Stab Magazine | The 10 Best Rides From Stab In The Dark

The Season Finale of Stab in the Dark starring Ethan Ewing Is Now Live

668 Views

The 10 Best Rides From Stab In The Dark

The first four films compiled into three hot minutes, featuring Julian Wilson, Dane Reynolds, Jordy Smith, and Mick Fanning. 

cinema // Jan 7, 2020
Words by stab
Reading Time: < 1 minute

In 2016 the first Stab In The Dark came to fruition. At Margaret River with Julian Wilson and 12 blank boards in tow, we set out to find the world’s best performance surfboard. A futile experiment considering surfing’s inexorable and uncontrolled variables, but one which made for fine viewing nonetheless. 

Since that inaugural year we’ve sent Dane Reynolds to South Africa, Jordy Smith to the Mentawais, and had Mick Fanning chasing typhoon swells (on epoxys) in Japan. 

Altogether these four films have accrued days worth of surfing, countless hours of footage, and over two hours in films. While many of us have ample time to blow over this holiday period and could likely rewatch every film, we thought we’d compile a list of the 10 best waves from the first four* films for our own and your viewing pleasure.

The above clip is a three-minute snack pack brimming with the best waves from our expeditions into surfboard testing. And if you’re interested in statistics, there’s a tally of each shaper’s waves at the end.

Watch above, then watch all films in full, if you please, below.

*Stab In The Dark All Stars is excluded, we wouldn’t want to spoil Dane Reynolds and Jordy Smith at J-Bay would we?

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

The Grand Finale of Stab in the Dark Starring Ethan Ewing

The (new) best high-performance surfboard on the planet, anointed.

May 29, 2026

The Skinny Meat Head Episode | StabMic Ep. 16

Dane Reynolds + Eithan Osborne discuss the birth of Ch11 tv.

May 29, 2026

Nearly Half Of Us Think This Shaper Will Win Ethan’s SITD 

We asked, you answered, here are the results. 

May 28, 2026

8 New Surfers, 7 Challenges And $100K Up For Grabs: Surf100 Is Back

The Surf100 Challenge Series presented by Pacifico returns on June 3.

May 26, 2026

Are Johnny Cabianca and Medina Consciously Uncoupling?

We chatted with the shaper of the 3x world champ.

May 26, 2026

How Kelly’s Discarded DHD Landed Under Taj’s Feet

...and then on Britt Merrick's wall.

May 25, 2026

Carissa Moore and Italo Ferreira Win Raglan’s First CT (Spectacularly)

Confirmed: the CT needed a rippable left.

May 25, 2026

Have We Moved Into A New Era Of Surfing? StabMic Ep. 15

Stab High Virginia Beach postmortem with CJ Hobgood, Dane Reynolds, Jake Kelley, & Dooma.

May 24, 2026

Raglan Updates Status To ‘High Performance Left’

Just ask Carissa and Yago how the best heat total of the year and the…

May 24, 2026

Finally, An Inconsistent Left On Tour

After a waveless week, Manu Bay comes back to life and serves up some of…

May 23, 2026

This Is How You Do Raglan

Sage Goldsbury takes a van, a sketchbook, and a hard turn out of competitive surfing.

May 21, 2026

SEOTY: Enzo Cavallini Stars in ‘Malware’

A self-driven project, heavy water detours, and the ongoing problem of visibility for European surfers.

May 21, 2026

Sharks, Crocs & A 38-Second Hold Down — Anthony Walsh On A Lifetime Of DIY Death Evasion

"I once got stuck in a cave at Pipe and had a three-wave hold down.…

May 20, 2026

Episode 04 of Stab in the Dark Starring Ethan Ewing

The day of execution.

May 19, 2026

Mr. Cheddar’s Love Letter To Stab High

"As a weird guy, I can confirm that Buck is a very weird guy."

May 19, 2026

Yago’s Two-Wave Blitz And Robbo’s Two-Wave Drama

Yago Dora catches only two waves to score two near-9s on Day 2 of the…

May 17, 2026

Hughie Vaughan Just Earned The First Perfect Score In Stab High History

While Sky Brown, Isla Hardy, and King Nicol all took home trophies.

May 16, 2026

Replay: Day 2 Of Stab High Virginia Beach, Presented by Monster Energy

Four winners will be crowned, and one Monster Air chosen.

May 16, 2026
Advertisement