Jack Robinson's Stab In The Dark Shaper Reveal - Stab Mag

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Taste the rainbow. Photo: Arto Saari

Jack Robinson’s Stab In The Dark Shaper Reveal

13 world-renowned craftsmen enter — only one will win.

hardware // Feb 10, 2022
Words by Ashton Goggans
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Episode one of Jack’s Stab in the Dark premieres next Thursday, February 17th, only on Stab Premium.

This year’s Stab in the Dark lineup may very well make for the most prestigious quiver the franchise has ever seen. 

As a reminder, for our annual double blind taste test, shapers are asked to build their most current iteration of a high performance shortboard for one Mystery Surfer — and of this year’s 13 esteemed shapers, five have won Stab in the Dark previously. 

Ten of our thirteen have built boards for World Champions. 

Now, shapers are never provided with the Mystery Surfer’s true identity — only key details to guide their hand: the surfer’s height, weight, and the preferred length and volume of standard shortboard. 

Pre-reveal. Photo: Arto Saari

This year’s Mystery Surfer stands 5’11, and weighs in these days around 180lbs, or 82kilos. 

His standard shortboards are also 5’11, and range from 29 to almost 31 liters. 

Shapers are instructed to deliver boards clean-skinned and free of any markings, dimensions, signatures or logos of any kind. 

In hopes of total transparency, shapers enter Stab in the Dark entirely for free. 

Introducing our 2022 Stab in the Dark shapers lineup, from four continents and featuring three new Hawaiian wildcards. 

Post-testing. Some boards fared better than others. Photo: Sam Moody

Matt Biolos, …Lost Surfboards
San Clemente, California 
Past/Current Riders: Carissa Moore, Andy Irons, Kolohe Andino, Coco and Mason Ho, The Colapinto Brothers. 
Stab in the Dark 2020 Winner

Jon Pyzel, Pyzel Surfboards
Santa Barbara, California / North Shore, Oahu 
Past/Current Riders: John John, Nathan, and Ivan Florence, Tyler Wright, Jai Glindeman
(2x Stab in the Dark Winner, 2016 and 2017)

Timmy Patterson, T. Patterson Surfboards
San Clemente, California
Past/Current Riders: Italo Ferreira, Carlos Muñoz, Andy Irons, Matt Archbold, Chris Ward

James Cheal, Chilli Surfboards
Avalon, Australia
Past/Current Riders: Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Jay Davies, 

Johnny Cabianca, Cabianca Surfboards 
Maresias, Brazil / Basque Country, France
Past/Current Riders: Gabriel Medina 

Britt Merrick, Channel Islands Surfboards
Carpinteria, California 
Past/Current Riders: Dane Reynolds, Bobby Martinez, Parker Coffin, Tom Curren, Kelly Slater
2019 Stab in the Dark Winner

Marcio Zouvi, Sharp Eye Surfboards
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / San Diego, California 
Past/Current Riders: Filipe Toledo, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Kanoa Igarashi, Jack Robinson 
2021 Stab in the Dark Winner 

Who’s who? Hell if we know. Photo: Sam Moody

Axel Lorentz, PUKAS Surfboards
Basque Country, Spain
Past/Current Riders: Sunny Garcia, Aritz Aranburu, Natxo Gonzales, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Ainara Aymat
3x Stab In The Dark Finalists 2019-2021

Darren Handley, DHD Surfboards
Gold Coast, Australia
Past/Current Riders: Mick Fanning, Andy and Bruce Irons, Stephanie Gilmore
2015 Stab in the Dark Winner

Jason Stevenson, JS Surfboards
Gold Coast, Australia
Past/Current Riders: Joel Parkinson, Mark Occhilupo, Julian Wilson, Sally Fitzgibbons. 
2x Stab In The Dark Finalist

Eric Arakawa, Arakawa Surfboards
North Shore, Oahu
Past/Current Riders: Andy Irons, Michael and Derek Ho, Jack Robinson. 

Glen Pang, Town and Country Surfboards
North Shore, Oahu
Past/Current Riders: Billy Kemper, Brisa Hennessy, Sunny Garcia, Dane Kealoha, Kalani and Marvin Foster

Wade Tokoro, Tokoro Surfboards
East Side, Oahu
Past/Current Riders: Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Jamie O’Brien, Seth Moniz

Episode one of Jack’s Stab in the Dark premieres next Thursday, February 17th, only on Stab Premium.

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