Watch: Eight Of The Wildest Young Guns Rides, According To Stab

Remember, as a child, the dreaded eternal night before Christmas? Laying in bed, tossing and turning, begging for morning’s arrival. It seemed like the glow in the dark hands of your Casio watch were frozen. For eight juvenile surfers, the same time dilation is returning to haunt them. Why? They’re less than a week away from boarding a plane to Indonesia for the Young Guns final. Soon enough they’ll be unwrapping their watery gifts, showing off for the celebrity judges and for one talented kid, adding $10k to their dollarmite account.

Now, there are a few names that starred in last year’s event, but there are new faces and we’d like to shine a light on the full cast. We got our hands on the footage the finalists submitted and handpicked what we believed to be their brightest moments. It’s the most effective way to acquaint yourself with the top eight, so enjoy one powerful ride from Dwight Pastrana, Kyuss King, Kade Matson, Sandon Wittaker, Kehu Butler, Justin Becret, Sammy Pupo and Kael Walsh above.

Currently, the groms are packing their boardbags, stripping their wax, tearing out their fins and rewatching every game-changing surf flick they’ve ever owned. They’ll be looking to channel the aggression of Andy, the speed of Mick, the silk of Craig and the progression of Filipe. Stab will be there documenting the action as it unfolds.