Stab Surfer Of The Year 2020: Chris Cote, Caity Simmers, Crosby Colapinto, Holly Wawn, and Grant “Twiggy” Baker

Welcome to Day 2 of Stab Surfer of the Year 2020, our annual feature where we poll 50 influential people in the world of surf and release their picks over ten days. The goal: To tally unbiased votes over a sprawling group of respected opinions to declare the year’s best surfer.

Chris Cote
Age: 44

Bio: An action sports…personality? We’re not entirely sure, but this guy has landed more cool jobs than anyone else in the surf/skate industry.

Male

1. John John Florence (5 points): I’m just gonna stay on the bandwagon. It’s hard to argue with anything he’s done. Obviously, he had the big comeback, and I think he’s actually surfing better than before the injury, which is really hard to do. He looks so strong. I think he’s really coming into himself and asserting himself as the guy to beat. He’s doing impossible things on a surfboard, and he would have been world champ in 2019. 

2. Albee Layer (4 points): For making a comeback from a traumatic head injury and continuing to progress the sport with his words and actions. Plus, he’s the Monday M.A.S.S. Podcast Surfer Of The Year already, so he basically already got his award, but Stab surfer of the year is pretty cool, too.

3. Creed McTaggart (3 points): Hands-down, the best series of the year was Creed’s pub-tour with you guys and Coopers. Just the style; he sheds all the bullshit. His boards are just beautiful, hand-crafted throwbacks. Glass-on fins. There’s something just so pure and raw about his surfing and the way he looks on his board. It’s a throwback, but it’s totally modern and current. I’ve probably watched each episode ten times. 

4. Kelly Slater (2 points): He’s an anomaly. An interesting, secretive, and completely slick man. Not afraid to ride a weird, cool-looking twin fin in the Pipe Masters. I think his Indonesian experience kept everybody’s eyeballs on him and made him a force. He’s still hanging in there with the top-5, which is incredible. 

5. Jacob ‘Zeke’ Szekely (1 point): Because he’s forging his own path, doing wild shit that…I feel like if anyone else did this, they would get totally clowned. But he does it with such authenticity, and he loves it. Throwback to the mid-90s …Lost crew when there was edge and shit, was wild. I love that he’s not taking any critique or criticism and changing anything. He does whatever the hell he wants to do. 

Female

1. Tyler Wright (5 points): She didn’t have the opportunity to show the full force of her comeback, but what she did to start the year, what she did during the lockdown, the statements she’s showing, the leadership, the bravery—everything she’s done has impressed me. Then seeing her surf in Maui against the best of the best is incredible. She’s surfing better than ever, and she’s fighting for such a noble cause. And she owns it. She’s not afraid to shout it from the mountaintops. I think she’s gonna be World Champ in 2021. 

2. Carissa Moore (4 points): Championship form. I love that she’s had this kind of positive light throughout all this madness. Her documentary was really cool. She stayed in peak form, she hasn’t let any of this bullshit get her down, and she’s so fun to watch. That’s my biggest disappointment with the Tour getting canceled last year, which is not getting to see her, Steph, and Tyler compete.

3. Sierra Kerr (3 points): Because of what she did in Stab High Non-Chorine, and what she does on a daily basis. Big barrels, big airs, she’s getting better every single day. She’s gotta be considered among the best female aerialists in the world. She doesn’t even care what’s happening in the contest realm. She’s just going out and blowing minds every time she surfs.

4. Bethany Hamilton (2 points): She has to be on every top-5 list for everything, ever. She was learning to do airs when four or five months pregnant in Waco. I think that’s probably a NBD. 

5. Caroline Marks (1 point): What she did at Lowers all through the pandemic and the positivity she brought throughout this year have been contagious. If Tyler Wright doesn’t win the World Title, she’s gotta be a favorite.  

Best Junior (1 point)

Tosh Tudor. It’s been fun to watch Tosh carve out his own path. He’s a down-to-earth, friendly kid, fun to watch surf, and a pleasure to surf with. He knows his history, rides cool boards, has been getting pitted and charging all over the place. 

Best Film (1 point)

Cloud Chase. Albee called me an hour ago and made sure I’d vote for him. But nah, I love how technical it is and how it shows how hard it is to do airs. Albee’s skate-style bone-outs got me; they steal my heart

Caity Simmers
Age: 14
Bio: Certified ladybird ripper. Stab High Champ. Parents should really find a storage unit for all the CT trophies soon to come. There’s gonna be a lot.

