Stab Magazine | This Soft Board Enthusiast Won The Hurricane Teddy Swell (Thus Far)

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

7 Views

This Soft Board Enthusiast Won The Hurricane Teddy Swell (Thus Far)

When they zig (and zag), Gravy stays put. 

cinema // Sep 25, 2020
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

So I moved back to the northeast, right? 

A downgrade from Central American living in most objective senses, but nevertheless I was pleased to return. I’d missed my family. Friends. Soft pretzels. A strange, masochistic side of me even missed gearing up in heavy rubber and hurling myself over the falls. We’ll see how that stands up once winter arrives. 

But right now, we’re in September. What many would call the best season for surfing in the northeast. The crowds are (kinda) gone. The water’s (relatively) warm. Hurricanes are spinning. And in the past 10 days, we’ve had non-stop waves. But this Tuesday was The Day. And most of us blew it. 

This will sound strange to many of you, but when the waves are good in New Jersey-New York, it’s not uncommon for all of the best surfers in the region to convene on a single stretch of sand. Despite the miles and miles of tubes breaking between the states, northeast surfers are generally happy to share the lineup with their friends, even if it means fewer waves per head. 

So, Tuesday comes. The Day. There’s an easterly groundswell from Hurricane Teddy with a northeast wind swell combo. Wind is north trending northwest. Everybody and their mother descends on a certain part of the Garden State that has historically performed best in these conditions. The morning is wonky and smaller than expected. We assume the rising tide will improve the shape and size. It does, if slightly. Meanwhile, we hear reports from a historically less impressive portion of the state. “It’s solid. Clean. Ben Gravy is having a career sesh on a softie. He’s claiming best-ever.”

We shake our heads. It can’t be. Can it? Even if it can be, by the time we get there, it’ll be deteriorating with the dropping tide. Plus, it could still get better where we are. Right? Frantic spot-checking ensues. Everywhere is just okay. Meanwhile, Gravy laughs his way through 347 tubes on his door step.

The moral of the story? Truthfully, I haven’t figured it out yet. But Ben Gravy wins Hurricane Teddy NY/NJ edition*, even on his damn soft top.

*Matt Keenan and Bal Stack get honorable mentions. We’ve also heard of some noteworthy performances in Maryland, North Carolina, and the Caribbean. Stay tuned for more.

 

 

 

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

Matty McG Skydives Into CT Heat, But Jordy’s Still The Main Event

A full day of heats at J-Bay, and only one shark warning.

Jul 12, 2025

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025
Advertisement