If you were a betting man/woman, which shaper's getting your gwolla?

Shaper Reveal: Who Forged Kolohe’s Stab In The Dark Daggers?

Who are you bullish/bearish on winning this year? Comment your picks to win a board.

hardware // Jan 17, 2024

Words by Christian Bowcutt

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Watch ep 1 of Kolohe’s SITD on January 23rd, 6 pm PST. This year, we’re really spicing things up with our Premium Members (we want to give you surfboards). So, we’re running a contest. Everyone who correctly predicts (in this comment section below, one entry per member, no retroactive editing) all 3 of the following things together, will get a surfboard sent to them*: Winning Shaper, all Four Finalists, and Unlucky 13.

There was a 7.7% chance that one shaper’s blade was never getting wet.

Stab took a poll on whether or not we should keep the “Unlucky 13” rule, and, the people spoke — it’s off with their (one board’s) head!

Working in the Stab office this summer, I saw how much each shaper cares about this double-blind taste test. For the overseas shapers, boxes would come in with handwritten notes about their Frankenstein. For the nearby shapers, they would knock on the door (board cradled gingerly) and carefully lay their babies in our arms.

One first-time SITD shaper — after dropping off his boards — even paced back and forth, literally biting his nails and nervously inspecting other shapers’ creations, cursing his decision to go with a tail design that was different from the others.

As the pastel infographics preach on Instagram — “It’s Cool To Care”. And our Stab Premium members are famous for caring. So, comment your picks. Let’s see who the old Bears are — picking the historic favorites. And we’ll see who’s gonna go out on a Bullish limb and pick a newcomer.

Stab Premium members have two fun opportunities this year: (1) Betonline.ag is running SITD shaper odds this year (hence Bear v. Bull above), you can check them out right now. (2) Members get free tickets to the SITD premiere party in San Clemente, California (date/location TBD).

Below is our 2024 Stab in the Dark Shaper’s List, starting from our winningest shapers. See if you can snipe the Winner — and the Unlucky 13. Happy hunting:

On Bali’s east coast is the black sand beach region of Gianyar. Kolohe at the same wave we shot The Dock back in 2017. Surfboard featured: the Britt Merrick-shaped CI.

Shaper: Britt Merrick
Label: Channel Islands
Model: Modified CI Pro
Dimensions: 5’11 1/2” x 18 3/4 x 2 7/16 (volume: 29.3 liters)
From: Carpinteria, CA
SITD History: 3x winner (Mick, Jack, Italo) — the most of any shaper
Shaper One-liner: Highly rockered with a single to slight double concave

Is this the most famous tail in surfing? Kolohe and a Pyzel he was never able to order direct.

Shaper: Jon Pyzel
Label: Pyzel
Model: Radius Prime 2024
Dimensions: 5’11.5” x 18 7/8 x 2 1/2 (29 liters)
From: California, but shapes out of North Shore, Oahu
SITD History: 2x winner (Dane and Jordy)
Shaper One-liner: “Single to double concave bottom, curvy, continuous bottom rocker and mild hip in the tail. All designed for fast, loose, ultra high-performance surfing in good waves.”

No surprises here. Kolohe has been riding Matt Biolos’ boards since he was six years old.

Shaper: Matt Biolos
Label: Mayhem/…Lost
Model: 3.0 Stub Driver
Dimensions: 5’11 x 19 x 2 1/2 (29 liters)
From: San Clemente, CA
SITD History: 1x winner (All-Stars), 5x finalist
Shaper One-liner: “Everyday all-around modern performance shortboard, with emphasis on speed and control.”

It worked at Lower Trestles for Ethan, can it work in Indonesia? The DHD is under inspection.

Shaper: Darren Handley
Label: DHD
Model: EE Juliette
Dimensions: 6’0 x 19 x 2 7/16 (29 liters)
From: Gold Coast, Australia
SITD History: 1x winner (Julian)
Shaper One-liner: Single to Double Concave. Same file as Ethan Ewing’s Trestles board but in a round tail.

Each year we give a design brief and each year we love the variations in color and interpretation. As Kolohe is a big MLB fan, the off-white base with red keyline was drawing inspiration from a vintage baseball.

Shaper: Designed by Marcio Zouvi, shaped by Brendan Leckie at the Glass Lab, Australia.
Label: Sharp Eye
Model: Synergy
Dimensions: 5’11 1/2” x 18 7/8 x 2 9/16 (28.5 liters)
From: Brazil, but Marcio shapes out of San Diego, CA
SITD History: 1x winner (Taj)
Shaper One-liner: Deep single concave with continuous full rocker.

After watching the finished Stab in the Dark production, both Jack Robinson and Jordy Smith thought the JS looked best under their feet. This year, consistent with previous Stab in the Dark iterations, Kolohe was unable to watch the footage.

Shaper: Jason Stevenson
Label: JS Industries
Model: Golden Child
Dimensions: 511 1/2 x 18 7/8 x 2 1/2 (28.7 liters)
From: Gold Coast, Australia
SITD History: 4x finalist (Julian, Dane, Jordy, All-Stars)
Shaper One-liner: “Didn’t think about who was the surfer this time, just made a board. I overthought it every other time I thought I knew who it was.”

