The Stab High Japan Presented By Monster Energy Hangover Report

You can read our full comp wrap of the event here.

“You can tell a lot about a country by the state of its public bathrooms,” a local Japanese surfer told me in the water this weekend after I complimented his homeland.

In a world rife with the “tragedy of the commons”, the common areas of Shizunami are delightfully un-tragic — a testament to the culture’s emphasis on collective wellbeing, perhaps?

Whatever the reason, whether by its spotless streets, its kind local surfing community, or its balmy Hawaiian-esque temps, Japan treated Stab and all the surfers extremely well this weekend. The days started early (it was light around 4 AM) and ended late (nightcrawling from dinner, to 7-Eleven for ice cream, to the karaoke bar). Being at Stab High reminds you that you are a a part of — if only for the weekend — a supremely bizarre cohort of professional surfers, surf industry medium-rollers, restless Stab employees, overactive kids, buzzing parents, and iron-livered Aussies.

Speaking of the latter, last night’s afterparty was a veritable gumbo of professional surfing cliques. During one particular rendition of “Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis, I saw Noa Deane, Shaun Manners, Nick Marshall, Shane Sykes, Eithan Osborne, and Noah Beschen all passing the mic between each other, neck veins bulging, as they hollered through the chorus. Sharing not much more with each other than their extraterrestrial talent on a surfboard, I got to witness a wildly diverse cast of characters morph into one poor smelling, happy, hugging family, if only for a few hours. What did F. Scott Fitzgerald write again? “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life“? Yeah, something like that.

Despite a heavy rain forecast, hundreds of Japanese fans traveled to assist a collection of ludicrously talented aerial surfers in consuming 9% cocktails and shouting encouragement towards our finalists. Fortunately, the rain never truly arrived and the wind into the lefts, offering a Finals showing from the Pros, Ladybirds, and Bottle Rockets alike which we’ll continue to dissect for weeks to come — oh, and if you only have 10 budgeted minutes to watch Stab High for some reason, watch Hughie Vaughan’s rogue interview with Lucas Cassity before Lucas’s subsequent full-rote to victory.

Since nothing I could say could adequately describe the oddity, we thought we’d send out this photo gallery to get you a closer feel of two days in the Stab High octagon. And since Stab’s editors appreciate irony, they tasked the Mormon (me) with curating the pics for the hangover post — enjoy.

All photos taken by Nate Lawrence, except for the ones he’s singing in.