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SAM MCINTOSH | STAB MAG FOUNDER

September 15, 2026 · 1 h 37 min

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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.


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