Five-time world surfing champion Nat Young will reflect on adventures from his global career during a special free appearance at Torquay’s Australian ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Surfing Museum.
The three-time Bells Beach champion, now 71, is on tour promoting a new book of previously untold tales and will speak and answer questions during the limited ticket show.
“This is a great coup, it’s not often you get a chance to hear directly from a surfing legend as big as Nat Young,” Surf Coast Shire councillor Martin Duke said.
“He won his first world title at 18 in 1966 and his fifth incredibly in 1990 and has been a pivotal figure in development of the sport.
“He is one of only nine surfers in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 1986.”
Young, nicknamed the Animal, was prominent in surfing revolution in the late 1960s when surfboards went from three-metre Malibu-style boards to two-metre short boards, bringing more aggressive, gymnastic and physically demanding styles on the waves.
The New South Welshman’s new book is titled Church of the Open Sky.
In its foreword, Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Finnegan says Young has been eyewitness to several chapters of surfing history.
“The man they used to call the Animal has mellowed, somewhat, and he’s had adventures in every corner of the world with plenty of lessons learned, and he’s ready to share,” Finnegan says.
Nat Young will appear at the Australian ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Surfing Museum from 6.30pm on 11 October but tickets are strictly limited via natyoungintorquay.eventbrite.com.au
IMAGE: Chris Hewgill
