The Lineup with Dave Prodan - A Surfing Podcast

World title-contender and CT standout, San Clemente’s very own Griffin Colapinto joins us on The Lineup podcast. With three events remaining in the 2026 Championship Tour season, Griffin opens up about his World Title pursuit, the evolution of his competitive mindset, and why he believes you can “win the World Title in the preparation.” He breaks down the pressure of competing at home at Lower Trestles, his best-ever heat at Teahupoʻo, and the lessons he’s learned from putting himself in position to win. Griffin also looks ahead to the final stretch of the season, including Portugal, Cloud9 and the 1.5x-points Pipe Masters, and explains why he believes entering Pipe as the No. 1 seed could be critical to his World Title hopes. He opens up about the level of competition on the CT, learning to embrace mistakes, staying focused on his own surfing, and finding the balance between preparation and simply enjoying the process. Elsewhere, Griffin talks about his brother Crosby’s return to the Challenger Series, the work ethic required to reach the next level, his approach to training, and why more free surfing, filming and surf trips could actually make him a better competitive surfer. Griffin breaks down his new Lost Surfboards signature model, the boards he’s relied on throughout his career, his favorite wave on tour, and more in the lightning round.

Thank you to our sponsor, Pacifico Beer, for making this episode possible.

Learn more about Griffin here and follow him here.

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Rewatch the Lexus Trestles Pro here.

Relive the Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro here.

Stay tuned to next Challenger Series event, EDP Ericeira Pro Presented by Xacobeo, Oct 6 - 12 and the next Championship Tour event, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Presented by Corona Cero, Oct 16 - 25 here.

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The 2026 Championship Tour regular season is officially in the books, and Dave Prodan is joined by WSL commentator and surfing analyst Jesse Starling to break down everything that went down at the Lexus Trestles Pro. Erin Brooks and Miguel Pupo took the wins at Lower Trestles, but the biggest story may be just how much the event reshaped the Championship Tour. From Mateus Herdy’s breakthrough run and Luke Thompson taking down the world No. 1 Leonardo Fioravanti, to the Brazilian storm getting knocked back and Oscar Berry finally finding a breakthrough win, Dave and Jesse dig into the biggest winners, losers and surprises from Trestles. They also unpack Erin Brooks’ incredible three-event winning streak and what it means for the women’s World Title race, Miguel Pupo’s emergence as a legitimate threat on the men’s side, and the high stakes surrounding the surfers who fell below the postseason cut. Dave and Jesse dive into the 2026 Surfboard Empire CT Shaper Rankings presented by VEA, the all-JS men’s final and all-Lost women’s final, the experimental equipment making an appearance at Trestles, and why Lower Trestles continues to be such a fascinating testing ground for new designs. Finally, with the Lexus Pipe Masters worth 1.5x points and qualification on the line, Dave and Jesse look ahead to the surfers who could make a run at requalification and the storylines to continue to watch as the season heads toward the North Shore.

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Relive the Lexus Trestles Pro here.

Stay tuned to the requalification stories with the next Challenger Series event of the season, the Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro, Sep 26 - Oct 3rd.

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The last trek across the tracks was well worth the walk to crown Erin Brooks and Miguel Pupo the 2026 Lexus Trestles Pro champs in picturesque conditions at Lower Trestles.

History was rewritten by Brooks, joining the likes of Stephanie Gilmore with three consecutive CT wins in a single season and launching herself to No. 5 as a proper World Title threat. Then, Pupo’s passion took him all the way atop the podium with relentless excellence from start to finish, culminating in his third CT win.

The new No. 1 Gabriela Bryan’s power went unmatched in the Quarterfinals, posting a 16.26 heat total over Luana Silva, and regained the Yellow Leaders Jersey ahead of then No. 1 Carissa Moore falling to an unstoppable Brooks. The 19-year-old phenom added a third World Champion to her road to victory at Trestles with Molly Picklum in the Semifinals before catapulting to No. 5 on the ranks.

2025 event finalists, reigning World Champion Yago Dora and Southern California’s own Kanoa Igarashi, commanded their Quarterfinal battles with Igarashi finding excellence over Marco Mignot before matching up with Dora in a grudge match. Igarashi kept surging alongside fellow CT veteran Miguel Pupo, who went next level over Mateus Herdy and Cole Houshmand on the road to his Final matchup against Igarashi where fireworks flew and ultimately crowned Pupo the champ.

Houshmand’s unrivaled power provided a masterclass in the Quarterfinals to post an event-best 18.50 heat total in his all-Southern California clash with Jake Marshall, as Marshall’s efforts were enough to push him to the postseason.

Now, the postseason separates the pack and all focus shifts toward a World Title surge at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Presented by Corona Cero, beginning October 16 through 25 at the famed Supertubos of Peniche.

Relive the Lexus Trestle Pro!

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Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

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Finn McGill joins Dave Prodan on The Lineup for an honest conversation about growing up on Hawaii’s North Shore, chasing the Championship Tour, recovering from a major shoulder injury, and finding balance away from surfing. A former World Junior Champion, QS winner, and longtime North Shore standout, McGill has spent years proving his surfing belongs alongside the world’s best. He opens up about his early rivalry with childhood friend Barron Mamiya, competing against CT surfers like Joel Parkinson from a young age, and translating his powerful, high-speed North Shore surfing to the conditions of the Challenger Series. McGill also breaks down the shoulder injury that abruptly ended his 2026 Challenger Series season, the long road through surgery and rehabilitation, and how injuries have changed his perspective on his career and what it means to be a professional surfer. Finn talks about his relationship with Seager, his deep involvement in surfboard design, growing up skating and surfing, his love of dirt biking, and why stepping away from surfing can actually make him a better surfer.

Learn more about Finn McGill here and follow him here.

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Stay tuned to the Lexus Trestle Pro, Sep 11 - 20.

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Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

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WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar joins Dave Prodan to break down the recently completed Fiji Pro Presented by Corona Cero and preview the Lexus Trestles Pro. Mitch and Dave dive into Cole Houshmand and Erin Brooks’ season-changing victories at Cloudbreak, Brooks’ historic perfect 10, Gabriel Medina’s growing momentum in the World Title race, and the surfers trending up and down following the Championship Tour’s Pacific Leg. The conversation moves beyond the results as the duo examines the latest Surfboard Empire CT Shaper Rankings, …Lost Surfboards’ continued dominance, and the equipment experimentation that could unfold at Lower Trestles. They wrap up the episode by looking ahead to the Lexus Trestles Pro, breaking down the pressure surrounding the men’s and women’s cut lines, and predicting which surfers could keep their Championship Tour seasons alive at Southern California’s famed high-performance playground.

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