One-Handed Backflip: Best Wave Pool Air Ever?
When the clip circulated on social media, plenty of heavyweights chimed in on Hughie's accomplishment. From Mick Fanning to Julian Wilson to Mateus Herdy to Paul Fisher, they were all stunned. "There's a new standard," Julian Wilson said. "That was unbelievable."
A few hours later, while eating banana cream pie before his last session of the day, the grom got another surprise as he scrolled through his phone. 'No way,' Hughie exclaimed. 'Tony Hawk just followed me.'
The living skate legend dubbed Hughie's move 'The Stale Fish Flipper' and instantly gave the young surfer major kudos. This is the kind of cross-pollination Swatch Nines strives for. It's a surf, skate and BMX playground where ideas are shared, attempted and lauded. The unexpected is celebrated, and Hughie's rotation is already being hailed as arguably the best air ever done in a wave pool. Certainly, Jacob Szekely, Matt Meola and Mikey Wright could add their names to the hat, but a one-handed backflip without straps or a winch? That has to take the cake.
'(Hughie) didn't even know what he did today,' Chippa Wilson said. 'He didn't know he just did the best air ever done in a wave pool.'
Due to the format of the event, things like Hughie's wave can go down at any moment. In removing the constraints of competition like heats and scores, organizers created a caldron of creativity. Head to the bathroom and you're liable to miss an air. Grab a sandwich and you won't see the boardslide. But you'll hear the cheers. You can watch for a while, see nothing land, but then the remarkable happens when you glance away.
'It's wild—there's nothing else like it,' said BMX star Kevin Peraza, fresh off his recent X Games bronze medal in Tokyo. 'You've got creativity, and a bunch of different athletes feeding off each other—it's non-stop.'
Hughie's air has been the most impactful move from Swatch Nines Surf thus far, but plenty of highlights have gone down over the last two days: A 200-ton crane hoisting an illuminated 8-foot aluminum ring, surfers flying through (and crashing into) said ring, boardslides on floating rails, winch-whipped full rotations and a barrage of technical airs. In the last light day two, Robbie "Rasta Rob" McCormick stomped a huge backside 540 off the winch on the left, and a few minutes later, Jacob Szekely landed a lofty tail-high 360 (sans winch) with a burned finger he sustained while holding a flare on an earlier attempt. Gotta pay to play, they say.
One of the biggest changes between last year's inaugural event and this year's edition is the enormous floating skate ramp and rails suspended by the crane. Surfers have three rails to choose from: a straight rail, a kink rail and an arched wallriding feature.
And after just a few sessions, things are already clicking. Mason Ho, Noah Beschen and Zeke had several clean attempts on the left. Cam Richards, battling bruised knees and bloody shins, has also been a standout. He's glided across the kink rail numerous times and completed a clean fakie boardslide over the wallride, a move so sweet that Nines founder Nico Zacek ran the length of the pool to embrace him.
If nothing else, the Nines challenge surfers. It makes them put into practice things that normally only exist in a deep, dark corner of their brains. Even for creatives and technical maestros like Mason and Chippa, who have seen and done much in their careers, Waco offers something different.
'I've loved trying wallrides or any sort of boardslides in surfing,' Mason said. 'I've loved it just because I'm a little crazy and there's rocks or something in the way. It's so fun to tear a wave apart, but now it's like, I'm in the water, then out of the water. It's all about the combo.
'Last year, they had the rail and the hamster ball, and it was one of the funnest events I've been a part of," he continued. "This year is even more special and it feels like just the beginning. Last year, we used this tractor for the rail. And it was at the very end of the wave. Now, we've asked them to move it to the middle and gone way bigger with the crane. They've gone to the next level and it's like a dream come true.'
'I've never done pool rails, but I did skate a lot when I was a kid,' Chippa said. 'And this was the closest feeling to hitting your first rail as a kid. It's crazy. A front boardslide feels so sick. So when I first hit this setup, I was so fired up. I almost stuck it and I just needed to go again.'
Call it novel, experimental, random or radical. Stuff is happening at Swatch Nines.
