Stab Magazine | Stab Surfer Of The Year Reader Poll Results

Live Now For All — Episode 1 of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

182 Views

Stab Surfer Of The Year Reader Poll Results

Over 3,000 Stab readers selected their favorite performers of 2018. Here’s who they chose:

style // Jan 11, 2019
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 3 minutes

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)

4a13ba41d8365ed9e9d27f4766833a99 2

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)

7e879208c8ea49f26d14306d1d8f5502 2 2

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.)

ffe2560eb477573b43d70cf26127ef4f 2

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)

fc07a13c0a2df23b0c8c69e5c6ac12b6 2

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!

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Stab Interview: WSL Tour President Graham Stapelberg On The Changes And Challenge(r)s Of The Post-Cut Era

Maxing Pipe, Triple Crown realities, Jordy Smith, sponsors up the yin-yang, and more.

Jun 16, 2025

Was That The Best Day Of Performance Surfing In 2025?

Kerrupt flips, double airs, and a cornucopia of 9 point waves.

Jun 15, 2025

Watch: Albee Layer Drops His Second Stab Edit Of The Year In 4 Months

And we dare say "Less Than Easy" is even better than the former.

Jun 13, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 1

Our first loser goes home in this "king of the hill" showdown.

Jun 12, 2025

How To Convince A Bunch Of Small Town Floridians That They Need A Wavepool

Warren Smith is creatively diversifying the tourism portfolio of his hometown.

Jun 12, 2025

Italo And Filipe Lost, But Surfing Won Today

No shortage of excellence on Day Two at Lowers.

Jun 11, 2025

Opinion: Griffin vs Filipe Was A Masterclass In Surfing & Judging

And the exact reason Lowers is on tour.

Jun 11, 2025

How Politics Canceled A WSL Pro Junior Event In The Basque Country

The Israel-Palestine conflict hits surfing.

Jun 11, 2025

Wait, Is Lowers A Left?

Day One of the Lexus June Gloom Pro is wrapped, and Kelly's free for drinks.

Jun 11, 2025

Stab Interview: The Secret Lives Of Keith Malloy

On surf films, big waves, sibling bonds, and stunt-doubling for Matthew McConaughey.

Jun 9, 2025

Why Kelly Slater’s Favorite Wave Isn’t Producing More Pro Surfers

A critical analysis of the Soup Bowl surf community.

Jun 8, 2025

CT Watch: Jacob Willcox And Francisca Veselko Rattle The Cage

Where you begin is where you return: The Newcastle SURFEST.

Jun 8, 2025

Stab High And The Unfortunate Inevitability Of The C-Word 

Does surfing have a culture after all? 

Jun 8, 2025

Jordy Smith Is World #1, Kelly Slater Is A Wildcard, And… Ethan Ewing Is Trying Californian Surfboards?

Your 2025 Lower Trestles CT preview.

Jun 7, 2025

Tom Lowe Suffers Second Near-Fatal Injury at Teahupo’o In 14 Months

Sage Burke and Kala Grace tell the story straight.

Jun 6, 2025

The Return of Surf100: Raw, Unfiltered, Serialized

Seven challenges across California before the OG 100 minute final.

Jun 5, 2025

Snow Bros, A Former WSL CEO, And The Multimillion Dollar Fight To Govern Surfing In America 

"This decision could have massive, cascading, and irreversible consequences," says the CEO of USA Surfing. 

Jun 4, 2025

Everything You Need To Know About The Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

8 surfers. 8 challenges. $100,000.

Jun 4, 2025
Advertisement