Stab Interview: The Best Longboarder In The World
At 42, Kai Sallas recently won his first world title over his Hawaiian protege.
After 20 years and three runner-up finishes on the Longboard Tour, this weekend saw 42-year old Kai Sallas earn his maiden World Title — a accomplishment he admits to having nearly given up on over the past two decades.
And, chairing him up the beach was his competitor in the Final, Kaniela Stewart — the lucid talent from Waikiki who Kai has shaped for, traveled with, and essentially mentored over the past few years.
“In 2016 I qualified for the Longboard Tour in Hainan, China, and that was the first time I saw Kai surf in a contest,” Kaniela says. “The next year, we all got to go to Papua New Guinea, and we had to stay in camping tents. Kai is kind of a reserved, mysterious guy unless you really know him, but he wanted to stay with me because we were both from Hawaii. After that trip we got super close, and from then on we were always together.”
And so, we called Kai, to hear how it felt to finally accomplish his dream, surrounded by his friends and loving family. Read his Stab Interview below.
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Apr 15, 2026