The Drop

The WSL dropped a bomb on the surf world this week, and like Swedish captives, we all collectively cheered. On this episode of The Drop, Stab's co-founder Sam McIntosh is joined by the WSL's new CEO Ryan Crosby to discuss the League's major (and widely lauded) around for the 2026 CT season. Here's the TLDR version, ICYMI:
- The Final Five is dead.
- So is the mid-year cut
- So is the non-elimination opening round
- The 2026 Championship Tour will feature 12 events — with a late season ‘playoff’.
- It will start at Bells Beach in April and end at Pipeline in December, where points will be weighted at 150%.
- World Titles will once again be decided by cumulative points, not a single-day shootout. After that, Mikey and Buck hop on to discuss a few other stories from the week, including an incredible Greg Browning eulogy, a piece on lineup personalities, and an academic excuse for surfing more.

After carefully dissecting the late night, soggy McDouble that was Bellls Beach, Stace G and Mikey C break down everything they purport to know about the CT's long-awaited return to the Gold Coast. With the event moving from Snapper Burleigh (blame Set — the Egypition god of deserts, chaos and storms), Stace breaks down a venue we haven't seen on the CT since 2002 — or 2000, depending on who's counting. Overdogs, underdogs, and Stace's social security number can be found inside.

Mikey is in jail so Big Dick Power Surfer and Stace Galbraith *officially* announce next month's Stab High in Japan and talk No Contest, billionaires, underdogs of the year, the ABB, and Tweed's ongoing suss-ness.

Someone's gotta clonk that thing around. In this episode, Stace recaps El Salvador with Holden TRNKA and then chats all things Torquay with former Top 5 surfer and current lord Morgan Cibilic.

'Snapt' creator Logan Dulien has lived nine lives in the space of 40-odd years. Surfer. Filmmaker. Manager. Husband. Father. Addict. Caregiver. Vigilante. Surfer (again). In this chat, we learn about his early years hanging with Andy and Bruce, becoming a band manager for Mickey Avalon, getting addicted to prescription opiates, then finally crawling back from the depths of hell and reinvigorating the independent surf film.

Surfing and politics don't mix... until a set of fins costs $400. This week, Mikey and Buck break down the economic debacle facing many of the surf world's biggest manufacturers — Pyzel, Mayhem, Haydenshapes, Futures Fins, and Creatures of Leisure. And more importantly, how it might affect our pockets. They also discuss the even in El Salvador, including the backstory behind a Raegan-era military helicopter that couriered CT surfers to a nearby point. Next up is the CT's move from Snapper to Burleigh, and finally Jai Glindeman's Stab Edit of the Year.

Reporting live from the El Salvador Pro, we hear from our correspondent Holden Trnka on everything happening in Surf City this week — including but not limited to: Filipe's blow-up on the judges, Sally's fin debacle, and some insider tips for your personal surf bets. Later, Mikey and Buck discuss a giant hole at Snapper that could wreak havoc on the upcoming CT event, a new Best Surfing I've Ever Seen ep, and some of the worst losses in WSL history.

Recent Stab Highway winner Balaram Stack joins The Drop for this week's Stab Interview, focusing on his biopic "Hail Mary' — now playing exclusively on stabmag.com.

Matt Biolos suing Lady Gaga was not on our 2025 bingo card... but here we are. The craziest part? He's probably going to win. After talking with Matt about his copyright infringement case with the mega pop star, we chat about surfing's new kiddie pool (Pipeline), hear from the world's oldest CS qualifier (Josh Kerr), discuss the latest CTer to pull out of the tour (Tatiana Weston-Webb), and finally make our El Salvador event predictions.

Rip Curl Portugal Pro winner Yago Dora joins Buck on The Drop to talk all things surfing.

Live from Europe, Big Dick Power Surfer sends incredible news from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal: CT surfers are returning to their natural habitat — the party. Also, we discuss our new film release with Noa Deane, a hot pack of sponsor changes, why Netflix hates surfing and much more.

Mikey C and Stace break down their Portugal forecast and picks before Big Dick Power Surfer swings in with a take of his own. The boys also chat about the Stab Highway finale (presented by Monster Energy), a huge surfer-led protest in Puerto Rico, how the Nile River will save Australia's waves, and Rob Machado's first thruster in 21 years.

Rasta Rob has not had a bowel movement in 11 days — how on earth is he still up for the Monster Air award?! In non-Highway news, Mikey and Buck discuss the swell heard 'round the world in New Jersey and another semi-relevant one on the Gold Coast. Back to excrement, we speak with Chris Papaleo (aka Salty Beards) who roasted covid surfers so hard on Instagram that they left a coiled brown snake on his doorstep. In more somber news, we break down the recent string of shark attacks in South Australia and a Nicholas Cage surf film in WA.

"It just goes to show how sad of a place the surf industry is in." That was Mateus Herdy, mid-Stab-Highway, as he and Ben Gravy lovingly roasted each other for the umpteenth time about their divergent paths to surfing success. The argument began when Mateus mocked Ben for dressing "like a ten year old", to which Ben responded, "It must be really hard for you that I'm not even a good surfer, and I still get paid more than you." Written on the page, that may come off as arrogant — but Ben's cheekiness and sarcasm (even when telling hard truths) is a real highlight of our 7-episode east coast road battle, now premiering on Stab Premium. Turns out that beneath all that kooky positivity is a guy who's well and truly in on the joke — and very much playing it to his favor. By the end of the trip, the sponsorship gag had developed to such a point that, either out of pity, amusement, or a genuine business opportunity, Ben Gravy offered Mateus a legitimate sponsorship deal with his own clothing line. "We had an

Just because it's impressive, doesn't mean we need to care — at least that's what Big Dick Power Surfer believes. In this ep of The Drop, Buck and Mikey C discuss the recent events at Nazaré and Micronesia, and where they fit within the greater competitive surfing landscape. Also, the surf sin returns for a brief yet embarrassing stint.

This week Paul Evans and Stace G breakdown all the contest news live from the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro along with all the happenings on stabmag.com. Was Filipe hard done by? Is Caity Simmers leagues ahead? Did Paul Evans get a wave and completely blow it? Find out the answers to all of this and more in today's show!

Apologies for the delay, you'll understand when you listen.

This week Brendan Buckley is joined by none other than surfing's very own Pete Weber aka Cam Richards. They break down all the surf news this week including big wave surfing psychology and all the behind the scenes moments from Episode 3 of Stab Highway East Coast, Presented by Monster Energy. Thanks for tuning in!

This week Stab's co-founder Sam McIntosh joins The Drop to discuss the new episode of How Surfers Get Paid: 'The high price of authenticity — Craig Anderson’s knee doesn’t bend.' Sam and Mikey C debate Craig's decision to leave Quiksilver in 2015 and whether or not Haydenshapes should have paid commission to Craig for his part in making the Hypto Krypto the best-selling surfboard model of all time. Later, Mikey and Buck discuss the controversial second episode of Stab Highway East Coast (USA), whether or not surfing needs a new rivalry, and a scroll-stopping Landon McNamara interview.

Who's gonna win Pipe, and the World Title? Stace G and Mikey C give their picks before the start of the 2025 Championship Tour season, along with some behind-the-scenes intel on the world's best surfers.