Stab Surfer of the Year: Coco Ho, Nathan Florence, Holly Wawn, Kael Walsh, and Michael Ciaramella
Day 5: “He’s probably the most tapped surfer in the ocean at the moment. – Kael Walsh
Does winning a World Title automatically make you the surfer of the year?
So far, in this peer-reviewed poll, signs are pointing to yes … but we’ve still a ways to go, and competitive results aren’t the only thing our esteemed group of voters are taking into account.
So, a changing of the guard is still possible.
Currently, Nathan Florence (who’s votes are below) is getting the nod as the most barreled man of 2022. Which, depending on who you ask, might be a greater accolade than the title of Stab Surfer of the Year.
Stab Premis, your voting window will close next week. If you haven’t tapped this link and weighed in, we suggest you do so now.
Day Five of Stab Surfer of the Year features the likes of Coco Ho, Nathan Florence, Holly Wawn, Kael Walsh, and Michael Ciaramella.
Day Four Results:
Surfer of the Year: Male
1. Filipe Toledo – 42
2. Ethan Ewing – 30
3. John John Florence – 23
=4. Nathan Florence – 17
=4. Griffin Colapinto – 17
6. Creed McTaggart – 16
7. Noa Deane – 15
8. Balaram Stack – 13
=9. Eithan Osborne – 12
=9. Mason Ho – 12
11. Jack Robinson – 10
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Stephanie Gilmore – 66
2. Carissa Moore – 55
3. Caity Simmers – 45
4. Sierra Kerr – 27
5. Molly Picklum – 17
6. Coco Ho – 11
7. Moana Jones Wong – 10
=8. Tatiana Weston-Webb – 9
=8. Bettylou Sakura Johnson – 9
10. Erin Brooks – 8
Best Junior: Male
1. Hughie Vaughan – 6
2. Jackson Dorian – 3
3. Timo Simmers – 2
Best Junior: Female
1. Caity Simmers – 8
2. Sierra Kerr – 5
=3. Erin Brooks -2
=3. Bettylou Sakura Johnson
Edit of the Year
1. “Idiot Box” starring Kael Walsh – 6
2. “Iwa Bird” starring Kalani David – 2
=3. “Delirium” starring Albee Layer – 2
=3. “Octopus Part” starring Rolo Montes – 2
=3. “Pay Hard” starring Torrey Meister – 2
Film of the Year
1. “NOZ VID” by Noa Deane and Mikey Mallalieu – 10
=2. “Gravity” by John John Florence and Parallel Sea – 2
=2. “Crane Brain” by Ian Crane and Nick Green – 2
=2. “Glad You Scored” by Dane Reynolds and Hunter Martinez – 2
=3. ““DNA: The Colapinto Brothers” by Stab x Jacob Vanderwork and Kyle Buthman – 1
=3. “Saturn” by Quiksilver – 1
=3. “Interlusion” by Billabong x Mikey Mallalieu and Tom Jennings – 1
=3 “Rage 4000” by Rage x Toby Cregan – 1
Best Youtube Channel
1. Ho and Pringle Productions – 7
=2. Chapter 11 TV – 2
=2. Nathan Florence – 2
=2. Jamie O’Brien – 2
…
Coco Ho
Surfer of the Year: Male
1. Mason Ho (5 points)
Mason magic. It used to irritate me how something magical would always happen in his clips — the downward dog pipe drop, the linebacker clip from V-Land, almost kissing dry reef daily. Then I realized he makes the magic happen. Every edit, every week. He’s a really hard worker with raw talent and a VERY open mind. We all gotta start sipping his potion.
2. Filipe Toledo (4 point)
I’m so happy he is a World Champ. Super lovable family man too. He surfs how you want to surf. Period.
3. Eithan Osborne (3 points)
Such a weapon! His backdoor bomb during the Pipe Masters and huge air in Billabong edit were both insane. Hanging with him in Brazil, I noticed he cares about competing too. He’s gonna have a great future.
