Stab High Virginia Beach 2026, Presented by Monster Energy Get the Wrap Up: Stab High Sydney 2025, Presented by Monster Energy Dates: May 15th (Friday) & May 16th (Saturday) Time (FRIDAY) Local: 9:00AM – 7:00PM Honolulu: 3:00AM – 1:00PM  Los Angeles: 6:00AM – 4:00PM NEW YORK: 9:00AM – 7:00PM PARIS: 3:00PM – 1:00AM SYDNEY: 11:00PM – 9:00AM   Time (SATURDAY) Local: 11:00AM – 5:00PM Honolulu: 5:00AM – 11:00AM Los Angeles: 8:00AM – 2:00PM  NEW YORK: 11:00AM-5:00PM PARIS: 5:00PM – 11:00PM SYDNEY: 1:00AM – 7:00AM (Sunday) Location: ATLANTIC PARK SURF 365 18th St suite 154 Virginia Beach, VA USA TICKETS ON SALE SOON GET STAB PREMIUM & TUNE IN About Stab High Surfers Event Format How To Watch History About Stab High Stab High is the world’s most extraordinary surf contest. It’s held in a wave pool, and it’s all about airs. The format eliminates awkward waiting periods, extended lulls, and safety surfing. Instead, it’s just two days of surfing’s least risk-averse individuals going as large as they can, on demand. The event hosts an atmosphere that more closely resembles a music festival than a sporting event. Despite it feeling far from a traditional surf comp, Stab High still sets the benchmark in competitive aerial surfing. This year’s Stab High features four divisions: Pro Mens, Pro Womens, Ladybirds (15-and-under girls), and Bottle Rockets (15-and-under boys). Additionally, the Monster Air will be won by the surfer who performs the most impactful air of the event, regardless of division. Each surfer gets multiple chances to land their best air, and each division eventually boils down to a four-person final. It’s judged by some of surfing’s most opinionated characters, all of whom have above-the-lip track records to back those opinions up. They don’t always agree, and we view that as a good thing. The Pro Mens Final and Pro Womens Final will consist of 5 surfers. The Bottle Rocket and Ladybird Final will consist of 4 surfers. The Virginia Beach edition marks the first-ever Stab High in the coastal United States. Previous editions have taken us to Waco, Texas; Shizunami, Japan; and Sydney, Australia. With a sell-out crowd of 3,000 people expected, and 56 air surfers on-site and out on town, it’s shaping up to be the best weekend in VB since Jadson Andre won ECSC. For those who can’t make it, watch the broadcast to pretend you’re there. Surfers There will be 36 surfers in the Pro Men’s division, 8 Ladybirds, 8 Bottle Rockets, and 4 Pro Women’s contestants. Pro Men Eithan Osborne Chippa Wilson Matt Meola Robbie McCormick Mikey February Mason Ho Curren Caples Jacob Szekely Evan Geiselman Cam Richards Shane Borland Makana Franzmann Timo Simmers Hayden Rodgers Jett Schilling More TBA Balaram Stack Ryji Masuda Levi Slawson Cruz Dinofa Noah Beschen Lennix Smith Ian Crane Judd Henkes Nick Marshall Blayr Barton Harley Walters Hughie Vaughan Caden Francis Kanaiya Webb Eric Geiselman Pro Women, presented by Sun Bum Sierra Kerr Milla Coco-Brown Sky Brown Eden Walla Skai Suitt Ladybirds (Girls, 15-and-under), presented by Sun Bum Zoey Kaina Isla Hardy Zoee Bradshaw More TBA  Bottle Rockets (Boys, 15-and-under), presented by YETI Zacky Taylor Zion Walla Marco Menendez Jaggar Phillips More TBA. Event Format How do we decide who’s best in the air? We’ve grappled with this question since 2018, and have come up with a variety of answers over the years (head to the History tab for some backstory).The World’s Best Aerialists Are Split Into Four Divisions:– Pro Men– Pro Women– Ladybirds (Girls, 15-and-under)– Bottle Rockets (Boys, 15-and-under)Qualifying Round: Pro Men’s– 6-man heats– Two rights, two lefts each– Best single air in each heat advances to semis– Two best airs that didn’t win their heats advance to Semis (leaderboard style)– Remaining 28 surfers go to Sudden Death round Sudden Death: Pro Men’s– One wave in direction of choice– Top 2 airs advance to semis– Leaderboard format: surfers against entire fieldSemifinals: Pro Men’s, Bottle Rockets, Ladybirds– Three rights, three lefts each– Best single air counts, top 4 advance to final– Leaderboard format: surfers against entire fieldFinals: Pro Men’s, Pro Women’s, Bottle Rockets, Ladybirds– Three rights, three lefts each– Best single air wins How To Watch In Person Come rub elbows and clink Monsters with us in Virginia Beach. Pro tip: Bring a board. You can book a session in the pool before/after the comp, and even if it’s full, the ocean’s right across the street. OnlineCan’t make it to VB? Lame, but we get it.If you’re a Stab Premium member, you can watch Stab High online for free. If not, subscribe to Stab Premium to gain access to the event webcast, along with thousands of hours of backlogged films and original editorial, with plenty more to come. We’re offering a 10% discount to anyone who signs up for the annual membership — just use code STABHIGHANNUAL at checkout. TimesBoth days will be broadcast worldwide via stabmag.com. Friday broadcast times:3:00AM – 1:00PM in Honolulu, 6:00AM – 4:00PM in Los Angeles, 9:00AM – 7:00PM in New York, 3:00PM – 1:00AM in Paris, and 11:00PM – 9:00AM in Sydney. Saturday broadcast times:5:00AM – 11:00AM in Honolulu, 8:00AM – 2:00PM in Los Angeles, 11:00AM – 5:00PM in New York, 5:00PM – 11:00PM in Paris, and 1:00AM – 7:00AM (Sunday) in Sydney. History History Past winnersWaco, 2018: Noa DeaneWaco, 2019: Chippa Wilson (Men) and Sierra Kerr (Ladybirds)Mentawais, 2020: Ian Crane (Men) and Caity Simmers (Ladybirds)Central America, 2021: Matt Meola (Men) and Erin Brooks (Ladybirds)Lakey Peak, 2022: Robbie McCormick (Men) and Sierra Kerr (Ladybirds)Japan, 2024: Eithan Osborne (Men), Lucas Cassity (Bottle Rockets), Kiara Goold (Ladybirds)Japan, 2025: Hughie Vaughn (Men), Sierra Kerr (Women), Eden Walla (Ladybirds), Loci Cullen (Bottle Rockets)Sydney, 2025: Joel Vaughan (Men), Sierra Kerr (Women), Skai Suitt (Ladybirds), Loci Cullen (Bottle Rockets)Stab High was born as a response to conventional surfing events. We wanted to focus on a different side of surf culture — something freer, less structured, and more unpredictable. With the wavepool boom in its nascent era, we decided on an air competition at Waco Surf … Continue reading Stab High Virginia Beach 2026