IN LIKE FLYNN! THE 50K FLIP TAKES THE AIRSTRIKE LOOT

When it all boils down, the objective is pure and simple, the Kustom Airstrike is about discovering something new! The Kustom Airstrike has literally driven surfing to it's creative extremes this year, and divided the judges down the middle, it was no unanimous decision that's for sure! The two big contenders when it came down to it were Analog's Chris 'CHIPPA' Wilson and Hawaiian Flynn Novak, both riding away from perfect examples of how to take surfing forward. Being stagnant is boring, tiring, colourless and basically fucking useless for the progression of surfing. Sure there is more to surfing than hucking something fun on the perfect section, but the Airstrike event is all about that, it's about moving forward, raising the bar, setting the tone, and the carrot is $50k, easy right? In theory, yes. So what happens when you've got two brand new tricks both challenging for the bucks? Chippa did a legit backside bigspin, legit! No revert slither, no shuv it with an awkward switch landing, one straight up single trick done perfectly and with style, if anything done on surfboard could be referenced directly to skateboarding then that is the one. On the other side of the peak you've got Hawaii's Flynn Novak, who until this years event had toiled with landing what he has chipped away at for 8 years, the full Backflip, or the Flynnstone Flip as it's been dubbed. No half steppin' there. If you go away after reading this and vow to do one, we'd love to hear about it. It defies where we thought surfing could go, things have happened that are arguably similar, but Flynn goes perfectly upside down, full rotation, just like he's strapped in on a snowboard. Literally insane! So with all that said, it's Kustom's pleasure to announce Flynn Novak the winner of this years Kustom Airstrike! $50k is smallfry compared to where this can take progressive surfing, it's just insane to imagine where things will go next year! Congratulations Flynn, we're sure your flippin stoked! Haha, sorry that had to be said.