4. Griffin Colapinto (2 points)
The smoothest of smooth. He had a great year on tour. Really stoked on his segment in 5’5 1/4 Century Movie by …Lost, too.
5. Ramzi Boukhiam (1 point)
He’s got the best backhand on 2023 tour. I think he is going to have a phenomenal competitive year now that he’s there.
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Stephanie Gilmore (5 points)
I was amazed by her performance at Lowers. I couldn’t tell how she was going to go, then she just went hero mode. Proud friend.
2. Carissa Moore (4 points)
I was so heartbroken for her after Lowers, but she has been redeeming herself daily at Pipe and Backdoor. So much respect.
3. Caity Simmers (3 points)
Such a little legend! She’s winning over everyone’s hearts with her timeless style. And she’s making the judges rethink their criteria. I love it.
4. Sierra Kerr (2 points)
Airs and barrels all day long.
5. Erin Brooks (1 point)
Damn. I had such a hard time between her and Bettylou Sakura Johnson, but Erin beating some of the boys at Padang this year was too good. Also, her technique is top notch. I love every Insta clip she drops.
Best Junior: Male
Jackson Dorian (1 point)
This kid is the real deal. I love surfing with him and hearing his philosophies. He reminds me a lot of Mason in the way he sees things and people’s characteristics.
Best Junior: Female
Bettylou Sakura Johnson (1 point)
I’m so happy she requalified. She’s been getting so barreled at Pipe and Backdoor and is gonna start to flair on tour here in the years to come. I’ll be watching, fanning out!
Edit of the Year
“Sendo” starring Parker Coffin (1 point)
Film of the Year
“Through the Doggy Door” by Alani Media x Mason Ho and Sheldon Paishon (1 point)
Best YouTube Channel
Ho and Pringle Productions (1 point)
Consistent. Amusing. Different. Timeless tunes. Not too much fake talking shit!!
…
Nathan Florence
1. Noah Beschen (5 points)
He was doing trips on his own with the goal of stacking clips for his film. He did two months in West Oz surfing by himself in sketchy water, then he did Chopes and Indo. You don’t see a lot of younger guys with that kind of determination putting in the time.
2. Balaram Stack (4 points)
We all know he had a good season, but you don’t really know how gnarly someone is unless you’re there during the session. And that Tahiti session was so west and mean and big and doubled up. Bal paddled one of the best frontside waves I’ve ever seen there. And he won the Vans Pipe Masters. Even though it wasn’t ten foot Pipe, we all know what he can do at ten foot Pipe.
3. Filipe Toledo (3 points)
He’s been so close for so many years. He surfed his best season and to win in the final with all that pressure was sick. The dude deserves it. Best competitor of 2022.
4. Russell Bierke (2 points)
Russell is really impressive to me. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t post much and just saves clips for edits, so you don’t know what he’s doing unless you see him on the road. But he’s really active chasing really heavy waves.
5. Shane Ackerman (1 point)
People are sleeping on what bodyboarders are doing these days. They’re some of the gnarliest dudes, working gnarly jobs in the mines of Australia then going and paddling the biggest slabs.
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Carissa Moore (5 points)
Competitively, she won. Any other year she would’ve won the world title. She’s always been one to push it, getting waves at Backdoor and putting in the extra time.
2. Stephanie Gilmore (4 points)
For Steph to start in the first heat of the finals and win is fucking gnarly.
3. Moana Jones Wong (3 points)
Because Moana won the Pipe Masters in the beginning of the year. She’s put in more time than any girl out there and she did it in a way that wasn’t based on competition. She did because she wanted to get a big Pipe wave for herself.
4. Sierra Kerr (2 points)
My wife showed me Stab High thing and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl look like that doing airs — the stance, and he powerfulness of the landing in the flats without wobbling or anything. She’s just a confident aerialist.
