Stab Recommends: Pilfering All The Best Bits From The Past

There was a music teacher at my school nicknamed “Jesus” who told me (thick Scottish accent) “There’s nay point tryna be original, everything’s been done.” 

Although a seemingly pessimistic rhetoric at the time, it’s since proved a prophetic way to experience the whims of trend. If you’re in your 30s then you’ve lived through the re-visiting of all the modern decades. 50s haircuts and tailoring, 60s boards, surfing, trunks and the rest. We did the country soul revamp where everyone (in the words of Jed Smith) started “dressing like wizards” – felt hats, beards, but not staffs, included. 80s mullets, 90s everything, hell, we’re even dabbling in the 2000s, which, irony aside, was the most heinous surfing decade when it came to fashion. You soon realise that a slither of sartorial ideas were nailed first time, but most weren’t. The trick isn’t coming up with something groundbreaking, it’s having the nouse to sort the meaningful from the trivial. Something to ponder while you leaf through this week’s fodder. 

Bong’s Perfect Throwback

Ah, the Stubbies: surfing’s archival tournament where the competitors’ area was more a trip on Led Zep’s Starship than the sterile land of natural therapies and gels than it is today. The attire was more fun too, as referenced seamlessly by the Bong in their flawless retrospective release.

Tip your hat to surfing’s eclectic forefathers.

Cult Surf Booties

Cult. Surf. Booties. Yep, that’s a thing. Somehow. There are people out there who would be willing to fight someone should they ever drag the great O’Neill Ninja name through the mud, and for good reason. These booties are like cheating — incredibly grippy while still allowing you to feel your board. As in, actually feel your board. For real. You certainly won’t be packing them for a trip to Nova Scotia, but they’ll get you through winter in a lot of places. 

Join a (relatively) safe cult.

Core Score Increasing Towelling

Working with Channel Islands, DHD, Mayhem, Pukas, and a handful more of the world’s best shapers, Slowtide’s range of shaper’s travel towels will increase your Core Score overnight. 

Let your fav shaper absorb your moisture.

Surf, Grooming?

Kelsen is surfers Mikey Feb and Jack Freestone, as well as skaters Sean Malto and Curren Caples. Well they’re the faces of it anyway. Handsome packaging, organic, smells divine… no complaints from the Stab gentry since prying open the box.

Smell, potentially look, better than your opposition.

Surf Sartorialist Sig Pea Coast

Jared Mell’s remaining as part of surfing’s consciousness is solely thanks to the style of the man. Whether it’s negotiating myriad surfcraft or stepping out at various locales around the globe, he always looks flawless. When he makes a coat, we wear. 

Not many places you can find a coast so handsome with such a modest price tag.