53| Nat Young
Birthday: June 17, 1991
Hometown:Santa Cruz, California

Skinny as a rail, light on his feet, Nat Young’s not only wired the requisite futuristic maneuvers, but also appears to be able to maintain a sense of style and stoke while doing it. Simply put, the kid is going to make his legendary Australian namesake proud. He’s hands down the hottest thing coming out of Northern California, and his Santa Cruz locale is ideal for honing a myriad of skills in different wavescapes. Santa Cruz’s West Side may be one of the hardest places in the world to be a grommet, but as the Chosen One at Steamer Lane he appears to have the inclination and gumption to remain undeterred. “He’s in the water constantly,” points out Santa Cruz photographer Patrick Trefz. And if surfing doesn’t work out? His middle name is Cy, as in Cy Young, so who knows, he may make a hell of a pitcher.