – 26
  • El Sunzal, El Salvador: November 5 – 9

You can click here for our dissection of the official 2025 CT schedule

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WSL Announces Condensed 2025 Challenger Series Schedule

...and the four-stop 2025 World Longboard Tour.

Dec 7, 2024