The LAGO Podcast

In this episode, we chat all things Snapper Rocks. We ask ourselves, was this the best event ever to watch live? We share stories of what goes on after dark when the cameras are turned off and what it was like to be deep in the Connor Oleary support squad.

Huge episode this week! We welcome our mate and 2024 Snapper Rocks champion, Mikey McDonagh, into the studio to go over all the action from Margaret River and what's to come at Snapper Rocks. We also caught up with Tim MacDonald, coach of George Pittar to give us the run down on GP's maiden win. #surfing #podcast #surfer #wsl

The Margaret River Pro 2026 has delivered a strange mix - moments of world-class surfing, backed up by some seriously average conditions.We break down a run of messy competition days where a few big names have been caught out in the challenging conditions.We also get into the tension and peace making between Jacob Willcox and Yago Dora - a rare bit of edge that added some intrigue to an otherwise inconsistent week.Tough waves, genuine upsets, and a comp that’s still wide open - Margies doing its thing.

In this episode, we break down a chaotic start to the World Surf League season, and yes… Zac’s board is getting a makeover. We ask the question most of us are thinking - should Bells still be on Tour? After a slow, stop-start event and some questionable conditions, we unpack whether tradition is enough to justify its spot in the modern schedule. We also run through the standout heats, the upsets and take a moment to soak in Miggy’s win. To wrap it up, we lock in our picks for Margaret River and reveal Finley's challenge if his picks flop at the next event.

In this episode, we dive into the first WSL Championship Tour Event of the season, The Ripcurl Pro - Bells Beach. Shaky start for the WSL as we unpack early controversy, with people calling that the event should’ve run on the first day of the waiting period. Big names exit early to a few standout rookies and our fantasy teams take an absolute beating!We also catch up with Cam and Rory, the brains behind the ALTO Pro Am, a fresh and exciting new surf contest heading to Sydney’s Northern Beaches over the Anzac Day long weekend. They tell us how the event came to life, what sets it apart, and what everyone can expect from this year’s comp.

We sat down with Callum Robson just before he jetted off to Bells Beach to kick off the CT season.What stood out immediately was Cal’s passion - not just for improving himself, but for helping others do the same. By the end of the conversation, both Zac and I were seriously tempted to jump on the QS and chase a pro surfing career ourselves.Whether you’re a surfer, a parent, or just someone looking to get better at what you do, there’s something in this for you.#surfing #wsl #surfer #waves #athlete

We're back again, this time to give our predictions for the upcoming RipCurl Pro Bells Beach. We run through the conditions, the new WSL format and give our fantasy picks. #surfing #surf #surfer #wsl #bells

Strap in - this bad boy goes for three hours. We go through each surfer and assess their chances on this years CT. We select our Rookie of the year, top 5, and who will wear the crown at years end. Side note - We accidentally corrected ourselves about half way through in saying the Rio event has changed locations. The CT is still based there, it is the challenger series that has moved. As always, thanks for listening!#surfing #surf #podcast

Here's our recap of all the action from the final CS event at Merewether. We do a deep dive into the controversial calls surrounding Kade Matson and Mateus Herdy and answer your questions from the event. #surf #surfing #surfer #wsl

We go through all the action from last weekend's Australian Boardriders Battle (ABB) Final. Plenty of controversies and even more good surfing. We also go through the updated qualification scenarios currently unfolding at the last CS event in Merewether.#surfing #surf

In this weeks episode, we cover a huge week in surfing. - The new Aussie QS graduates who will take on the Changa this year.- Stab in the Dark X.- A brand new changa schedule (kinda). We finish with a deep dive into the qualification scenarios that will unfold in the upcoming Merewether CS event (and of course your questions).

In this episode, we discuss the recent developments in olympic qualification. We then recap both the Usher Cup and the Burleigh Pro which wrapped up over the last two weekends. We finish up answering a bunch of listener questions including 'Who is the worst surfer to win a CT event'?

We sat down with Connor O'leary with no agenda. Just a chat among mates that naturally ventured into some interesting topics within the surf world. We really enjoyed this one.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the recent Pipe Challenger Series event. We highlight in particular Australia’s dominance and why Callum's win was so well put together. We also discuss some sponsorship movements and have a quick look at the rankings heading into the final event at Merewether.

We jumped into the studio to review everything that has gone down so far in the Pipe Challenger Series event. We go over all the highlights, look at what's to come and touch on the challenging conditions that are forecast over the next week. #surfing #podcast #surfer #surf #wsl #pipe #hawaii

Sit back and let us run you through a hectic week of surfing. Raglan landed its very own Championship Tour event, John Florence hung up the leash (again), and the Pipe Challenger is about to fire with solid swell on the horizon. Tune in as we break down all the news and lock in our predictions for the event.

