Meanwhile, In The World’s Finest Surf City 

I grew up near New York City. I believe that nowhere on the planet has what New York has, but a great many places have better waves. It is not the world’s finest surf city.  

There is nothing wrong with Sydney, as far as I can tell, but it is not the world’s finest surf city. 

Los Angeles is….uhh….you know…it makes sense for some people. It is not the world’s finest surf city. 

Lima is cool, Rome is fucking Rome(!), but neither of them is the world’s finest surf city. 

San Francisco? Stop it. 

Because Lisbon is in fact the world’s finest surf city. 

It’s got a strong cultural identity, old shit, new shit, great food, swanky bars, an injection of cool and ethical brands thanks to the efficiency of Portuguese manufacturing, pretty views, lots of tiles (azulejos — unlike Spanish, you do not pronounce a “j” like an “h,” crucial when you’re ordering a bottle of Alentejo), that festival where everybody gets drunk and eats sardines for like a month (Santos Populares), the weather is nice-ish, and you have consistent and truly world-class points, beach breaks, slabs, and the biggest wave in the world all nearby. 

This made it a fine place to host a Vans Stab High Indonesia, presented by Monster Energy premiere. We held the event at Cosmos Campolide, a social club (associação cultural) that regularly hosts freeform jazz concerts, art exhibitions, DJ sets, and more. It’s a multi-roomed labyrinth featuring a gym, a bar, a billiards hall, a music studio, and many relics of its deep history. The 1955 Portuguese national championship-winning basketball team trained there, and the trophy still rests in an antiquated wooden case to prove it. 

A refreshing setting for a surf movie premiere. Speaking of, we partnered up with Ummi kombucha to ensure everybody maintained an appropriate balance of probiotics and alcohol. The place swelled with Stab Premium subscribers from around Europe, Portuguese surf scenesters, Lisbon city scenesters and, eventually, a collective roar for Sierra Kerr’s best air ever done by a female. 

As winter settles into Europe — meaning Naz is starting to do that HBO thing and everyone is wondering if we’re going to go cold due to a lack of Russian natural gas — a splendid evening was enjoyed by all.