Hughie Vaughan becomes first surfer to score perfect 50 at Stab High after one-handed backflip

Australian teenage surfer Hughie Vaughan has achieved the first perfect 50 at the Stab High aerial competition, a year after his one-handed backflip gained 2 million views.

• Vaughan landed a never-before-attempted one-handed backflip at a Texas wave pool in July 2025, later named the "stalefish flipper" by skateboarder Tony Hawk.
• One month before that air, Vaughan won the Stab High event in Japan.
• At the Stab High event in the United States in May 2026, Vaughan landed a lien flip and received the competition's first perfect 50 score.
• Vaughan stated he has always wanted to join the World Surf League but is currently enjoying the freedom to travel and chase swells.