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Swatch Nines Surf just started and big things are already happening. The event is currently going down at Waco Surf, and Hughie Vaughan just landed an air that has taken social media by storm.
This is the second edition of the Swatch Nines surf event, and the second entry in the Swatch Nines 2025 series. The event is a wild mix of surfing, skateboarding, and BMX, featuring the likes of Coco Ho, Balaram Stack, Noah Beschen, Chippa Wilson and many more.
However, the standout so far has been Hughie Vaughan. The 18-year-old surfer from Australia’s Central Coast pulled off an absolutely wild stalefish backflip on day two of the competition.
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“Here’s my angle of the BEST AIR done in a wavepool by Hughie Vaughan!” wrote photographer Rob Henson in his clip of the stunt. “Not my words, those are the words of most of the surfers who have seen it.”
“Yeah I’m gonna have to agree that was the best so far.” wrote Jimmy Wilson, who also captured a clip of his own. “A true WTF moment and he was so chill about it!!”
Praise continued to pour in via the comment section, with the Snapt Five account calling it “Hands down best air ever done in a wave pool.”
However, perhaps no recognition held more weight than a nod from the Birdman himself. Tony Hawk reposted the clip on his own account and even gave the trick a new name, dubbing it the “stale fish flipper.”
