I’ve never attended the International Gathering of the Juggalos – the debaucherous carnival of Insane Clown Posse fans, face-painted and partying like its 1999, masquerading as a music festival – but I thought about it during the Swatch Nines 2026 event.
This was like surfing and skating’s version of that. No rules, no restrictions. Just pure fun. And most likely, a lot less nudity and neon-colored Faygo. But still, the same spirit.
As I stood atop the concrete wall of the wave-making machine at Waco Surf, I wearily glanced down at a rail that dropped 12 feet into the water below. Around me, Jacob “Zeke” Szekely, Mason Ho, Chippa Wilson, and a handful of other surfers were preparing to do something completely ridiculous. Watch the highlight reel, capturing all the action, below.
The pro surfers – in a Frankenstein alchemy of action sports – were attempting to boardslide a skate-style hubba rail, drop into a moving wave, and somehow ride away.
What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, actually. And that was precisely the point.
Welcome to Swatch Nines Surf & Skate 2026, held October 8–10 in Waco, Texas. Three days of absolute chaos, creativity, innovation, mayhem, and, most importantly, fun.
Pure, unadulterated fun.
There were no traditional heats, judges, or jerseys. Instead, some of the world’s most progressive surfers, skateboarders, and BMX riders were given an enormous playground and encouraged to do whatever their imaginations could dream up.
The hubba was one of the weekend’s main attractions. Some attempts ended in spectacular wipeouts. Others ended in history-making rides.
“It’s all about timing,” Mason Ho told SURFER. “You want to time it with the wave.”
And once the boys figured it out, things got certifiably crazy. People were hooting and hollering until their vocal cords blew out, cheering each other on, whether they made the drop successfully into the wave, or fell wildly into the water below.
It was a celebration.
But that was only one corner of the circus.
Related: I Tested a $25,000 Electric Surfboard; Worth It?
A massive skatepark constructed above the water became another centerpiece, particularly after dark, when riders lit flares and transformed the Texas night into a glowing, smoke-filled spectacle.
Meanwhile, the women’s session offered an entirely different aesthetic. Coco Ho, Milla Coco Brown, Skai Suitt, and other female surfers took turns threading barrels beneath an elaborate arch of flowers. Then they switched to launching airs amidst the floral backdrop. It was surfing meets performance art, and the results were beautiful.
The LIND Surfboards crew brought another futuristic element, showcasing electric surfboards that offered an entirely different way to ride the pool.
Then there were the winch sessions.
Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Blair Conklin, and Leon Glatzer were among those launching themselves toward towering aerials, blasting off the lip into double backflips, and using the extra speed to send maneuvers that would normally be physically impossible.
By the end, bodies were battered, muscles were aching, and everyone was exhausted.
But the smiles? Those were impossible to wipe away.
I left Waco thinking about something other than the Juggalos: Surfing doesn’t always have to be about the monotony of competition, wave counts, or winning.
Sometimes, it can just be about having as much fun as humanly possible. And that’s exactly what Swatch Nines is – childlike, unrestricted, and slightly chaotic fun.
Related: I Tested California’s Newest Manmade Wave: Is DSRT Surf Worth the Hype?
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