Blair Conklin practices his shove-its at Shizunami Surf Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Skid Kids // YouTube
Blair Conklin can ride anything, anywhere. Though he’s most famous for his skimboarding virtuosity, whether in his hometown of Laguna Beach or far flung locations like Rotterdam and Germany, he’s also equally capable on finned craft. On a recent trip to Japan, Blair once again proved his surfing bona fides by getting barreled and launching airs at the Shizunami Surf Stadium.
Shizunami Surf Stadium is a PerfectSwell-designed wave pool located in Tokyo, Japan. The facility first opened in 2021 and provided a training venue for the belated 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since then, the pool has been dovetailed into the local Japanese surfing scene and provides a perfect venue for visitors to the land of the rising sun to lock in their air game.
However, while the stadium can produce man-made waves specifically designed for punting, that doesn’t mean actually landing those airs is a picnic. “The ramp is so incredible, [but] the landing is really tricky,” explained Conklin. “You gotta land in the perfect, perfect spot. Either you’re landing in the flats, or the back of the wave, and there’s this little window.”
Check out the video below to watch Blair and company repeatedly blast through that window (and take their fair share of wipeouts in the process).