When we asked Pukas who they thought our mystery surfer was, this was their response: “This was the hardest of them all. We thought of Ethan and Griffin, but the FCS hint discarded them both immediately.
CT members such as Kanoa or Leo Fioravanti could make the cut but would they really? SITD picks only the very top. Kolohe was on the radar from the very beginning because of the little data you shared, but we wondered: is he, at this stage, such a top gun? being a dad, not competing, very USA profile… is now Kolohe’s prime? His community loves him, but does the world? Kolohe’s cameo during Jack Robinson’s SITD was very insightful and entertaining though. We all felt like there was a lot more Kolohe we wanted to watch as a SITD star.”

Shaper: Axel Lorentz
Label: Pukas Surfboards
Model: Tasty Treat
Dimensions: 5’11” 1/2 x 19 x 2 3/8 (29 liters)
From: Basque Country
SITD History: 4x entrant, 4x finalist (Mick, All-Stars, Taj, Jack)
Shaper One-liner: A performance-based design extended to a wider audience. In short: Full single concave through the board, low rails, medium entry rocker, pronounced rocker in tail with a moderate overall rocker to suit all kinds of wave conditions

Chilli surfboards have been synonymous with Stab in the Dark since its inception.

Shaper: James Cheal
Label: Chilli
Model: Shortie Modified
Dimensions: 5’11 x 19 x 2 1/2
From: Sydney, Australia
SITD History: 2x finalist (Julian and Jack)
Shaper One-liner: “A modified version of the SHORTIE with pulled in tail, lower rail around the tail area and increased concave through bottom 1/3 of board with a flatter exit just behind the back fin.”

The entrepreneurial Hayden Cox is a widely skilled artist but still crafts magical performance boards.

Shaper: Hayden Cox
Label: Haydenshapes
Model: Custom-shaped for Craig Anderson
Dimensions: 5’11 1/2 X 18 7/8 X 2 7/16 (28.51 liters)
From: Sydney, Australia
SITD History: 1x finalist (Dane), but in retrospect Taj picked the HS as his favorite.
Shaper One-liner: “This board has been based on Craig’s current shorty which is based on some curves from the early 2000’s. Longer rail line with narrow plan shape and a fair bit of curve out the back 6”. Running a single to double with slight vee.”

We’re pumped the iconic Timmy Patterson joins us again for Stab in the Dark. Says Timmy via text: “It’s a shapers wsl🤣🤣🤣… thanks for putting this on for the shapers. it’s a 💥 blast”

Shaper: Timmy Patterson
Label: T Patterson
Model: Alley Rat
Dimensions: 5’11.5 x 18.85 x 2.38 (28.09 liters)
From: San Clemente, CA
SITD History: 3x appearances (Dane, Taj and Jack)
Shaper One-liner: “This board was a typical early 2000s model pretty soft rails into hard edge. Tail riders were Pat O’Connell, Mike Parsons and AI. I still have the template my main outline then. Same rocker same rails it was a round tail.”

Shaping boards since 1974, Rusty is our most experienced builder. Let’s if the time and performance are directly proportional.

Shaper: Rusty Preisendorfer
Label: Rusty
Model: The SD RT RE
Dimensions: 5’11 x 18 3/4 x 2 1/4 (27.90 liters)
From: San Diego, CA
SITD History: 2x appearance (Jordy and Dane)
Shaper One-liner: “By having the deepest part of the concave in the entry, it feeds and keeps the water under the board early on and generates more lift, speed, and drive. I believe this is a big breakthrough and it’s going to be a game changer.”

Held precariously in place by fishing line and nails, this year’s opening scene on the cliffs of the Bukit Peninsula got tricky as the offshore trades kicked up.

Shaper: Xanadu
Label: Xanadu
Model: Stratos
Dimensions: 5’10” X 19 X 2.63
From: San Diego, CA
SITD History: First timer
One-liner: “The idea for this model, Stratos, comes from the other models I made from the “Family” board, the “Family” is the one with most of the curves on the front part of the board, it is very similar to the model X21 but generates more drive through turns.”

In our ninth iteration, Kolohe Andino may have taken the assignment more seriously than any board tester previously. Well, perhaps on par with Mick Fanning.

Shaper: Chris Borst
Label: Chris Borst Designs
Model: “Stab 1 off” — shaped for Medina
Dimensions: 5’11 x 19 x “2.4375”— “I usually don’t do liters but it’s roughly 29.57 “
From: Oceanside, CA
SITD History: First timer

To review, here are your gladiators:
42 – CI, (3x Champ)
07 – Pyzel, (2x Champ)
22 – DHD, (1 x Champ)
05 – Mayhem, (1 x Champ)
31 – Sharp Eye, ( 1 x Champ)
20 – Pukas
04 – Chilli
66 – Hayden
32 – T.Patterson
34 – Xanadu
50 – JS
55 – Rusty
74 – Chris Borst

Watch ep 1 of Kolohe’s SITD on January 23rd, 6 pm PST. And remember we’re running a contest. Everyone who correctly predicts (in this comment section below, one entry per member, no retroactive editing) all 3 of the following things together, will get a Kolohe SITD surfboard sent to them*: Winning Shaper, all Four Finalists, and Unlucky 13.
*If it looks like lots of our audience are getting the correct answer, we will shut down the feed/competition at 13 winners. If no one gets it, we’ll take those who get closest. It’s an imperfect science but we are giving these boards away to our members…