Gallery: Dave Rastovich's Reluctant, Triumphant Return To The Spotlight - Stab Mag

Live This Thursday, 10/3, at 5 PM PDT — The Electric Acid Surfboard Test With Dave Rastovich

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Dave skipped the pond with his family for a rare and cherished public address. Photo: Brooke Raines

Gallery: Dave Rastovich’s Reluctant, Triumphant Return To The Spotlight

750 people, two Q+A sessions, and the World Premiere of this year’s Electric Acid Surfboard Test.

Words by Christian Bowcutt
Reading Time: 4 minutes

As a reminder, Episode 1 of the Electric Acid Surfboard Test with Dave Rastovich drops this Thursday, October 3rd at 5 PM PDT exclusively on Stab Premium.

It’s hard to get Dave Rastovich on a plane.

Dave and his partner Lauren Hill — whose brilliance appeared in How Surfers Get Paid, The Sexualization of Women’s Surfingare very intentional about the size of their carbon footprint. This, of course, extends to air travel, the biggest gas guzzler of them all.

But, after some careful thought, Dave and Lauren decided it was worth the ethical demerit for a few reasons: (1) Promote The Electric Acid Surfboard Test and, especially, its focus on sustainable surfboard construction, (2) Visit Dave’s one and only sponsor, Patagonia, and (3) show their young son, Minoa, around the U.S. and visit family.

Lucky us.

For Saturday’s night premiere, we tried something a little different due to the titanic buzz around Dave and the project — we held two separate showings of the first episode of the Electric Acid Surfboard Test with Dave Rastovich with two separate Q+A sessions, surfboard giveaways, and a special quiz game concocted by Stab’s own Danny Johnson.

Dave was energetic, insightful, and funny — the decade of peaceful living in the forest has worked no evil on his social skills, it appears.

Feast (vegan-ly) your eyes.

All photos by Brooke Raines.

The view from the general admission line. Stab Premium members got first entry with their own line.

Does making the GA line watch Stab Premium members go in before them seem elitist? Oof, yes, but they funded the project, didn’t they?

Rasta, Taylor Steele, and producer Danny Johnson on set for the Q+A.

Danny J, the man who brought this year’s EAST to life.

Dave, calling on contestants for the quiz game.

The crowd for this premiere skewed a tad older than most Stab showings, which is cool. You’ll see some familiar faces out there in the crowd.

La Paloma’s campy brilliance.

Though the audience skewered Gen X-ier, a few wise younglings got involved in the Q+A session.

Showing #2.

Dave giving Stab’s TikTok guru, Josiah Amico, a board tour.

This competition came down to whoever could name the most EAST shapers from memory. Winner won a surfboard. (Spoiler: It was the guy on the right.)

“Oh fuck I forgot what I was gonna ask.”

The second showing’s shaper guess giveaway quiz. (Spoiler alert: the man on the left won).

Dave and shaper, Duke Aipa.

Our wise board winners.

Sign up for Stab Premium here to watch these boards in action.

Speaking of Gen-X — we utilized ’em for this quartet.

Lauren Hill meeting and greeting at Patagonia Cardiff.

Rasta, Ryan Lovelace, and a mini simmons off the rack.

Instead of randomly giving boards out, Dave asked the quiz winners a few questions about themselves and then prescribed them the board that would fit them best.

As a reminder, Episode 1 of the Electric Acid Surfboard Test with Dave Rastovich drops this Thursday, October 3rd at 5 PM PDT exclusively on Stab Premium.

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