Stab Magazine | Owen Kaestner's Friction-Free Field Test In Mexico

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Owen Kaestner’s Friction-Free Field Test In Mexico

High performance fun on a craft from the past!

cinema // Feb 25, 2018
Words by stab
Reading Time: < 1 minute

About a month ago, I was surfing a secluded San Diegan reef when I saw a long-haired, hippy-type paddle out on a round nose twin. 

This ought’a be good, I thought to myself. Another talentless schmuck purposefully undermining his surfing ability to achieve some retrogressive ideal.

Boy was I wrong. This kid rode the shit out of his twinny, laying down smooth, graceful tracks and a even finding few cheater-5 tubes. My disdain quickly turned to jealousy, and then embarrassment, and then back to anger. Who the hell does this guy think he is, out-shredding me on a relic of surfing’s past?

We traded waves for a few hours, until eventually the hippy-type approached me and asked, “Hey, did you used to go to [redacted Caribbean island] when you were a kid?”

Yes, yes I did.

“Yeah, you’re Mikey right? I don’t know if you remember me, but we used to surf together when we were kids. I’m from [other redacted Caribbean island] but I would always go to [redacted Caribbean island] to surf. My name is Owen.”

And then it all clicked: Owen. [Redacted Caribbean island]. Yes, yes I remember! 

“Owen Kaestner, right?”

“Yeah, good to see you man!”

“You too!”

So we chatted, shared brief summaries of our lives since the childhood days, and went our separate ways. 

The just yesterday, Owen posted the above video on his Facebook. I found his ability on a finless craft even more impressive than that on a twin, and therefore I’m sharing it with all of you. 

Please enjoy the athletic artistry of my childhood friend from [other redacted Caribbean island], Mr. Owen Kaestner. 

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