Male

1. Griffin Colapinto (5 points): He’s been getting some amazing waves at Pipe, I’ve been watching his Youtube channel, and there are some really gnarly clips. 

2.John John Florence (4 points): It’s just John John. He’s one of my favorite surfers, and he’s been getting some good waves. 

3. Mason Ho (3 points): For his creativity. 

4. Tanner Gudauskas (2 points): My fellow Oceanside local, I really liked a couple of edits he dropped this year.

5. Josh Kerr (1 point): I went to Indo with him a few months ago, and it just looks like he’s having fun on the wave. He draws different lines, which is sick. 

Female

1. Stephanie Gilmore (5 points): She’s stylish and really good at surfing. 

2. Kirra Pinkerton (4 points): She charges hard and gets big barrels.

3. Laura Enever (3 points): I enjoyed her film Undone and how she was chasing big waves and big barrels.

4. Coco Ho (2 points): I like to watch her surf. She has a great style that’s always easy to watch. 

5. Vahine Fierro (1 point): I respect her. She’s young and charges Tahiti and is good at getting tubed on her backside too.

Best Junior (1 point):
Timothy Simmers. I’m putting my brother because he has really improved this year and has a cool style. 

Best Edit (1 point):
Digital Surf Digital World. I loved the editing of it. Sometimes edits are a little too repetitive but this one was fun to watch. I wasn’t bored for a second. 

Crosby Colapinto
Age: 19
Bio: An invasive species on the North Shore. The Crozz has one speed: go. Sometimes referred to as Griffin’s older brother.

Male

1. John John Florence (5 points): The way he surfs in general, and especially the way he surfs in big waves, is incredibly impressive. I also loved his movie about the Olympics. He makes surfing look so easy. 

2. Ian Crane (4 points): I traveled with him for about two months, and watching him surf and do airs he was doing—I’ve never seen someone get so inverted. I think he’s one of the most underrated guys ever. And he won the Stab High thing. He’s just really, really good at surfing. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stab Magazine (@stab)

3. Griffin Colapinto (3 points): For the way he’s been surfing this winter, plus he’s my brother, so I watch everything he does. He charges so hard and always lands on his feet…or butt. But he always gets back up.

4. Matt Meola (2 points): I did that Stab High boat trip with him, and watching him do airs on sections that I wouldn’t even think of hitting was mind-boggling. It kind of baffled me watching that. Just straight to the flats on huge sections. 

5. Gabriel Medina (1 point): He probably should be higher up. I’ve been staying with him at the Rip Curl house and watching him surf every day. It’s crazy how much he lands. He was riding my fish in a couple of sessions, and he was doing all these different airs and landing everything. I can’t even get that thing out of the water. 

Female

1. Erin Brooks (5 points): She was the most impressive because she went out and went to Indo and traveled and used it to her advantage. She also did some crazy airs at Waco. 

2. Caroline Marks (4 points): Just cause she’s so gnarly. Her backhand is probably better than mine. So much spray. Every time I surf with her, it inspires me to surf better on my backhand. 

3. Bronte Macaulay (3 points): She charges really hard. I’ve seen her clips from West Oz over the whole break, and she’s just sending it on that huge left. I’ve also been really impressed with her in Hawaii this year. 

4. Laura Enever (2 points): Her film was really crazy. She was charging and eating shit. It was pretty sick to see a girl charging that hard. 

5. Sierra Kerr (1 point): ‘Cause of the punts she’s been doing. She was in Indo when I was there, and it was pretty psycho to watch her in person. She definitely has her dad’s mentality and technique. 

Best Junior (1 point):

Jett Schilling. I feel like he’s a little underrated. He’s pretty gnarly in big waves, and he’s only gonna get better. He’s been progressing so much, and it’s cool to see. 

Best film (1 point):

Rage 3. Everything they were doing in it was super gnarly. Really really tapped.

Holly Wawn
Age: 23
Bio: Co-host of the Pick-Up, hack enthusiast, and recent addition to the Vans team.

Male

1. Ian Crane (5 points): Because he tears so hard and he won Stab High. I just like that he’s not on show all the time. He never does anything so he can get attention. He’s just doing stuff cause it’s good.

2. Mikey February (4 points): For continuing to do the most beautiful surfing, starting a charity, and looking after his community.  

3. Jay Davies (3 points): It’s all about his new video. He’s a piglet in every sense of the word. His aggression in his approach to the wave is what I like most. 

