The second annual Stab High went off this weekend with the world’s best aerialists punting and chucking at the BSR Surf Ranch in Waco Texas. Chippa Wilson won the event with a lien full-rotation, edging out Kevin Schulz. In the girls’ division, Sierra Kerr, daughter of air legend Josh took home the win. The much anticipated Freak Peak comp got cancelled due to an impending twister. Stab will be releasing full reports in the coming week. But for now you can read the first recap article by Stab right here at this linkor check it out below. Photography by Tom Carey

The surfing in Stab High was, well, high. Those who stood out were New York’s Bal Stack, Ian Crane, Matt Meola (a gent who everyone agrees does stuff no one else can do, he’s like the Daewon Song of surfing), Noa Deane stuck some solid straights, Noah Waggy twisted his tail and Kalani David cut his way into the final. Kevin Schulz, who stuck the most torched flip on the Freak Peak yesterday, carried that momentum into the event and made the finals. A lot more happened and we’ll be slow-dripping it over the next few days. 

But now, let’s talk about the cutest high-flying darlings in surf, the Stab High Ladybirds:

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Almost live action from Waco. @cocom4debarrelkilla @vanssurf | @monsterenergy

A post shared by Stab High (@stab_high) on Jun 28, 2019 at 2:42pm PDT

The Ladybirds event was a beacon of stoke. Coming down to a surf-off between Sierra Kerr and Sky Brown, it was Kerr sealing the deal with a monster slob air that garnered a 40-point score from the judges (equivalent to 8s across the board)—the high wave score of the day. Brown also landed her frontside ollie in the surf-off, but it wasn’t enough to eclipse Ms. Kerr. No sore losers, though—it was all hugs, smiles and ice cream on the beach. 

1. Sierra Kerr
2. Sky Brown
3. Caitlyn Simmers
4. Bella Kenworthy

With the skies darkening by the minute and electricity bolting down from the heavens, the Stab High final was a high-powered affair that rightly put Chippa Wilson atop of the podium and announced the arrival of one Kevin Schulz.

Schulz opened with a 40-point Mctwist (of sorts) on his opening right, to leap with his long, supple legs well above the field—it was tied for the highest score of the day to this point. Needing to make something happen, Wilson missed on his opening rights, but pulled off a smooth varial shuv-it to secure a 38 on his third right and place himself in contention.

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Under a sky that looked destined to fall, (causing us to cancel the bonus wave in the final and the Freak Peak challenge), @chippawilson won @stab_high with this full rotation into a feathering air wind. It was the highest scored leap on the event (42/50), and Chip walked away a few shekels richer.

A post shared by Stab High (@stab_high) on Jun 30, 2019 at 4:50pm PDT

Looking for rotations and technicality rather than going huge with a straight air, the final suited Wilson’s style to a tee. He went fuckin’ bananas on the left, stomping a lien full-rotation into the strengthening gales; the judges threw him a 42 for the effort. It was the best air, best score, and best moment of the final.

For Schulz’s part in it all, he was just some grom scraping for QS points before Saturday afternoon (or, actually, Saturday, when a Freak Peak flip netted him an extra 5k Insta followers and a small cabana in the minds of Stab High’s aerial elite). With his performance today, Schulz’s name is right there with Wilson, Kalani David, Eithan Osborne, Ian Crane and Matt Meola.

There was no shortage of talent in the final. David rounded out the top three, finishing 9 points of the pace in third. Meola was in the mix after the right, but could never find a landing on the left.

When the final ended, we had to cancel the Freak Peak event due to a sky that looked like something out of Twister. We patiently awaited a cow to fly across the wave park but instead turned the music on and continued the party.