Congratulations, Dan Mann! | Stab In The Dark X

Congratulations, Dan Mann (@dan__mann), your winner of Stab In The Dark X starring Kelly Slater by Stab Magazine.

Sometimes referred to as "the World Title of shaping" — because the surfer remains a constant while the boards are the variable — this is one of the purest tests in surfboard design. We couldn't be more proud of Dan Mann for this achievement. Fresh off his Icons of Foam win at the 2025 Boardroom Show and now a Stab In The Dark X victory, the moment speaks for itself. We've always known how talented Dan is and anyone who's ridden one of his shapes can attest — it's about time the rest of the world does too.

Anyone who's spent time around Dan knows he's not only an exceptional craftsman, but an exceptional human too. His range is truly rare. From shaping boards for 4x World Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen, to pioneering the wildly popular "Potato" models (Baked Potato, Sweet Potato, and more), to engineering high-performance precision equipment for Kelly Slater — Dan's understanding of hydrodynamics runs deep. Add that to his own world-class prone paddling achievements, including Catalina channel crossings on boards he designed himself, and you start to see the full picture.

The throughline in all of it? The commitment to his mission that is making performance surfing more accessible to all through thoughtful design: Dan simply wants to make everyone surf better, more easily.

Filmed in early 2025 on the Gold Coast of Australia, this project is the 10th installment of Stab Magazine's media franchise that is a blind surfboard test featuring a chosen test pilot with shapes created by the world's best shapers. Watch the full series on Stab Premium at stabmag.com.