One-Handed Backflip: Best Wave Pool Air Ever? first appeared on Surfer on Jun 25, 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Hulk Hogan, Westling Icon, Actor And Reality TV Stars, Dies At 71
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 24: Hulk Hogan gestures to the audience during his Hulkamania Tour at ... More the Burswood Dome on November 24, 2009 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by) Wrestling legend and reality TV star Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71 following a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977 and catapulted to superstardom after joining the World Wrestling Federation (then WWF, now WWE) in 1983. With his larger-than-life persona, trademark handlebar mustache, and signature catchphrases, "Hulkamania" became a cultural phenomenon throughout the 1980s and beyond. A mainstay of WrestleMania and a frequent headliner on Saturday Night's Main Event and The Main Event, Hogan is remembered as an icon in the wrestling world. His legendary showdown with Andre the Giant on The Main Event on February 5, 1988, still holds the record for the most-watched wrestling match in American television history, drawing a reported 33 million viewers. Hogan also made history by becoming the first wrestler to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches in the early 1990s. In 1993, Hogan stepped away from the ring to pursue opportunities in film and television. His screen credits include Rocky III opposite Sylvester Stallone (1982), No Holds Barred (1989), Suburban Commando (1991), Mr. Nanny (1993), and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998). Actor Sylvester Stallone and actor Hulk Hogan on set of the MGM/United Artist movie "Rocky III" in ... More 1982. (Photo by Michael) His filmography also includes voice work in animated productions like Gnomeo and Juliet and Robot Chicken: Star Wars. And, on television, Hogan was featured opposite wife Linda and children Brooke and Nick in the 2005 to 2007 docuseries Hogan Knows Best. The show, which premiered as the highest rated series at the time on VH1, capitalized on the rising trend of reality TV programs centered around famous families, following in the footsteps of The Osbournes. Hogan Knows Best was successful enough to spawn a spin-off, Brooke Knows Best, which centered around Hogan's daughter, which ran from 2008–2009. UNITED STATES - MARCH 15: Terry (Hulk) Hogan sits surrounded by (l. to r.) wife Linda, daughter ... More Brooke, 17, and son Nick, 15. They're preparing for the second season of their VH1 reality hit, "Hogan Knows Best," which airs on Sunday, March 19. The family agreed to do the show to help Brooke launch her music career. (Photo by Michael Albans/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) Also on camera, Hogan also hosted American Gladiators on NBC in 2008 and the short-lived reality show, Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. In 2010, he offered a more introspective look at his life in the television special Finding Hulk Hogan. And, beyond the screen, Hogan's influence extended into merchandising. According to The Wrestling Figure Checklist, Hogan was featured in 171 different action figures released between the 1980s and 2010s.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sony Takes Strategic Stake in Bandai Namco With $464 Million Deal
Sony Group Corporation has inked a strategic business alliance with anime and gaming powerhouse Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., with the electronics and entertainment conglomerate also acquiring a 2.5% stake in the company for approximately JPY68 billion ($464 million). The deal sees Sony purchasing 16 million Bandai Namco shares from existing shareholders, positioning the partnership to capitalize on the booming global appetite for Japanese intellectual property, particularly in the rapidly expanding anime sector. More from Variety Alex Garland Confirmed to Direct Live-Action 'Elden Ring' Movie From A24 and Bandai Namco Sony Earnings Surge on Gaming and Music, Pictures Take a Hit Sony in Talks to Buy 'Elden Ring' Publisher Kadokawa, Say Reports The two Japanese entertainment titans plan to leverage their combined strengths to expand fan communities worldwide and create what they're calling 'new and emotionally moving experiences' for audiences. The collaboration builds on the companies' existing partnerships across games, anime and music, but significantly broadens the scope of their joint efforts. Under the alliance, Bandai Namco will tap into Sony's production and distribution muscle in anime and video content, as well as merchandising capabilities, to expand works and services based on its IP portfolio. The companies also plan joint development and promotion of anime and manga properties, along with technical collaboration on experiential entertainment. The partnership extends to creator support initiatives, with plans for jointly developed entertainment technologies and services, plus potential co-investments and business alliances focused on fan engagement. 'The Bandai Namco Group promotes an IP axis strategy that aims to maximize IP value by leveraging the appeal and worldview of IP, providing the optimal products and services at the optimal timing in the optimal regions,' said Momoi Nobuhiko, executive vice president of Bandai Namco Holdings. 'We are filled with excitement about the potential to create new entertainment by combining Sony Group's strengths and technological capabilities across various entertainment fields with Bandai Namco's IP axis strategy.' For Sony, the deal aligns with its broader Creative Entertainment Vision strategy focused on maximizing IP value across its entertainment ecosystem. The company sees Bandai Namco's 'outstanding capacity for multidirectional expansion of diverse IP and deep connections with fans at real touchpoints' as key to expanding its global reach, according to Mitomo Toshimoto, Sony's chief strategy officer and representative corporate executive officer. 'Through this partnership, we aim to co-create an array of content and experiences that exceed expectations and deliver Kando (emotion) to even more fans,' said Mitomo. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sony Pays $464M For Stake In ‘Pac-Man' Owner Bandai Namco
Sony Corp. has taken a small stake in Tekken and Pac-Man games giant Bandai Namco, as part of a strategic business alliance. Japan-based Sony paid 68 billion yen ($464M) for a 2.5% stake in its compatriot company, which is also the owner of the Soulcalibur, Elden Ring and Dark Rings franchises. More from Deadline Sony Pictures Television Leaning Into Creator Economy With Hire Of Digital Boss Matt Ford Sky New Zealand Buys Local Warner Bros Discovery Channels For 60 Cents 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' Debut Smashes Japan Box Office Records The strategic alliance resulting from the investment will see the two companies seek to tap further into the booming global market for Japanese content and anime franchises. They will 'focus on expanding the fan community for IP such as anime and manga around the world and strengthening engagement, particularly in the anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated,' according to a statement. In an even more corporate-sounding statement, Toshimoto Mitomo, Chief Strategy Officer, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Group Corporation, said: 'The Bandai Namco Group promotes an 'IP axis strategy' that aims to maximize IP value by leveraging the appeal and worldview of IP, providing the optimal products and services at the optimal timing in the optimal regions. 'We are filled with excitement about the potential to create new entertainment by combining Sony Group's strengths and technological capabilities across various entertainment fields with Bandai Namco's IP axis strategy. Through this collaboration, we aim to connect with IP fans worldwide, co-create the future together, and realize our purpose, 'Fun for All into the Future,' and mid- to long-term vision, 'Connect with Fans.'' The announcement makes no reference to the likes of Pac-Man and Elder Scrolls, but with the likes of Fallout, The Last of Us and Twisted Metal all cutting through as TV shows in recent years, it will be interesting to see how this develops. We've reached out to Sony for of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About Season 3 Of 'Euphoria' So Far 'Wednesday' Season 2: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data