The LAGO Podcast

Is the Surf Industry Actually Dying?

In this episode, we sit down with industry experts Sam Griffiths and Lincoln Eather to take a deep dive into what’s really happening behind the scenes of the surf industry.

From the current state of legacy brands, the impact of private equity and licensing, and whether brands like Quiksilver, Billabong and Rip Curl are still relevant, to the changing relationship between surfers, brands and consumers.

We get into the stuff that usually stays behind closed doors.

We talk about what it actually means to be a “Core Surfer”, whether social media has helped or hurt surfing, the rise of surf influencers, the importance of product vs marketing, the return

of Y2K and heritage collections, and why Rip Curl’s Archive Collection has been such a success.

We also unpack how ABG and Boardriders operate, why Brazil is such a difficult market for surf brands, where the money has gone for professional surfers, and whether the industry needs to grow at all.

This is a rare and honest look at where surfing and the surf industry sits right now and what’s working, what’s changing, and where it could go next.

As always - Thank you for tuning in! Drop a comment below about your thoughts on the industry?

On this Ep, we kick things off with something we definitely didn’t see coming… Ethan Ewing

riding asymmetrical boards shaped by Ryan Burch. What is going on there?! Is this the

combo we didn't know we needed? We also spill the beans that we too have some asym’s coming and whether we will convert…

Then we dive headfirst into all things Challenger Series Brazil. Who stepped up when it mattered, who surprised us, and which surfers shockingly fell short? With CT-level talent filling the draw, the battle for those all-important Challenger points is heating up - and if you didn’t know who Ryan Kainalo was before this event, you definitely do now.

We break down the standout performances, the biggest disappointments and everything else that caught our attention from Brazil.

We give you a little teaser for a massive episode dropping Wednesday, where we ask the big question: IS THE SURF INDUSTRY DEAD? Ft Sam Griffiths & Lincon Eather. You won’t want to miss this one.

Honest surf talk, as always.

🎙 Subscribe to LAGO for weekly surf talk, industry debates and everything happening in the world of surfing.

#surfing #surf #wsl

In this EP, we allow our intern Harry O’Brien, who you might recognise from our Central America vlogs, to the studio for a deep dive into everything happening in the world of competitive surfing.

With the Challenger Series kicking off in Brazil, we break down who we think has what it takes to win, we question the Aussie-on-Aussie friendly fire in the heat draw, and the big question: should CT surfers be competing in Challenger Series events and taking crucial points away from the guys and girls fighting to qualify?

We then dissect the controversial Natural Selection event. Was it a groundbreaking success or did they completely miss the mark? We get into the format, the location, the hype and whether the event actually delivered.

And finally, we talk about Quikfest - A stacked field of surf legends and current stars going head-to-head. Who came out on top and who consumed the most beers. 

As always - Thank you for tuning in! Means the world <3 

🔥 LAGO LISTENER EXCLUSIVE — 25% OFF CHILDE EYEWEAR

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Now, onto the Trestles Pro...

This week on LAGO, we break down one of the biggest talking points of the event: WHO GETS THE CUT? We look at who’s safe, who’s on the chopping block, and which surfers won’t be making the next two events.

We dive into Erin Brooks’ incredible three-peat, chat about how Miggy Pupo just keeps getting better with age, and unpack some of the biggest performances and storylines to come out of Trestles.

Then it’s time for the LAGO Fantasy League. We check the scores, see who came out on top, and find out who’s making moves as the season heads towards the business end.

To finish things off, we chat with two of the future champions of the sport Loci Cullen and Leihani Zoric, fresh off their wins at the recent ISA World Junior Championships.

Two names you’re going to be hearing a LOT more about.

As always, thanks for listening and supporting LAGO.

00:00 – Thank You for 100 Eps!
06:20 – The Trestles Pro & Who Gets the Cut?
12:30 – Who Won’t Be at the Next Two Events?
25:00 – Erin Brooks’ Three-Peat
29:20 – Miggy Pupo Just Keeps Getting Better
40:00 – Breaking Down the Trestles Results
45:50 – LAGO Fantasy League: Who Came Out on Top?
01:03:30 – Listener Questions
01:10:50 – Loci Cullen & Leihani Zoric: Future World Champs
01:32:00 – ISA World Junior Champs & What’s Next

For our 100th episode, we sit down with one of the most influential people in modern surf media... Sam McIntosh, the man behind STAB Magazine.From growing up surfing in Casino and Yamba, to working at Waves, writing a book with Taj Burrow and eventually building STAB into one of the biggest names in surfing media, Sam's story is truly inspiring.In this episode, Sam takes us behind the scenes of STAB, how it started, the early financial risks, the relationship with Taj Burrow, the iconic Taj helicopter shoot, and the lessons he learned building a global surf media business from the ground up.We also get into STAB's approach to storytelling, working with professional surfers, dealing with criticism, why Sam believes media companies ultimately work for their audience, and how STAB continues to evolve in the age of Instagram, TikTok and digital media.Sam also opens up about his lack of personal social media, the impact of comparison on surfers, imposter syndrome, his love of big-wave surfing, and some of the biggest projects STAB has produced, including STAB in the Dark and working with Kelly Slater and Ethan Ewing.Thanks for watching and supporting The LAGO Podcast! And thank you for helping us reach 100 episodes.

#surfing #surf

Not even a faulty SD card could stop us from getting this one out. We first discuss Dakoda Walters' famous win at Stab 100 making him $100,000 US dollars richer. We then break down the heat draw for Trestles and reveal our fantasy teams.

#surfing #surf #surfer

Once again we've been left without a heat draw for Trestles, luckily there was a lot to talk about from the last week of surfing. Sit back and let us update you on the latest news from the International QS events, the world junior titles currently ongoing in El Salvador and what the CT men need to do to avoid the dreaded mini-cut.

Link to our latest Costa Rica Vid here! - https://youtu.be/BxJ72lTuZHY

00:00 Kelly Slater Finally Follows LAGO10:05 World Junior Titles & Finley's Wild Stories18:00 LAGO's 100th Episode Mystery Guest23:45 International QS Results33:41 Levi Slawson's Priority Controversy38:31 Dane Henry Joins Red Bull42:59 Challenger Series Rankings46:00 Trestles Preview & Fantasy Picks52:20 CT Mid-Season Cut Scenarios59:32 LAGO Listener Questions

#surfing #surf #wsl #surfer

We jumped straight into the studio after the WSL Fiji pro wrapped up to discuss all the major talking points. We dissect the wins of Erin Brooks and Cole Houshmand and pinpoint where we went wrong in our event predictions and fantasy teams.

#surfing #surf #surfer

We were joined by Sheldon Simkus for a casual chat about what he's been up to. We delve into his time on the QS and Challenger Series, discuss why he gave it up, and find out how he's still been able to carve out a career as a pro surfer. We also discuss the reasons behind his recent move from long-time board shaper DHD to Firewire (Slater Designs & Tomo).

#surfing #surf #surfer #podcast

In the wake of the massive news regarding Australia's new competitive surfing pathway, we were lucky enough to be joined by Chris Mater and Owen Wright to explain what exactly The Surfing Super League is. We answer a lot of your questions and get a few inside scoops into what is happening behind the scenes.

Safe to say we left this chat feeling excited for what's to come.

#surfing #surf #podcast