This episode kicks off with a conversation around the recent shark attacks on Australia’s east coast and the difficult, often uncomfortable question of how they should be addressed. From there, we shift gears and break down the WSL World Junior Titles, recapping standout performances and key moments from the event in the Philippines.

For this week’s episode, we caught up with Luke Thompson, who’s currently enjoying a career-best season on the Challenger Series. We dive into his journey growing up in Durban, the emotions behind winning his home event in Ballito, and what it was like versing (and nearly beating) Jordy Smith at J-Bay. Luke also shares insights into mindset, pressure, and what it takes to keep progressing at the highest level.We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did#surf #podcast #wsl #surfer #challengerseries #lukethompson #surfingpodcast

We’re back! Welcome to the first episode of the LAGO Podcast for 2026. This week we discuss the recent sponsorship movements in detail and speculate where Medina could be heading. We also do a little preview of the upcoming WSL World Juniors event that will be taking place next week in the Philippines. We’ve got a huge year of surfing content ahead of us! If you want to jump on the journey with us, hit follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast app so you don’t miss a thing. #surfing #surf #surfer #podcast #wsl

The dribbliest of episodes to finish off the year. We run over all the latest surfing news, listen to our first ever song written for us, and finish off with a battle of the brains featuring Harry O'Brien and Keenan Crisp. We laughed a lot in this one. Thankyou to everyone who has tuned in this year and helped us get off the ground! 2026 will be bigger and better!

In this episode, we’re joined by former WSL World Tour surfer and current Challenger Series competitor Jackson Baker. We dive into his journey growing up as a grom who was “winning everything,” before his world was turned upside down in 2016 with the loss of his mum to breast cancer. Jacko opens up about navigating that grief, the adversity that followed, and how he fought his way to the highest level of the sport. We also chat about where he’s at right now and his push to earn a spot back on the elite stage. Strap in, this one’s a doozy!

In this episode, we talk to a man who wears many hats. WSL and skate commentator, podcaster, journalist, and former editor in chief of Transworld Surf (just to name a few). We dig into the 14 year 'party' that was Transworld surf and why it came to an end. We also dive into his current role as part of the WSL's commentary team and pick his brains on the new schedule and format for 2026.

In this episode we get right into the latest developments from the WSL World Tour. New schedule, new format, but some familiar faces re-joining the conversation. 2026 is shaping up to be a banger! 

In this episode we welcome James Wood (Woody) into the studio. A friend of ours who has seen everything in the world of surfing. After winning two World Junior Titles and venturing out onto the QS, James was unable to kick on and qualify for the tour. Instead he carved out his own pathway as a gun shaper and an elite level surf coach to the likes of Mikey McDonagh and Connor O'leary. This episode covers James' surfing career, his thoughts on the current state of surfing + we also pick his brains on board design and next years WSL world tour. #surfing #podcast #wsl #surfer #surf

In this week's episode we were lucky enough to have a chat with Jacob ‘Zeke’ Szekely and Letty Mortenson. Plenty of laughs in this one but also some gold with Zeke delving into his troubled upbringing, spending time in jail and overcoming drug and alcohol issues to have a successful surfing career. Letty talks us through his much different path and touches on his experiences filming ‘Corners Of The Earth: Kamchatka’. We think you’ll enjoy this one!

Episode 50 already! Thanks so much to everyone who continues to tune in each week - we're having a ball. In this episode we discuss the latest surf news, what's going on with Hurley's social media and give a brief wrap up of the Taiwan QS 6000 that just finished.

In this episode, we cover all the latest news in surfing. New sponsorship movements, OnlyFans supporting professional surfers and Ellie Coffey causing uproar in India. We also ponder the question; do we regard historical figures so highly that it diminishes the current state of surfing?#surfing #podcast #australia #wsl

In this week's episode, we sit down with two of the hottest young prospects in surfing who also happen to be best friends; Lennix Smith and Hughie Vaughan. Tune in and hear the lads talk about their careers, their friendship and their personal lives, leaving very few details to the imagination.

In this episode, we run through all the talking points from the Challenger Series event that just wrapped up in Brazil. Samuel Pupo and Yolanda Hopkins coming away with wins and cementing their spots on next years Championship Tour.#surfing #podcast #surfer #surf

In this episode, we recap an amazing weekend spent at Urban Surf Sydney for the annual Stab High event. It was easily the best event we've both been to and we even managed to sneak our way into the afterparty. Tune in to hear what went down. #surfing #podcast #surfer #surf #stab #air

We cover all the action from the recent challenger series event in Ericeira where Kauli Vaast and Tya Zebrowski bring home the wins for France. We then go into our preview of the upcoming challenger series event in Brazil and make our predictions. To finish we take a look at who's going to be in the Stab High event which takes place in sydney this weekend (Leak: Yago Dora and Molly Picklum will be there!).

