Send Your Macbook Through The Ceiling, Kai Barger Is Back On Ultimate Surfer - Stab Mag

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

232 Views

Send Your Macbook Through The Ceiling, Kai Barger Is Back On Ultimate Surfer

Everyone deserves a second chance.

news // Sep 7, 2021
Words by The Ultimate Surf Fan
Reading Time: 4 minutes

The first reality TV show aired in 1948, and didn’t stop production until 2014. 

It was called “Candid Camera” and captured the responses of unsuspecting prank victims. The hijinks included everything from driving into an auto shop in a car without a motor to making silly phone calls.

As time went on, the boundaries of reality TV radically expanded. In 1989, watching people get DUIs on Cops became a new form of entertainment. By the early 2000s, our intellectual stimulants came in the form of Survivor and MTV’s True Life. Eventually, we found ourselves drooling over inflatable asses, Jersey party boys, and pregnant 16-year-olds.

Reality TV offers a safe space where we can remove our brains from our skulls and fill our heads with Reddi-whip. In reference to our obsession with reality TV, Dr. Tobias-Webb said “The physiological arousal from drama is exciting; increasing our heart rate, visceral arousal and leading to the release of endorphins in the brain which are pain-suppressing and pleasure-inducing, not much different than the effect of some drug addictions.”

There you have it, we’re all on drugs. A doctor said that, so it’s for reals.

Come hither, a syringe full of Episode 5 is waiting for you:

Koa is making a smoothie and having fantasies about explicit speak from the Ultimate Surfer’s host, big daddy Jesse. Also, my laptop raises a quarter-inch, thinking about the hypothetical experience of direct eye contact with Jesse.

Jesse now steps into frame, and my laptop flings upward. My MacBook (I’m so fucking rich) is now lodged in my popcorn ceiling. I don’t have a popcorn ceiling. I don’t know why I lied about that — weird thing to lie about.

Parked in the picnic area of the surf ranch are two tiny pop-up trailers, which Jesse explains will be part of the grand prizes for our two Ultimate Surfers. $100k, 3 WCT wildcards, and now a tiny home. Wow. Seriously. Can’t believable.

Wait a minute. Those trailers aren’t empty! All previously eliminated contestants are waiting in the trailers! It’s crammed, is there AC in there? Who pooted? Does this napkin smell like chloroform?

Anastasia vibes out the lineup and serves up looks to the ladies who aren’t Malia. Our surfers go tubing and have an “epic” party day on lake.

The gang digs into some steak and lobster while Malia and Anastasia chat on the boat. When they arrive back on land, they’re upset. The others started eating, WITHOUT US!

Hunk man sexy face returns to end the dinner, and brings a special announcement.

All the eliminated surfers are getting a chance to surf themselves back into the competition. Today.

The previously eliminated surfers will form teams, which will be picked by the six surfers still kickin.

New Teams:

Bruna and Austin

Juli and Mason

Kayla and Luke

Anastasia and Kai

Kelly Vision is back! Woot woot, he doesn’t really say what the challenge is, but you should try to win it.

Kayla is team Tia, and says that Malia can “suck it.” Now this show has truly won my heart.

The two highest scoring teams will advance to a surf off. One male and one female will earn a spot back on the show.

Luke bobs and weaves with a clean run.

Duuuuuuuuval, Kayla connects 5 million turns, and the Durden/Davis combo identifies themselves as a threat.

Bruna stalls for the tube, then the camera switches to Zeke, who is saying “OHHHHH!”

Now it’s commercial time. When we come back, I assume we’ll find out that Bruna fell in the tube. Let’s wait and see.

An alcohol ad features underwater shots of someone surfing a reef break. I learn that all surf photographers and filmers are millionaires with alcohol brand deals.

We’re back, and I was right. Bruna gets violently clipped by the lip.

“OHHHHH!”

Austin has a promising start but gets swallowed by the tube (“OHHHHH!”). Juli puts together a decent line and gets bonus points for riding a Slater designs. 

Mason plays it safe with a simple route.

Anastasia, who won a national title in the ’90s, falls early into her ride.

Kai, who was a World Junior champion, but is no longer a junior, throws the fuck down. Big boy style. Put the team on his fucking back, Greg Jennings style.

The two highest-scoring teams will advance to a surf-off. One male and one female will earn a spot back on the show.

Kayla and Luke take the first spot with a 7.78.

Anastasia and Kai take the second with a 5.75.

Surf off time. Joel and Erica get us jazzed up.

Luke Davis is alive! Shwack after shwack, Mr. ‘Insane Morroco edit now playing exclusively on Stab Premium’ sits too deep and gets washed away in the tube. “OHHHHH!”

Kai puts together another flawless run.

Kayla does another 5 million turns, and neglects the barrel section for the sake of bashing lips.

Anastasia starts off hot, but falls near the finish.

Kai has officially been revived, as well as Kayla.

Jesse is blown away. Koa is scared of the high scores.

Malia = not happy. Uh oh.

See y’all tomorrow, unless I find a way to get fired by then. Open to suggestions.

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