5. Bettyou Sakura Johnson (1 point)
Best Junior: Male
Jackson Dorian (1 point)
Best Junior: Female
Sierra Kerr
(See above)
Edit of the Year
“Idiot Box” starring Kael Walsh
That was fucked up.
Film of the Year
“Gravity” by John John Florence and Parallel Sea (1 point)
Best YouTube Channel
Nathan Florence (1 point)
I choose my own YouTube channel because my community of subscribers were so dope all year long and so interactive everywhere I went!
…
Holly Wawn
Surfer of the Year: Male
1. Noa Deane (5 points)
Because of the 30-minutes of footage he put out [NOZ VID]. I think it’s so impressive when someone can stockpile crazy footage, never let anyone see it, and then drop it and break everyone’s heads. So much work, money and time went into making that. And I know where he was surfing — it’s so much effort to get those waves in the conditions he got and then do the surfing he did. Damn.
2. Eithan Osborne (4 points)
He’s super active and I love watching him surf. He’s always going huge and I don’t think he’s going to stop. And that air he did in “Interlusion” was the best air done all year, no doubt.
3. Creed McTaggart (3 points)
He put out three different sections in the last three or four months. The first one with Fun Boys, which was so Creedo. The music was great. And then he was ripping in “Interlusion,” absolutely tearing on that big Dalhberg. He’s constantly putting out really beautiful surfing.
4. Kael Walsh (2 points)
His “Idiot Box” part was pretty mind blowing. Him putting in the time at home in West Oz and getting all that footage was beautiful. The part speaks for itself. I’d be nice to see him go on more trips next year and go for it elsewhere …
5. Dane Reynolds (1 point)
I think it’s so nice to see someone that has reached a certain point and is giving back and helping out all the young kids in his hometown. He’s thinking about the future of surfing… and still ripping the shit out of it! I think Surfer of the Year should not only be about performance, but also about caring about where surfing’s going.
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Sierra Kerr (5 points)
She’s been ripping all year. I saw videos of her stepping off and standing in barrels at the start of the year on the Gold Coast, and then I went to Stab High and she did that crazy full rotation to the flats. I’m sure everyone saw it, but I just think a contribution like that to the progression of women’s surfing is the most important thing that happened this year in women’s surfing.
2. Caity Simmers (4 points)
I think she’s so sick and she’s been fucking tearing all year. And she qualified for the CT again. I think she’ll demo the whole tour, to be honest.
3. Stephanie Gilmore (3 points)
Coming back and winning an eighth world title is fucking crazy. That is so much effort and so much stress on the body and mind. It was an admirable effort, and I’m stoked for her.
4. Moana Jones Wong (2 points)
She’s amazing. I was here [North Shore] in January watching her at the Pipe contest and I was completely blown away by her position in the lineup. She knows exactly what she wants at Pipe. I can’t see anyone beating her out there when the waves get good.
5. Jaleesa Vincent (1 point)
She did some sick surfing in the latest “Rage 400” and she put out “Macaroni in a Pot,” where she went to Macaronis with her boyfriend Luca and shot a sick project then did all the art and music. I think she’s owning her space and it’s really nice to see.
Best Junior: Male
Jackson Dorian (1 point)
He’s really hard working for such a little kid, putting out constant blogs or vlogs or whatever. I think you see the most of him and he’s doing some crazy surfing.
Best Junior: Female
Sierra Kerr (1 point)
(See above)
Edit of the Year
“Idiot Box” starring Kael Walsh (1 point)
I think the surfing in that was the best most high-performance under-18-minute clip of the year.
Film of the Year
“NOZ VID” by Noa Deane and Mikey Mallalieu (1 point)
Pretty tough between “Glad You Scored” and “NOZ VID,” but “NOZ VID” was mind blowing. 30-minutes of absolute hammers.
