This Will Be The Most Elaborate Surf Production We’ve Seen In Years
Fireworks, winches, and quasi-floating skate features. Here’s what to expect at the Swatch Nines event at Waco Surf.
What might it look like for Matt Meola to get winched into Waco Surf’s widely adored ‘Sissy Sauce’ air section while Greyson Fletcher simultaneously tries something massive on a quarterpipe in the shallow end of the pool, with a few flares lighting up the background?
This is just one of the many questions the Swatch Nines event will answer next week.
It’ll be the first time we see The Nines in surfing, but the concept has been around for a while. It was created in the Alps 16 years ago by former professional freeskier Nico Zacek, who now lives on the Portuguese coast (because, well, surfing has that effect). Since then, it has grown, evolved, and explored other disciplines. In 2024, The Nines has a snowboard/ski event, a mountain bike event, and now, surf. All of them are backed by Swatch.
Now, The Nines is not a contest. There are no jerseys, no heats, no scores, and no prize money. The idea is to bring together talented individuals and give them the freedom to try whatever they want in a pressure-free environment.
The formula seems to work.
“In the history of The Nines, we’ve probably seen 50 NBD (never-been-done) tricks,” Nico says. “This year, at The Nines snow event, we set the world records for highest airs ever done in both the ski and snowboard divisions. But what I’m most proud of is that everyone celebrates these moments together. These are individual sports, and we rarely get to feel like we’re on a team. The coolest thing about those records was that everyone felt like they were part of it.”
As you might imagine, The Nines has become quite desirable in the snow, ski, and mountain bike world. “I’ve had people who’d just won the Olympics calling me, asking to come, even offering to pay their own flights,” Nico adds. “And we’ve done it all without ever having prize money.”
So, how do you adapt it to surf?
The short answer: Listen to the surfers.
A few months back, Nico and the Swatch crew took a recon trip to Waco Surf to get some ideas flowing. Long-time Swatch rider Coco Ho came along and invited Noah Beschen to join. They ended up gelling so well that Noah had a Swatch logo on his board within weeks.
“Every idea we’re introducing came from the riders. We’ve had a WhatsApp group going with all the invitees in it. Somebody asked for a rail in the water. Eithan wants to do a wall ride off a trampoline. Zeke’s got some ideas to use flames. Obviously, we can’t make some of these things happen, but it’s been interesting to see the kind of stuff people throw at you.”
Novelties aside, the invitees are going to get a ton of reps on the air section to try whatever they want — a point highlighted by Noah Beschen in his Stab interview.
At the closing party on the 17th, awards will be given for categories that include MVP, Best Single Wave, Best Non-Air, Creative Edge, and High Vibes. We’ll also have a Stab Low division for the best turn — win that, and you get an automatic invite to the 2025 edition of Stab High. All of the awards will be voted on by the riders themselves. Nobody will win money, but the Swatch Nines team have a few surprises in order for the award winners.
It’ll all go down from October 15-17 in Waco. It’s not open to the public, but don’t you fret. We’ll keep you updated on our IG and TT. And on October 21, the full recap will go live.
You’ll be able to find it right here.
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