Skylar Lickle Wins Red Bull Magnitude - Stab Mag

Live Now: "Horse" — A surf film by James Kates starring Noa Deane — streaming exclusively on Stab Premium.

398 Views
Skylar Lickle, ahead of the pack and the lip. Photo: Red Bull

Skylar Lickle Wins Red Bull Magnitude

Can anybody dethrone the Maui women during a Hawaiian winter?

elsewhere // Apr 4, 2022
Words by August Howell
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The mission was simple enough.

From December 2021 through March 2022, the Red Bull Magnitude video-based competition featured a field of 21 women competing in the biggest and baddest waves of the Hawaiian winter. At the end of the swell period, each surfer would be scored on their top three waves. 

Last year’s Magnitude winner was Keala Kennelly, the fearless stalwart who changed the trajectory of women’s surfing and has logged more heavy water sessions than any woman alive. But this year’s all-female event indicated a changing of the guard as 21-year-old Maui resident Skylar Lickle earned the “Best Overall Performer” title and pocketed a neat prize purse of $35,000. In fact, the results further cemented the Valley Isle’s status as the hub for the best big-wave surfers in the world, with three Maui women winning five of the six categories.  

Skylar Lickle, clean as can be in Maui. Video: Red Bull

Skylar’s commitment was rewarded after she demonstrated all-around badassery on her home island, towing into solid Jaws and charging a shall-not-be-named outer reef that resembles its more famous cousin a few miles up the road. Michaela Fregonese finished second and Katie McConnell finished third overall. 

“Maui glass” is an ironic term referencing the island’s consistently volatile winds. Paige Alms, consistently strong and without any hint of irony. Video: Red Bull

Stop me if you’re heard this one before, but Paige Alms was all over it this season, snagging two awards, Best Ride and Best Paddle, on the same wave. Meanwhile, Annie Reickert continued to gain popularity (and Kai Lenny comparisons) while owning the tow scene at Jaws. She was a shoo-in for the Best Tow Award and was the most popular contestant among voters, as demonstrated by her People’s Choice honor. 

Annie Reickert is ascending (and surfing) very rapidly with waves like this at Jaws. Photo: Red Bull

The digital design of this contest meant registration was open to pretty much any woman who could handle outer reef beatdowns and “Maui glass.” You can watch all the submissions here. But perhaps nobody exemplified the benefit of this inclusive format more than Northern California’s Katie McConnell. The newly hailed ROTY was so frothed on last year’s event that she reached out to organizers to get permission to compete in this year’s spectacle. She worked on a fishing boat off the west coast all summer before posting up on Oahu for the winter. Like a patient cat stalking a juicy mouse, Katie pounced on every opportunity, dropping in at Jaws, Himalayas and the aforementioned Maui outer reef. 

Katie McConnell, off the clock in California but on time in Hawaii. Video: Red Bull

Here’s the full list with the prize purse attached:

  • Best Overall Performer ($35,000): Skylar Lickle
  • YETI Best Ride ($5,000): Paige Alms
  • Best Paddle ($5,000): Paige Alms
  • Best Tow ($5,000): Annie Reickert
  • Skinnie’s Rookie of the Year ($2,500): Katie McConnell
  • People’s Choice: Annie Reickert 

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

Morgan Cibilic’s Wildcard Charge Continues As Isabella Nichols Topples World No. 1

The Bell will ring tomorrow.

Apr 26, 2025

Blood In The Bracket: Wildcards Wreak Havoc, Ethan Ewing Performs “Best Ever Surfing At Bells Bowl”

Xav Huxtable eliminates Italo Ferreira + Morgan Cibilic marches into the Quarterfinals.

Apr 25, 2025

Rip Curl Pro Bells Day 3: Caity Simmers Stumbles, Gabby Bryan Snatches Yellow Jersey

Huge day of upsets as competition shifts to Winki.

Apr 24, 2025

Sydney: Low Key Big Wave City

Tim Bonython, Chase Hardaker and Letty Mortensen on the spectacular intersection of April swells +…

Apr 23, 2025

Surfing Your Brains Out Is Now A Legit Path to Higher Education

If only this existed when we were in high school.

Apr 22, 2025

Gruelling Day At Bells: Six Eliminated, Ramzi Boukhiam’s Season In Jeopardy After Injury

Vahine Fierro, Ian Gouveia, Dvd Silva and more axed after 10-hours of competition.

Apr 22, 2025

How Lowers Became the 2028 Olympic Surfing Venue

The cobblestones beat Huntington’s flash, dodged the chlorine trap, and buried a couple Olympic gold…

Apr 22, 2025

Empty Set: What Defines A ‘Pro’ Surfer?

Nathan Fletcher, Jacob Szekely, and Alex Midler grapple with the blurry line of professional surfing.

Apr 21, 2025

PC, Woke, Or Genuine Connection And Respect?

The intersection of surfing and Indigenous cultures.

Apr 19, 2025

New PerfectSwell Wavepool Announced Outside of Zion National Park, Utah

The tech that fuels Boa Vista Village and São Paulo Surf Club is coming to…

Apr 18, 2025

Gabriela Bryan and Tyler Wright Shape the Narrative on Opening Day at the Rip Curl Pro Bells

Dispatches from an offensively pleasant morning at Bells Beach.

Apr 18, 2025

Why Surf Apparel + Wetsuits Are Bracing for “A Massive Closeout Set” 

Vissla and Sisstr CEO, Paul Naudé + Boardriders’ Wetsuit Czar, Scott Boot talk tariffs. 

Apr 17, 2025

‘Wildcard To Win Bells,’ Says Local CT Veteran 

Tricky Chook, Superman specialist and former Trials winner, pegs Xavier Huxtable for the W.

Apr 17, 2025

For Whom Shall The Bell Toll?

With the cut just one month away, so the Aussie Treble begins.

Apr 16, 2025

Competitive Surfing: A Playground For Billionaires

The WSL and an alt-tour upstart are backed by nine figure net worths. Is there…

Apr 15, 2025

“I Want to See An Ankle-Breaking, Knee-Breaking, Career-Ending Air”

And the first invite to Stab High 2025 goes to...

Apr 15, 2025

Lower Trestles Announced As 2028 Olympic Surfing Venue

“We are honored to share this gem of California’s state park system with the world.”

Apr 15, 2025

Tweed Is Not That Suss, and Other Dispatches from the God Realm

An American’s back-to-the-ocean POV on the Australian Boardriders Battle.

Apr 15, 2025
Advertisement