Best Youtube Channel
Chapter 11 TV (1 point)
Because you see me on it. Nah… because it’s all the friends hanging out together, being represented in the right way. It’s the way that we want to see it happen with the ultimate guidance of Dane Reynolds producing it. I don’t know about you guys, but I was watching Marine Layer as a kid after school, logging on and just waiting for a new video and reloading the page. I feel like that’s that same energy.
…
Kael Walsh
Surfer of Year: Male
1. Filipe Toledo (5 points)
He was ripping all year and won the world title.
2. Noa Deane (4 points)
He dropped the film he worked on for two years, it’s definitely an impactful film in the surf world. Everything about it was sick, the music, the graphics, the animation, all the surfing he was doing — like crazy drops into big slabs. People are going to be watching that for years.
3. Jack Robinson (3 points)
He’s just a madman. He’s probably the most tapped surfer in the ocean at the moment, or John John. And he won two events and had crazy performances on the world tour.
4. Balaram Stack (2 point)
He was the Pipe Master and he’s got that sick film coming out [“Hail Mary”].
5. Eithan Osborne (1 point)
He’s been blowing up the internet with his surfing.
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Stephanie Gilmore (5 points)
She won and did that crazy five heat thing to the World Title. She pretty much did the impossible.
2. Caity Simmers (4 points)
She’s been ripping on the Challenger Series and she’s qualified. She’s probably the most exciting up-and-coming young female surfer, at the moment.
3. Carissa Moore (3 points)
She was in first, until she wasn’t anymore.
4. Sierra Kerr (2 points)
She did that air at Stab High and she’s been ripping.
5. Molly Picklum (1 points)
She’s been charging Pipe and she requalified.
Best Junior: Male
Hughie Vaughan (1 point)
He’s been surfing sick lately. He’s exciting to watch and he ripped in Stab High.
Best Junior: Female
Caity Simmers (1 point)
[See above]
Edit of the Year
“Octopus Part” starring Rolo Montes (1 point)
It was just a face paced, thrashy sick edit that got me revved up to go surfing.
Film of the Year
“NOZ VID” by Noa Deane and Mikey M
It’s an impactful film that’s people are going to go back and watch for ages.
Best YouTube Channel
Chapter 11 TV (1 point)
Dane does sick shit every couple months. It’s always sick videos, sick music, and has all the boys ripping. It’s consistently good to watch.
…
Michael Ciaramella
Surfer of the Year: Male
1. Balaram Stack (5 points)
Back in January, Bal beat JJF to get solo-second at the Backdoor Shootout. Then he went to Tahiti and had one of the best-ever freesurf performances at Teahupo’o. He’s also the only surfer to beat Filipe Toledo in a Lowers heat this year. And oh yeah, he won the PIPE FUCKING MASTERS.
2. John John Florence (4 points)
Sure, he was injured for half the year. But here’s what John managed to achieve while his knee was in working order: won the VTCS, won the (almost) Eddie, put out “Gravity”, did some wild surfing in Fiji, then came back home, won Haleiwa, and in the process made a lot of really good surfers question their entire existence. He’s the best in the world and it’s not even close.
3. Nathan Florence (3 point)
Nobody charged harder than Nate this year — Hawaii, Australia, Indo, Puerto, Europe and back to Hawaii again, seemingly without a rest day. I would bet a Foodland run (half my net worth) that Nate acquired the most tube-square-footage of any surfer in 2022. Bona fide corn lord.
4. Filipe Toledo (2 points)
It’d be easy to criticize Filipe for his Chopes performance or his shock loss to Balaram Stack in the WSL Pre-Finals. But if you go back and watch the surfing Filipe put down to win his world title, it’s impossible not to include him on this list. He’s in a league of his own in waves under four feet — same as John in waves over six.
5. Kelly Slater (1 point)
At 50* years of age, Kelly won the Pipe CT and held world #1 for a couple of months. I would have loved to see him carry that momentum into the rest of the season, but ditching Brazil for no-handers at Kandui was also extremely goatish.
