Man Attempts To Predict Surfing’s Future, Wins A Fresh Chilli Stick

One of the most rewarding parts of the job here at Stab is making people’s days.

It could be by blasting their happy snap from the beach that morning to 770k eyeballs on social media, telling an up-and-comer that we’re backing their new reel, or simply firing a red heart back at someone’s DM.

Somedays however, we’re given the opportunity to really inject a spring into someone’s step, with something tangible, something they’ll fucking adore. Like a spanking new optic white piece of foam.

This time it was a gent by the name of Thomas Nickoll who received the good news. 

What do you do when you’re offered a wall of boards and told to pick one free of charge? Probably black out.

Tom entered this year’s Stab Survey, did his time grinding through the questions (it’s for a good cause, – a better Stabmag.com!), then hit the final question, the one that really mattered, and delivered.

For those that don’t remember, we asked what surfing my look like come 2030, in 100 words or less.

Answers ranged from downright ridiculous all the way up to mildly enlightening. Tom’s fell into the latter category.

“Opening scene: You are in your car in a dark dystopia.  As the bat-like cloud of drones separate from the line-up to briefly reveal peeling drainers, you get your rounded-pin thruster from the roof-racks: a dinosaur amid a car park full of experimental aberrations of surf technology.  You paddle out and find yourself a gem against the odds. Just as you are ready to launch and wreak stylish havoc resemblant of the retro 2010s, a petrol fuelled hydro-foil bounces its way over your shoulder and down the line.  This is madness. This is unfair. This is surfing. This is 2030.”

Thomas feels up his new Chilli Sugar, 6’2″ X 22 1/2″ X 3″ 46L

One hundred words, right?

So, we linked him up with Chilli, sent him into their new store in Mona Vale, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and within an hour he’d pulled himself a new twin fin, straight off the rack.

Tom told Stab after that he’d had the thing waxed and ready for action, but as when anyone who acquires a new board knows, fresh toys and swell never play together, *sigh*.