VOTES

Stab has started rolling out their annual version of SOTY – that is Surfer Of The Year. Thrasher started Skater Of The Year back in 1990, with Stab following suit in 2018. Let’s have a look at the differences:

Thrasher:

• Winner was originally chosen by a reader poll
• The staff selects nominees based off of video parts sent in
• Readers/supporters vote to get semi-finalists & finalists
• Winner was formally selected by the head of Thrasher Jake Phelps (RIP), with help from other judges
• I’m unsure of who chooses the winner now since he passed, whether its one main figure or a committee/team

Stab:

• 50 (now 45) “authorities” in surfing are polled on 7 categories: Surfer Of The Year Male & Female, Best Junior Male & Female, Best Edit, Best Film, and now Best Youtube Channel
• The SOTY category gets 5 picks from each voter, while all other categories get 1
• The votes are then awarded points, depending on which place the nominee nabs; 1st place = 5 points, 2nd place = 4 points, so on
• Stab Premium members are now also included in the voting, though it is unclear how these will be counted into the final tally, the audience will account for 10% of the winning votes.
• The surfers and surf content at the end of the year with most points voted wins

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Thrashers Skater Of The Year was announced about 1 month ago, Tyshawn Jones being the winner in a hotly debated event. 

Stab’s first two articles were just released, each containing 5 voter cards. First group: Shane Dorian, Caity Simmers, Griffin Colapinto, Mateus Herdy & Chris Cote. Second group: Matt Meola, Dylan Graves, Sierra Kerr, Bettylou Sakura Johnson, & Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker.

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So far, the highlight for me is very clear. Bettylou Sakura Johnson voted herself as Best Female Junior of the year. How fucking rad is that? That is CORE. Amongst the other 10 voters, she received 2 points for Female SOTY, and no other nominations for Best Female Junior. “The way I managed this year was inspiring to me, lol.” Sakura Johnson is coming into the new year with guns blazing. Absolutely love it.

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It’s pretty early, but leaderboards look like this – 

Mens SOTY:

1. Filipe – 34 pts
2. Ewings – 17 pts
3. JJF – 14 pts

Womens SOTY:

1. Steph – 43
2. Carissa – 33
3. Sierra Kerr – 14

Best Male Junior: 

1. Hughie Vaughan – 4 pts
2. Jackson Dorian – 2 pts
3. 4 surfers tied for 3rd with 1 pt

Best Female Junior:

1. Caity Simmers – 5
2. Sierra Kerr – 2
3. 3 surfers tied for 3rd with 1pt

Edit Of The Year:

1. 3 tied for first with 2 pts each – Idiot Box(Kael Walsh), Delirium(Albee Layer), Iwa Bird(Kalani David)
2. 4 tied for 2nd with 1 pt each

Film Of The Year:

1. Noz Vid – 5 pts
2. Gravity – 2 pts
3. 3 tied for 3rd place with 1 pt each

Best Youtube Channel:

1. Ho & Pringle Productions – 3 pts
2. 7 tied for 2nd place with 1 pt each

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Obviously a lot will change between then and now, so let’s cast our votes before it’s too late, since I am in fact an influential figure in surfing. Here is my ballot:

Male SOTY:

1. Leonardo Fioravanti – the guy fell off tour, won the CS, and released one of the edits of the year. Gnarly.
2. Filipe – finally got his world title. Absolutely waxed the CT.
3. Balaram Stack – won Pipe Masters and released a full length signature film (which I haven’t seen yet)
4. Eithan Osborne – was sniffing for CT qualifications. Stuck one of the “biggest airs ever”. Nabbed that mental wave in Pipe Masters.
5. Rolo Montez – absolutely burst onto the scene.

Female SOTY:

1. Steph – That finals performance is something that may be talked about for a decade.
2. Carissa – waxed the CT. Slipped in the finals.
3. Sophie Mccullogh – That Haleiwa performance was next level clutch.
4. Sierra Kerr – that air alone.
5. Caity Simmers – back to back qualification years is gnarly.

Best Male Junior:

1. Bronson Meydi – same vote as last year for me. Made Stab High finals.

Best Female Junior:

1. Sierra Kerr – again, the air.

Edit Of The Year:

1. Albee Layer “Delirium” – the production of this edit was absolutely next level. Style and surfing may have been more preferable in other edits, but for sheer effort and gnarly-ness, this gets my vote.

Film Of The Year:

1. Noz Vid – hands down. May be (solo) film of the century.

Best Youtube Channel:

1. I generally don’t watch these. I’ll give it to “This Is Livin” by Koa Rothman, strictly for his Pipe Masters Rant.

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So there we have it. I believe Stab releases more votes each day, so the winners will presumably be announced by the end of this month, though I’m really unsure. Something fun to keep an eye on though until we get into the Dakine Backdoor Shootout, and then the CT season fires up soon after.

Cheers, get some waves during this swell.

-hwilsin