Stab Recommends: The Surfboard Edition

And now for something completely different. 

It seemed simple: quick whip ’round of what everyone was riding, few words, done. However, asking Stab staffers which begged, borrowed or stolen craft they were currently riding unearthed some amusing office politics. The ad dept power shuffled – “Didn’t I get you a neck beard a while back?” “Ummm” – whilst staffers who’d aquired crafts on the sly emailed me direct with “can you put this one in for me, it goes really good.” We got there eventually though, and here’s five crafts ridden by a portion of the Stab workforce. More to come. 

A Limited Lost Twin

This here Lost twin is a collab between Mayhem and Son of Cobra shaper Paul Lefevre, and the current squeeze of Stab EIC Ashton Goggans, a man with more surfboards than he knows what to do with. If it’s beaten off the scores of others to take pride of place in the boardbag then Paul and Matt must be onto something…

Hunt around for something special.

A Surprising Favourite

The cynics among us dismissed the HS, HG as a gimmicky attempt to follow up on the runaway success of the Hypto Krypto, but a number of talented (non-contractually obliged) surfers really dig the Holy Grail. Luke ‘Shanghai Sex’ Stedman and Stab’s US ad man Aaron Carrera among them.

Ideas that work.

A Loyal Companion

I’ve had a Monad (shaped by my friend Josh Keogh) for almost two years and I’ve never had such a connection with a surfboard. We’ve been to 12 countries, endured a break-up and two robberies, surfed everything from two foot runners to six foot perfection, and she still flies. I thought I’d lost her yesterday when a crystal-blue cobra landed square on her face (it’s been a remarkable few days of surf on the East coast of Oz) and I got a knot in my stomach like you do when you’ve done something really terrible.

Future best friend.

Futuristic Hi-fi Sled

Stab’s resident board reviewer Mikey Ciaramella’s a gifted surfer and notorious scrutiniser of surfboards (which evidently helps with the job). Of the CI Happy Mike said: “I won’t lie. It went fucking amazing.” ‘Nuff said.

Boom, zap, kapow!

Wonky Fish That Flies

Stab Senior Editor Morgan Williamson surfs in a similar vein to how he lives his life: erratic, with moments of brilliance. I once saw him execute a flawless, delicately-timed roundhouse to wash-whack at Rocky Point that had an anonymous pro exclaim: “Holy shit, I didn’t know Morgan could surf!” This is Morgan’s current ride (one of his three colour-coordinated Albums) which he proclaims “makes surfing in LA, kinda fun.”

Try something new.