Boardom: Nat Young

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The thrill is in the ride

What's New	Boarding America salutes those individuals who have had a profound influence on the sport and culture of surfing. Meet the men and women who started it all...	Silver Surfers: Nat Young It's been 30 years since a brash Australian named Nat Young decimated a field that included David Nuuhiwa and Corky Carroll at the 1966 World Contest in San Diego. In a career that has spanned four decades, Nat's name has become synonymous with surfing. He won the Australian Open Championships in 1963 while still a junior and captured the 1971 Smirnoff title-the unofficial world championship-in 15 foot waves at Makaha, HI. A legend among legends in his own country and physically imposing at 6'3" and 185 lbs., Nat saw speed as surfing's future and became one of the motivators behind the shortboard revolution during the late 60's and early 70's.
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In the 80's, Young was instrumental in longboarding's re-revolution, racking up four longboard titles and helping introduce it to the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) tour. In 1994, he became the only contest promoter to stage a world championship event at Malibu (Oxbow Longboard Championship). He has authored four books including The History of Surfing and Surfing Fundamentals and has written a directed two movies: Fall Line (1979) and History of Australian Surfing (1985). Nat took a run for State Parliament on a largely pro-environmental ticket and although he didn't win, sped the process of cleaning up the sewage problem at Manly Beach. Now Nat, together with his wife and kids, runs Nat's at the Beach, a rustic hideaway on the North coast of New South Wales.