Split Peak Soup
Welcome to Split Peak Soup Podcast! I’m your host, Neal Kearney. I feel very blessed to have been born and raised here in Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is a hotbed for talented individuals, including, but not limited to: professional surfers and skaters, master surfboard shapers, internationally renowned artists, expert musicians, boundary pushing intellectual thinkers, and out-of-this-world explorers of consciousness.
Working as a professional journalist for the past twenty-plus years, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with these extraordinary humans and in-depth and insightful chats. While these discussions have helped inform many written pieces that I’m proud of, I oftentimes felt that I was leaving a lot of meat left on the bone, as the few quotes I’d incorporate into my writing oftentimes seemed to strip my interviewees of their own authentic voices.
Luckily, we are entering a brave new world, where the podcast has risen as a popular form of storytelling and media consumption. From Joe Rogan to Conan O’Brien, podcasters have officially taken over. And now, I’m joining the fray. The Split Peak Soup Podcast is my way of using my skills as a story-teller to offer long format conversations with those whose stories deserve to be told.
So, what are you waiting for? Pull up a cozy chair, grab a napkin and your favorite spoon, and get ready to dig into another savory serving of Split Peak Soup!
Split Peak Soup
Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 20--Nat Young
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Modern day competitive surfing is not for the faint of heart. For starters, you're dealing with the many moods and faces of an unpredictable ocean, where simply having a quality wave come your way requires a tremendous amount of luck.
Then, if you are fortunate enough to snag that diamond in the rough during your heat, you have to convince a panel of finicky judges that what you're bringing to the table is deserving of a high score. Add in an endless supply of hungry opponents from around the globe, and you've got yourself one Hell of an uphill battle.
One man who's beaten all the odds of finding success on the World Surf League is Santa Cruz's own, Nat Young. Born and bred on the West Side, Young devoted his entire life to becoming a professional surfer, and with the endless support of his mom Rosie, he made his dreams come true.
From NSSA Nationals to the O'Neill Coldwater Classic, Young's obsession with competitive surfing brought him the highest accolades at an early age. This grit and determination brought him lucrative high-profile sponsorships and extensive world travels before graduating High School, ultimately leading to seven years on the World Surf League’s Championsip Tour.
Despite two 2nd place results in Fiji and Portugal, Young never took a CT win, but he did gain the respect and admiration of both his fellow competitors and fans at home and across the world. However, after falling off tour, starting a family and enduring some close decisions in a bid to requalify in 2024, he decided to hang up the towel.
In this episode of the Split Peak Soup Podcast, I got to check in with the powerful goofy footer, who since retiring, has been busy raising his two children, Rockie and Owen, entering the competitive world of real estate, and even coaching some young local talent. We discussed all this, including his mother's role in shaping his success, social media, crowds, the Santa Cruz Boardriders Club, and much more.
Eat Your Soup!!!