Re-Watch: Stab High Wildcard Ryan Huckabee’s Bootleg SEOTY
HUCK, and an insight into Ryan Huckabee’s work-life balance.
Editor’s Note: Last week, we invited our Premium members to vote on which surfer they thought deserved the last spot in Stab High Japan 2025 Presented by Monster Energy. The poll was based on Instagram submissions, and 21-year old Ryan Huckabee emerged as the winner.
As such, we thought it only right to refresh your memories on just how good this kid from Flagler Beach, Florida is.
For context, this interview was done in September of 2024.
It wasn’t until earlier this year, when a flurry of Changas first-round flounders forked toward Southern Africa’s most documented rights and lefts, that I first heard Ryan Huckabee’s name.
At the time, I was more shocked — and intrigued — by the gruesome face injury he sustained during his first mission to Skeleton Bay, a fate shared by his good friend and occasional roommate, Dimitri Poulos.
Fast forward a few months, and out of the blue, Ryan reached out to Stab about his new edit. Regrettably, what would’ve otherwise been a strong contender for SEOTY was prematurely out of the running due to noncompliance with music clearance bureaucracy.
For all it’s worth, though, you’re still about to watch one of the standout edits of the year so far — an edifying performance certain to etch the Floridian’s name in your anterior temporal lobe. Having only recently left his teens, Ryan’s decision to drop half a surname, and title his first edit HUCK comes across as a very deliberate self-announcement.
Suffice to say, after watching this SEOTY could-have-been, we had to sit down with Ryan to get some further insight into his process, his first full year on the CS, and his future goals
Ryan, you did your first trip to Skeleton Bay in July. Talk us through that experience.
I was debating between going there or J-Bay after I lost in the Ballito Pro. I was leaning towards J-Bay, but Luke Thompson told me the swell had shifted and looked better for Skeleton Bay. So I thought, ‘You know what, J-Bay will always be there, but who knows how long Skeleton Bay will last? It’s a sand point, after all.’
So I pulled the trigger last second and went. It was the most amazing experience. I surfed all day on the best day of the swell and caught a smaller day too. At the start of the second swell, I got hurt — I took a rail to the face and ended up with 23 stitches. It cut my trip short, but it was still totally worth it.
That photo looked pretty gory.
Yeah, when it happened, I put my tongue in the cut and felt just a little flap of skin separating the inside of my mouth from the outside. I thought, ‘Shit, this isn’t good.’
Are you fully healed now?
Yeah, but I think I might have some nerve damage. I get these weird feelings on my face sometimes, but overall, it healed well. The scars aren’t bad at all, considering the 23 stitches.
Could you tell us a bit about this edit?
One of my main goals this year was to make a full edit, something I could really be proud of. This is my first year on the Challenger Series, and I saw it as an opportunity to film as well. You’re spending so much money traveling, and there are so many world-class waves around the areas we’re competing in, so I figured I may as well take advantage of that and film.
You started filming about a year ago, in Portugal?
Yeah, I wanted to work on a Portugal edit, but I didn’t get as much footage as I hoped. So I decided, ‘You know what, I’m going to work on a full piece this year.’ I hadn’t done a trip purely for filming until Indonesia.
Where else did you film?
I spent five weeks in Indonesia — most of the edit was filmed there. I was in Sumbawa for a couple of weeks and also spent some time in Nias. Between events, I managed to film in California and the East Coast. The end section is all from Cave in Portugal.
Tell us about that (right) air ramp.
The big air ramp is called [redacted]. The locals keep it pretty low-key. We were surfing it every day when it was big, and the wind was perfect. It’s my first legit edit, and I wanted to find real air waves. I’ve never surfed waves with proper air sections consistently like that, so I was stoked to get some reps in and land a couple of solid ones. It was a really cool experience.
What about the slabby left?
That was actually big Lakey’s. I had never seen it like that before. One afternoon, it was onshore with an almost negative tide, and then the wind switched offshore. Suddenly, it turned into a full slab — it was crazy! It didn’t even look like the same wave; the light and the color of the sky made it seem completely different.
You’re out of the running for qualification this year. Will you still surf the remaining events?
Yeah, definitely. My goal this year was just to get some experience, without any real expectations. It would be really nice to get a result in one of these last two events and qualify for the World Junior Championships. I’m 20 now, so this is my last year in the Juniors. I just want to get some results, build confidence for next year, and come back more prepared.
Will you try to get some more footage, now that you’re heading back to Portugal for the CS event?
Maybe. The forecast doesn’t look too great, but I’d love to surf Cave again. I’ve surfed it four or five times now and really want to push myself out there and get some better ones.
Are you aiming to qualify, or is this more of a rite of passage?
I’d love to qualify eventually — that’s my main goal. Going into next year, I want to focus more on competing, give it a serious run, and try to make the CT.
Were you planning to enter HUCK into SEOTY?
I had the idea, but I wasn’t sure how it worked. By the time I looked into it, the edit was already finished, and I had to try and license the music. Jacob Vanderwork and Tyrone Fomenko did an amazing job editing it, but I didn’t know the music had to be licensed for SEOTY. I just had them put in whatever they liked.
I tried to license the four different songs they used, but it was tough. Some of the songs are old, and the bands don’t even exist anymore. After a lot of research and reaching out to record labels, I didn’t have much luck. So, instead of re-editing, I decided to just put it out myself.
It’s like a bootleg Edit Of The Year then?
Yeah, pretty much. But next year, I’d love to put something together and be a part of that.
What’s the surf scene like at Flagler Beach?
It’s amazing. It’s a really cool surf town with a hotbed of talent. Robbie McCormick, aka Rasta Robb, who won Stab High, is from here. He’s a couple of years older than me, and I always looked up to him. My mom used to take us to the skatepark every day when I was 7 or 8, and he was 11 or 12. It’s been cool growing up watching what he’s able to do and having him push me in the water.
We also have guys like Robbie Goodwin, who’s gnarly in big waves, and other underground guys who rip as well. Then we have Ryan Conklin, who shapes his own boards, and a bunch of guys that ride alternative surfboards and also rip. We’ve got a pretty solid crew.
Is California home now?
I’d still say Florida is home, but I spend a lot of time in California for QS events. I stay in Ventura with my friend Dimitri Poulos a lot, so I split my time between the two.
Any closing remarks?
Definitely. Huge thanks to Peyton Willard, who filmed for countless hours for this edit, and Mini Blanchard for filming a lot of the California stuff. Jacob and Tyrone did an amazing job editing, and I really appreciate the support from Vissla.
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