The moment that made all the difference to Keala Kennelly's 2018 popularity. (All photos: WSL)
Stab Surfer Of The Year Reader Poll Results
Over 3,000 Stab readers selected their favorite performers of 2018. Here's who they chose:
Italo Ferreira and Stephanie Gilmore are the 2018 Stab Surfers of the Year – this much we know.
The pair were chosen by 50 of surfing's greatest critics and athletes, making the distinction that much more meaningful than if a few anonymous votes had been cast via the internet.
With that said, there is something to a popular vote, isn't there? Allowing all the average Sallys and Joes to have their say is something that most democratic nations hold true to their hearts, and the independent Republic of Stab is no different. That's why on top of the real 50-person poll we conducted, we also allowed the public to elect their favorite surfing performers in 2018, mostly for giggles and shits.
Over 3,000 people took part in the reader survey, which produced the following results (as of 1/9/18 at 10 PM PST):
Males Top 10 (Stab Reader Poll):
1. Filipe Toledo (397 votes)
2. Gabriel Medina (368 votes)
3. Noa Deane (269 votes)
4. Chippa Wilson (221 votes)
5. Julian Wilson (200 votes)
6. Nathan Florence (180)
7. Italo Ferreira (166 votes)
8. Dane Reynolds (135 points)
9. Griffin Colapinto (102 points)
10. Kai Lenny (75 points)
Filipe has the people's hearts.
And isn't it interesting that Italo, who won the 2018 Stab Surfer of the Year, was all the way down at 7th on the reader poll? Just goes to show that you can't please everyone. Other than that, the list looks remarkably similar to the official SSOTY rankings, which you can see below:
Males Top 10 (Stab Surfer of the Year):
1. Italo Ferreira (74 points)
2. Gabriel Medina (72 points)
3. Filipe Toledo (71 points)
=4. Chippa Wilson (54 points)
=4. Noa Deane (54 points)
=6. Nate Florence (48 points)
=6. Julian Wilson (48 points)
8. Griffin Colapinto (43 points)
9. Seth Moniz (25 points)
10. Kai Lenny (23 points)
But Italo still reigns supreme.
In fact, there is only one person that exists in the Readers' Top-10 and not the Official Top-10, that being Dane Reynolds (who is replaced by Seth Moniz in the official rankings). In other words, these were the universally accepted top male performers in 2018.
Now for the women's reader poll results... (We're running this on in percentages so you can see the wild spread between first and the rest.)
Females (Stab Reader Poll):
1. Steph Gilmore (57%)
2. Carissa Moore (10%)
3. Caroline Marks (9%)
4. Coco Ho (7%)
=5. Lakey Peterson (5%)
=5. Caitlin Simmers (5%)
7. Alana Blanchard (2%)
=8. Keala Kennelly (1%)
=8. Laura Enever (1%)
=8. Johanne Defay (1%)
=8. Courtney Conlogue (1%)
Honorable Mention: Bethany Hamilton: (In an amateur clerical error, Beth's name was left off the reader poll until the final few hours. We feel terrible about our negligence, as Bethany had a great year and would have likely forged a notable presence on this list.)
Gilmore by a fucking landslide!
Anyways, here's how that compares to the official Stab Surfer of the Year Rankings:
Females (Stab Surfer of the Year):
1. Stephanie Gilmore (17 points)
2. Carissa Moore (7 points)
=3. Keala Kennelly (4 points)
=3. Bethany Hamilton (4 points)
=3. Caroline Marks (4 points)
6. Lakey Peterson (3 points)
=7. Laura Enever (1 point)
=7. Courtney Conlogue (1 point)
=7. Caitlin Simmers (1 point)
=7. Johanne Defay (1 point)
=7. Coco Ho (1 point)
=7. Alana Blanchard (1 point)
And our deepest apologies to Beth.
Again the results are fairly similar, so good job readers! You've clearly been doing your homework in 2018. And by doing your homework, we actually mean avoiding your homework, real work, life, wife, etc. in the pursuit of watching this cherished sport and that is something worth celebrating. Surfing is magnificent and to give anything less than all of yourself to it would be a travesty.
Now get off the computer and go find a tube of your own, you filthy animals!