4. John Florence (2 points): His ability to constantly entertain himself with his aquatic surroundings is inspiring. 

5. Kai Lenny (1 point): Kai Lenny is so bad he’s good. He’s doing everything. I don’t know how he fits it all in his day or year. He’s undeniably the best at everything.   

Female

1. Kirra Pinkerton (5 points): Getting standup tubes at Indo. She’s knifing it on her toeside. Very impressive. 

2. Tyler Wright (4 points): For backing herself and being vocal about what she believes in and making a comeback. 

3. Steph Gilmore (3 points): Steph’s the all-rond GOAT. 

4. Sierra Kerr (2 points): Well, doing big ol punts and bringing em home. Full throttle, and she treats the ocean like a skatepark, even when it’s not a skatepark. 

5. Kassia Meador (1 point): Because she’s still tearing the ’Bu, for her efforts on @lograp. She’s a fantastic longboarder. She’s just really good at it. She’s classic. She goes real fast, beautiful footwork, she still surfs as well as she always did.    

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Log Rap (@lograp)

Best Junior (1 point):

Jai Glindeman. All rail, and he seems like a lovely young guy. And that matters; if someone’s a prick, it works against them, I think. 

Best edit (1 point):

Soft Serve by Kael Walsh. High octane surfing from start to finish. 

Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker
Age: Doesn’t Matter, he’s invincible.
Bio: Big wave psychopath, eats a cinder block for breakfast every day. One of South Africa’s finest exports.

Men

1. John John Florence (5 points): I just surfed maxing Haleiwa with the guy in late December, and his surfing was the best I’ve ever witnessed live.

2. Italo Ferreira (4 points): His edits are phenomenal, and his aerial surfing is second to none.

3. Jordy Smith (3 points): We had the best winter of waves in South Africa in many years, and Jordy was surfing at his highest level — the second most barreled surfer last year. [laughs]

4. Kai Lenny (2 points): He continues to move forward and develop as an all-around surfer in any conditions and any form of equipment.

5. Matt MacGillivray (1 point): Matt is all heart, and his power surfing is the future. If he gets a chance this year, he’s Top 10 material.

Women

1. Justine DuPont (5 points): A phenomenal talent in all conditions and a next-level performer in the world’s biggest waves.

2. Tyler Wright (4 points): Power, speed, flow, and does it all with a sense of social commitment.

3. Maya Gabeira (3 points): Part of the strongest tow team at Nazare who consistently catch the biggest, deepest waves.

4. Carissa Moore (2 points): I wish I surfed with the power and style of this Hawaiian icon.

5. Billi Bo Baker (1 point): The little girl having the most fun in the ocean.

Best Junior (1 point):

Jackson Dorian. No explanation really needed.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jackson Dorian (@jackson_dorian)

Best Edit (1 point):

On the Light Side. That crazy Torren Martyn Twin Fin edit from Indo where he’s riding upfront on that board just flying through impossible barrels…. Wild shit!

Day 2 Rankings

Male

1. John John Florence (34 points)

//2. Italo Ferreira (15 points)

//2. Griffin Colapinto (15 points)

3. Ian Crane (11 points)

4. Mason Ho (8 points)

//5. Nathan Fletcher (7 points)

//5. Kelly Slater (7 points)

//6. Nate Fletcher (5 points)

//6. Kai Lenny (5 points)

//6. Jacob Wilcox (5 points)

Female

1. Tyler Wright (23 points)

2. Steph Gilmore (17 points)

3. Bronte Macaulay (16 points)

//4. Sierra Kerr (14 points)

//4. Kirra Pinkerton (14 points)

5. Carissa Moore (11 points)

6. Justine Dupoint (10 points)

7. Erin Brooks (9 points)

//8. Caroline Marks (7 points)

//8. Coco Ho (7 points)

Best Junior

1. Jai Glindeman (3 points)

2. Erin Brooks (2 points)

//3. Tosh Tudor (1 point)

//3. Sky Brown (1 point)

//3. Timothy Simmers (1 point)

//3. Molly Picklum (1 point)

//3. Jett Schilling (1 point)

Best Edit

1. Spirit (2 points)

//2. Rage 3 (1 point)

//2. Cloud Chase (1 point)

//2. Digital Surf, Digital World (1 point)

//2. By Default (1 point)

//2. On the Light Side (1 point)

//2. Post Cards From Morgs (1 point)

//2. Soft Serve (1 point)

//2. Vela (1 point)