Chemistry Surfboards Challenge Gen Z To Surf Like It's 1960 - Stab Mag

Watch Season 2, Episode 10 of How Surfers Get Paid — The Bounty Hunters

679 Views
Oceanside's youth cult celebrates surf heritage in Chemistry Surfboards' "Timeless" video contest.
[stab_like_button]

Chemistry Surfboards Challenge Gen Z To Surf Like It’s 1960

Five tributes to surf heritage & zero TikToks.

elsewhere // Jun 23, 2026
Words by Coral McDuffee
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last Sunday, June 21, the forefathers of sound and surf design gathered in Oceanside, CA, to announce the winners of their “Timeless” video contest. A couple months ago, Chemistry Surfboards founder, Jason Bennett, called on ten kids he enjoys surfing with (most of the time) to participate in Chemistry’s annual tribute to surf heritage. Inside the graffiti-covered walls of his bay, Jason paired the groms before handing out five period-specific designs. Each duo was tasked with creating a 90-second tribute piece for their assigned era. Then, on June 17, after a digital premiere, the public decided which video encapsulated the decade most vividly.

The pairing included: 60s (The Soul): Kayla Luce & Star Delia. 70s (The Revolution): Bison Sharpe & Tyler Knatz. 80s (The Neon): Mason O’Toole & Curren Bain. 00s (The Performance): Ryan Risko & Sonny Witholt. The Future (The Unknown): Timo Simmers & Parker Heit.

Unlike most surf exhibitions, where bass catalyzes a testosterone-induced moshpit, this event ran on a mix of funk and jazz, MPC’d by producer The Ones (of People Under The Stairs)  who partnered with Jason to create a limited-edition vinyl capsule. Knees bent, bars hit, and the community got around a freestyle or two to celebrate the rare intersection.

“I’d like to thank the crowd for letting me experiment and push my own boundaries with a performance piece. One in a lifetime.”

In the end, Kayla Luce and Star Delia’s vintage love letter to the 1960s took the top honors and a $1,000 check each. Masterfully clipped together by Banna Bazzarie, the girls’ retro toe taps more than doubled the votes of the boy’s edits. Being the high-performance enthusiasts we are, I’d also like to nominate Ryan Risko x Sonny Witholt’s violent encounter with the Pacific (scored to D12) for your pre-surf rotation.

Being the high-performance guys we are, I’d like to also nominate Ryan Risko x Sonny Witholt’s violent encounter with the Pacific’s XXL (scored to D12) for your pre-surf rotation. Applause to Chemistry for getting the kid’s outside and creating. Until next year — 

Ps: Binge all four edits below.

Creative surfing, rewarded.

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

Op-Ed: How Australia Can Revolutionise Shark Attack Prevention Using Drones

And why New South Wales' $120 million shark mitigation program is only scratching the surface.

Jul 10, 2026

The Beautiful & The Damned: A 2026 Challenger Series Preview

Featuring 16 surfers who may just ascend to the 2027 CT.

Jul 9, 2026

Steel Vagina, Choc Tops + The Longest Handshake In Surfing

Tom Carroll on the Wherethefakawis, Bob Hawke and the absurdity of staying sponsored for 50…

Jul 9, 2026

The Best Surfing I’ve Ever Seen: Jason ‘Mini’ Blanchard

Dane Reynolds passes the torch to John Florence at an unbelievable Japanese river bar.

Jul 7, 2026

Infinite Chlorine, An Excess Of Death, El Niño & l’italiano

Surfing's 2026 Q2 report.

Jul 6, 2026

The Man In The Arena | StabMic Ep. 21

Why is Griffin Colapinto quoting Theodore Roosevelt?

Jul 6, 2026

The World Is Crumbling. How’s Your Subscription?

Take our Stab Premium survey, maybe win a free year’s subscription.

Jul 5, 2026

The Hughie Problem, The Dane Problem, The Bobby/Gabe Problem

What's in the Stab chamber currently?

Jul 3, 2026

We Tested North America’s Newest, Largest, And Most Powerful Wavegarden Pool

DSRT SURF is unlike anything we’ve surfed.

Jul 2, 2026

One Of The World’s Best Air Waves Just Joined The CT 

How to surf Cloud 9, according to 2018 QS winner Skip McCullough.

Jul 1, 2026

Victoria Vergara Leaves Rip Curl And Starts Her Own Swimwear Brand

The French surfer/model on building ViVi and partnering with a sporting goods giant.

Jul 1, 2026

Teahupo’o Has A Boat Problem

“Until it gets sorted, they’re just gonna close the lineup every time it gets over…

Jun 30, 2026

2026 Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico, Episode 03

Yet another test of temperament for our surfers.

Jun 29, 2026

The Spectacular Vindication Of Dan Mann | StabMic Ep. 20

"Shit talking is good for surfing. The industry needs it."

Jun 29, 2026

Bong Drops ‘Merge’, A Team Surf Film Shot In Very Good Waves

Starring EE, Lennix Smith, Creed, Glindo, Eithan, Willy D and Taylor Bartlett.

Jun 28, 2026

Which Is The Greatest Surfing Nation, Ever? 

Paul Evans decides it, objectively, in his very own World Cup of Surfing.

Jun 28, 2026

Beyrick De Vries Had To Break A Leg To Save His Life

After a shattered femur, addiction, and rehab, the 33-year-old has qualified for the Challenger Series.

Jun 27, 2026

Yago Again, Sawyer At Last, Leo On Top

Saquarema delivers two firsts and one familiar ending.

Jun 26, 2026
Advertisement