The Drop

"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