Stab Magazine | At Capacity: The Santa Barbarians Heat Up Last Night's Stab In The Dark Premiere

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

88 Views

At Capacity: The Santa Barbarians Heat Up Last Night’s Stab In The Dark Premiere

A chorus of roughly 300 viewers singing “Happy Birthday” would later ensue at Topa Topa Brewing Co. 

style // Mar 2, 2019
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

When the film ended, Stab in the Dark winning shaper, Britt Merrick of Channel Islands, joined the stage for what was supposed to be a short Q and A. The Q and A contained no questions and no answers. Instead, a crowd pushing 300, who did their best to keep Topa Topa Brewing Co very much at capacity, and hot enough to form a light layer of forehead sweat, erupted in “Happy Birthday to you!”

Britt smiled, as it was, in fact, his birthday (not something we planned when scheduling the Santa Barbara Premiere). When the song ended and the cheering subsided, I handed him the microphone. He broke into a thank you speech, thanking everyone from the Santa Barbarians to his shapers, to his wife and his father, Al (also in attendance), to everyone at Channel Islands who keep his divine shaping lineage alive. The Merrick’s are surfboard celebrities in their hometown; last night, it showed.

He finished his speech. Through the thick whiskers of his beard, he shouted, “I’m out!” Britt handed back the microphone (although he should’ve dropped it) and disappeared for the remainder of the evening.

Earlier in the night, people trickled in a traditional fashion. When the doors opened at six, the high school kids made there way through; black X’s on their hands. They were followed an hour behind by the UCSB crew, who (those without fake IDs or 21) also were gifted with the X of sobriety. The crowd was eclectic: old and young, grom and teen, 20s to 60s, face tattoos and buttoned up shirts all waiting patiently for the film to begin.

By 7:30, the brewery became sardine packed. The Channel Islands crew made their way into the bar. Zeke Lau, Sebastian Zeitz, newlyweds Lakey Peterson and Thomas Allan, Eithan Osborne, and more were in attendance. The bartenders at Topa Topa Brewing Co, ran about, filling their fresh brewed bubbles from the tap, sufficiently lubricating the crowd.

Big thanks to Awayco, Sustainable Surf, Rip Curl and Topa Topa Brewing Co. for making last night possible.

The next Stab in the Dark premiere is in New York City at The Flower Shop, Wednesday, March 6.

See you subway surfers there.

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

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

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

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

Jul 3, 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

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
Advertisement