*Ok, 49 and 360 days.
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Stephanie Gilmore (5 points)
Surpassing Layne Beachley with her eighth world title didn’t make Steph the She-Goat — crucifying the very organization that bestowed the honor upon her made her the She-Goat. Also, her performance in Jack Coleman’s film was highly watchable.
2. Sierra Kerr (4 points)
The Stab High Air. The Backdoor tube. The fact that she’s just getting started. Sierra is changing surfing before our eyes, and 2022 was her breakout year.
3. Moana Jones Wong (3 points)
Proximity bias is the darnedest thing. Moana won the first-ever women’s Pipe CT and went mega in the Backdoor Shootout … but it all feels so distant that I can’t bring get myself to push her further up the list.
4. Caity Simmers (2 points)
The Snapper win was special, her Stab High performance was sublime, and in 2023, we’ll see not just Caity’s rookie year on tour, but also her self-made profile film (“Toasted”).
5. Carissa Moore (1 point)
Gotta feel for Carissa, who had an incredible year overall but fumbled the bag on three high-stakes occasions: 1. MJW bested her in the Pipe CT final. 2. Steph ran the table with her in the WSL Finals. 3. She copped an interference in the Vans Pipe Masters final. How will Riss rebound in 2023?
Best Male: Junior
Hughie Vaughan (1 point)
Hughie announced his presence in Stab High, but he’s got so much more in the tank — a tank that is fueled exclusively by French fries.
Best Junior: Female
Sierra Kerr (1 point)
She’s one of very few teenage girls who makes their dad cry in the happy way.
Edit of the Year
“Idiot Box” starring Kael Walsh (1 point)
Great waves, great music, scary surfing. Give the man his Monopoly money.
Film of the Year
“NOZ VID” by Noa Deane and Mikey (1 point)
It’s the Bruce Movie on Ketamine and Vegemite. An opus from one of the most radical surfers of our generation.
Best YouTube Channel
John John Florence (1 point)
I respect what the vlog guys are doing, but their content is for a different audience. JJF is the only surfer I watch religiously YT.
Day Five Results
Surfer of the Year: Male
1. Filipe Toledo – 56
2. Ethan Ewing – 30
3. John John Florence – 27
=4. Noa Deane – 24
=4. Balaram Stack – 24
=6. Nathan Florence – 20
=6. Eithan Osborne- 20
=8. Griffin Colapinto – 19
=8. Creed McTaggart – 19
9. Mason Ho – 17
10. Jack Robinson – 13
Surfer of the Year: Female
1. Stephanie Gilmore – 88
2. Carissa Moore – 68
3. Caity Simmers – 58
4. Sierra Kerr – 40
5. Molly Picklum – 20
6. Moana Jones Wong – 18
7. Coco Ho – 11
8. Bettylou Sakura Johnson – 10
9. Tatiana Weston-Webb – 9
10. Erin Brooks – 7
Best Junior: Male
1. Hughie Vaughan – 8
2. Jackson Dorian – 6
3. Timo Simmers – 2
Best Junior: Female
1. Caity Simmers – 9
2. Sierra Kerr – 8
3. Bettylou Sakura Johnson – 3
Edit of the Year
1. “Idiot Box” starring Kael Walsh – 9
=2. “Iwa Bird” starring Kalani David – 3
=2. “Octopus Part” starring Rolo Montes – 3
Film of the Year
1. “NOZ VID” by Noa Deane and Mikey Mallalieu – 13
2. “Gravity” by John John Florence and Parallel Sea – 3
=3. “Crane Brain” by Ian Crane and Nick Green – 2
=3. “Glad You Scored” by Dane Reynolds and Hunter Martinez – 2
=3. “Rage 4000” by Rage x Toby Cregan – 2
Best Youtube Channel
1. Ho and Pringle Productions – 8
2. Chapter 11 TV – 4
3. Nathan Florence – 3
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