In this episode, we discuss some recent ick's we've noticed in the surf + we talk you through our ideal Challanger Series hit list. We then recap day one of the Ericeira Challenger Series event and finish off with a call in with Caleb Tancred, fresh off his recent QS 6000 win in Japan.

In this episode, we get into all the controversies from the recent Stab 100 final in America. We then travel across the globe to Europe where we preview the upcoming WSL Challenger Series in Ericeira. #surfing #podcast #surfer #surf #wsl

We caught up with Dane Henry fresh off his world title win in El Salvador. We discuss where his surfing background, what launched him into the global surf scene and where he wants to end up. #surfing #surfer #podcast #australia #waves #surf

We have a look into the upcoming Stab High event and the list of top level athletes that will be launching themselves at Sydney's Urban Surf wavepool. We also get into our takes on the current shark situation that is currently being hotly debated across NSW. #shark #surfing #podcast

In this episode, we break down the men’s WSL Championship Tour, giving our take on each surfer’s season. #surfing #wsl #surf

We cover all the action that unfolded during the 2025 WSL finals event at Cloudbreak, Fiji. We do a heat by heat breakdown and discuss where this years world title trophy was won and lost.#surfing #surfer #wsl #fiji #barrel #brazil #australia #worldtitle #podcast #wave

The entire 2025 WSL season comes down to this final event. The five best men and ladies from this years tour face off to see who will be the world champion. We preview the event, peek at the forecast and pick who we think will hoist the trophy. #surfing #podcast #fiji #surf #surfer #worldchampion #worldtour #wsl

We take a glance back at all the action from the recent WSL event at Teahupo'o. We talk about the amazing surfing from the ladies in their final and Jack's unstoppable run through the event.#surfing #podcast #wsl #tahiti #teahupoo #surf #surfer #worldtour

We're joined by Jai Glindeman for his first ever podcast appearance. We ask him about his early life, the trials and tribulations of being a freesurfer, and getting the wave of his life in front of Nathan Florence at bombing Cloudbreak. This was a fun one!#surfing #podcast #surfer #surf #freesurf #fiji

In this episode, we run through all the action from the opening days of competition at this year's Tahiti Pro at Teahupo'o. We discuss the standouts and disappointments on both the mens and ladies draws and give our predictions for the remainder of the event. #surfing #podcast #surfer #tahiti #wsl #surf #barrel

In this episode, we break down all the action from the US Open that just wrapped up at Huntington Beach. We then go into our preview of the upcoming WSL Tahiti Pro that takes place at the infamous reef break, Teahupo'o. Stay tuned for our fantasy team selections at the end!#surfing #surf #podcast #tahiti #teahupoo #chopes #wsl

You asked, we delivered. The much anticipated return of Connor O'leary to the show was a banger. He talks all things buzzer beaters, 10 point rides and winning the WSL J-Bay Open doing the best backhand surfing anyones ever done. #surfing #podcast #surf #wsl #surfer #japan #australia

In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Tancred for a chat about where he's been the last few years and where he's headed. Once, a prodigy of Australian surfing, Caleb took a break during his late teens and pursued a degree in architecture. Now fully qualified and working a full time job, he's having a second run at his childhood dream. #surfing #podcast #surfer #professional #lago

In this episode, we re-live the week that was. We recap all the action that unfolded during finals day at the 2025 J-Bay Open where a dear friend of ours achieves his life-long dream. We then look over the rankings situation and make a few predictions for the upcoming US Open at Huntington Beach. #surfing #podcast #surfer #surf #jbay #wsl #win #connoroleary

In this episode, we go over all the action that has unfolded so far in the 2025 J-Bay Open and predict what will unfold when the quarter finals hit the water. #surfing #surf #podcast #wsl #southafrica #jbay #surfer #athlete

In this episode, we catch up with Vans athlete Tosh Tudor. We discuss growing up as the son of a multiple world champion, paving his own path and establishing his place in the lineup at Pipe. #surfing #surf #podcast #surfer #vans #barrel

In this episode we wrap up all the action from the recent Ballito Pro. We then preview the upcoming WSL J-Bay Open and go through our fantasy selections. #surfing #podcast #surf #wsl #surfer

In this episode, we get all the inside gossip from the recent Australasian QS leg in Indonesia. Lennix Smith runs us through 'that semi final' and gives his side of events on what really occurred. We then go into a quick wrap up of the WSL Vivo Rio Pro that just went down. #sufing #surf #wsl #podcast #surfer #indonesia #barrel

In this episode we discuss the breakthrough in aerial surfing that happened during the Swatch Nines event. We also cover the Indonesian dream tour and gloss over the opening day of competition at the Vivo Rio Pro. #surfing #podcast #surf #wsl #barrel #air #tonyhawk