Nat in Hawaii

Robert 'Nat' Young (b. 1947) is a surfer and surfboard designer. Growing up in Collaroy, Sydney, he won the 1963 open men's surfing title at the age of 16. The following year his nemesis Midget Farrelly won the first world championship surfing competition, staged at Manly Beach. In 1966 a nettled Young won the title. Young excited onlookers and commentators with his shortened board and brilliantly aggressive style, which earned him the nickname 'Animal' and set the pattern for subsequent generations of Australian surfers, many of whom were awakened to the possibility of surfing as a 'lifestyle' by Falzon's film Morning of the Earth (1972), starring Young and other golden young men.

Although he did not win another world championship (by contrast, Australian surfer Mark Richards was the long-time record holder with four), Young has taken out a number of world longboard titles. He has remained a strong presence on the surf scene, opening his own shop and surfboard design business and writing The History of Surfing. This photograph was taken by John Witzig, who wrote in Portrait 27, describing Young as the 'alpha male of Australian surfing.' 'Nat's almost intimidating physical presence was a major element both of his character and his surfing,' he wrote, 'and it shouts at you in this picture.'