"You'll Know Who Taro Watanabe Is Soon, If You Don't Already" - Stab Mag

Live Now — Episode 2 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

894 Views

“You’ll Know Who Taro Watanabe Is Soon, If You Don’t Already”

Watch ‘Back and Forth’ — 12 minutes of anti-gravity finners and grabless tube finesse.

cinema // Nov 11, 2023
Words by Holden Trnka
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ryan Callinan considers hands-free tuberiding the pinnacle of backside surfing.

Usually, something existing at the ‘pinnacle’ means one must surpass other accomplishments to get there. Taro Watanabe, however, is skipping pigdogging altogether and instead learning to backside tube ride with no hands. 

“I like no-grabbing,” Taro quietly told me. “It honestly feels more comfortable for me a lot of the time, so I’ve just been doing that. There’s no secret, I think it’s just preference. I haven’t really grown up surfing barreling lefts, it’s something I’m pretty new at. I’m just trying things out, learning, and seeing what works for me. For now it’s been no-grab backside barrels,” he laughs.

As you’ll see above, the 21-year old (full name Taro Kelly Slater Watanabe) manages to snag a fair few grabless reef maulers between bouts of anti-gravity fin drifting. 

The percentage of surfers who can put themselves in this position without pig-dogging is surely <1%. Screengrab — Quinn Graham

On a recent episode of Soundings with Jamie Brisick, Brad Gerlach said “You’ll know who Taro Watanabe is soon, if you don’t already.”

Earlier this year, Taro finished second at the Steamer Lane Coldwater Classic — blowing past World #1 (at the time) Griffin Colapinto and recent Challenger Series winner Cole Houshmand in a frenzy of upside-down blowtails and stylish knees.

Though he hasn’t fully found his QS rhythm beyond that result, this clip, created by Quinn Graham, is an aesthetically explosive step toward the recognition Taro absolutely deserves. And, the final section — a impactful collection of Taro’s trademark layback/blowtails — makes one wonder why Yo-Yos didn’t get a mention in our ‘Best Onshore Waves’ story.

“The whole edit came about pretty organically,” filmmaker Quinn told me. “Just a small idea that kept growing and growing. I think we’ve been filming it for about five months.”

Though ‘Back and Forth’ didn’t get a look in at SEOTY because of some music licensing speed-bumps, Taro’s uniquely committed swagger makes us wonder where it would’ve ranked in the pile of Euro-heavy edits. And if you didn’t get enough of him here, Taro is one of the guest stars in our new (still to be titled) Chippa & friends film, which we’re currently producing with Monster.

Click above, and relish in the fact that nobody surfs like Taro.

If you want to learn blowtails, we suggest pausing and restarting this clip a million times. Screengrab — Quinn Graham

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

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

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025

SEOTY: The ‘Once-In-A-Decade’ Caribbean Swell That Kelly Slater Passed On

Michael Dunphy stars in Jimmicane's 'Blue Veil'

Jun 25, 2025

Who Owns Bingin? Legal Fight To Stop Demolition Begins

Eviction notices served for all businesses built on state land.

Jun 25, 2025

Tony Hawk Just Named Hughie Vaughan’s Internet-Breaking Air Because… No One Else Can

89% of our IG poll respondents claimed the 'stale fish flipper' was the best air…

Jun 25, 2025

German Surfers: AN INVESTIGATION

Truth is the light by which the world can see. 

Jun 24, 2025

“I Lost Everything I’ve Ever Owned, But This Board Came Back”

One month after the LA wildfires, a surfboard washed ashore.

Jun 24, 2025

Shock Therapy: World 1 & 2 Eliminated Early In Saquarema

Gabriela Bryan and Caity Simmers fall victim on Day 1 of the Vivo Rio Pro.

Jun 22, 2025

German University Surf Contest Derails After Local Pushes Competitor Off Wave

The story behind the shove, and why wave-rental politics turned physical in Seignosse.

Jun 22, 2025
Advertisement