Split Peak Soup

Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 20--Nat Young

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2519785/fan_mail/new] 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!!!

Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 19-- Anthony Ruffo

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2519785/fan_mail/new] There are few places in the world of surf that have left an impact as powerful as Santa Cruz, California. From big-wave legends such as Richard Schmidt and Peter Mel, aerial pioneers Shawn “Barney” Barron and Jason “Ratboy” Collins, to competitive animals of the likes of Chris Gallagher and Nat Young, our areas standouts have left an indelible mark. One man who’s been there for it all is Westside legend Anthony Ruffo. Ruffo rose to prominence after winning the first professional surf event at Steamer Lane in 1985, the Hotline Lighthouse Santa Cruz Classic, which would later become the O’Neill Coldwater Classic. Ruffo cemented his place as one of the upcoming Santa Cruz pros in the 80’s and 90’s with his polished and dynamic backside attack.  He charged in Hawaii, didn’t shy away from lofty punts, and even dipped his toes in the heavy, hallowed waters of Mavericks in Half Moon Bay. He ran with the raucous rat pack of progressive Santa Cruz shredders, who gained widespread media coverage, worldwide respect, and a dash of infamy for their rockstar antics. However, the fun didn’t last for this tight-knit crew, and when the darkness descended, Ruffo found himself in the center of the cyclone. Addiction, jail time, and reintegration followed. While most converted cons can talk the talk, Ruffo truly walked the walk, giving back to the world with his dedicated volunteer work with wholesome operations such as Operation Surf, who share the healing power of surfing with wounded vets, as well as the Maui Ola Foundation, who do the same with children suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. It was a true honor to have Ruffo on the Split Peak Podcast. We chatted about his childhood, friendship with surfing heavies Vince Collier and Peter Davi, worldwide travels with the SC crew, the dark days of drugs in Santa Cruz, and his inspiring path forward after serving time for his crimes. We also discussed his involvement in the Santa Cruz Board Riders Club, and how the club has really brought Santa Cruz surfers together as a cohesive pack once again. I hope you enjoy this tasty serving of Split Peak Soup!!

Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 18-- Shane Heath

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2519785/fan_mail/new] Caffeine. For all its many blessings, there can be a cost. Anxiety, jitters, irritability and fatigue can occur in those who overindulge in their preferred form of caffeine, but due to it’s ubiquity and accessibility, people can find themselves in potentially harmful addictive relationships with this substance. Enter Shane Heath. Santa Cruz’s Shane Heath found himself second-guessing his own relationship with coffee after an artistic exodus to India showed him the virtues of the less-caffeinated morning cup of Masala Chai. Working at a tech start up in California he’d found his coffee addiction was leading to more stress and burnout in an already demanding field. He found the Chai in India more chill on his nervous system and began using it as a coffee substitute upon returning home to California. Not long thereafter, he began adding a ton of functional mushrooms to his Chai to boost the health benefits. After some curious friends and family began to get in on his secret blend, he realized he had something the people wanted. From there, he started MUD WTR, a brand dedicated to selling his proprietary brew. Before long, the company blew up, and is now selling its products to millions of happy customers. I was stoked to have Heath, a long time friend, on the latest episode of the Split Peak Soup podcast. During our chat, we outlined the entire Mud WTR genesis arc, discussed mental health, surfing, longevity, fatherhood, as well as the importance of fitness. We explored caffeine addiction, his huge new deal with Costco, as well as his foray into the world of fictional mushroom coffee blends with the release of Mud Water coffee. It’s really great to see people you know and respect blowing up and making such a huge impact on the world, so this was another special chat for me. Enjoy!

Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 17--Scott Crump

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2519785/fan_mail/new] I’ve always admired surfboard shapers. The amount of tenacity, grit, and dedication required to consistently produce boards that work is staggering. Materials are costly, and it takes thousands of hours of work and hundreds of finished shapes before a shaper can claim any semblance of mastery over their craft. In order to be profitable, not only does a shaper have to believe in themselves, they have to have a product that is undeniable in it’s ability to deliver that feeling that every surfer is looking for. Nowadays, where mass-produced giants of the industry have a stranglehold on the market, it’s amazing to see smaller scale custom surfboard brands fighting the good fight in the face of these corporate juggernauts. One such shaper is former professional surfer Scott Crump, of Sol Life surfboards.  Since the 1980’s, Crump has been applying his vast ocean knowledge and love for design into his custom surfboards and the results speak for themselves. He’s forged blades for some of the best surfers in the world, including Adam Replogle, Bud Freitas, Gabriel Medina, and Shane Powell. Currently Crump is residing in Noosa Heads, Australia, not too far from the spitting sand bottom pointbreaks of the Gold Coast.  Crumpy supported me during my own short run as a competitive surfer, so I was more than happy to have him on the podcast while he was in town to deliver some boards. During our chat we discussed his upbringing, introduction to competitive surfing, early sponsorships and mentors, time spent as a team manager for Billabong, design theory, and how he met his lovely wife, Tia. We also discussed the merits of his latest obsessions, twin-fins and channel-bottomed surfboards. Crumpy is a real one, and this is an episode that you don’t want to miss!

Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 16--Noah "Waggy" Wegrich

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2519785/fan_mail/new] It’s no secret that professional surfers are a dying breed, especially here in Santa Cruz. Twenty-five years ago, in order to get a paycheck from a big surf brand, all you needed was a decent air game and a good relationship with at least one local photographer. Nowadays, if you wanna see any coin come your way, you better have that, a boatload of charisma, connections, and good looks. Luckily, thirty-two year-old Seacliff local Noah “Waggy” Wegrich, has all that, and then some. The lanky goofyfoot is currently enjoying his reign as the king of local Santa Cruz professional surfers—traveling to exotics locales to film movie parts, modeling for his sponsors, regularly nailing mondo airs, and marrying and making babies with his dream babe, Natalie. While getting paid to shred the gnar and look pretty doing it might inflate a surfer’s ego, that’s not just the case with Waggy. He’s respectful in the lineup and a true gentleman on land. I’ve never heard one negative thing come out of his mouth and he seems beyond grateful for all the opportunities his surfing has brought him. That’s why I was so stoked to have him on the latest installment of the Split Peak Soup podcast! During our chat, we touched on a range of subjects, including his humble beginnings as a South Side beach rat, first contest win and sponsorship opportunities, hopes for the afterlife, opinions on wavepools and sharky lineups, and much more. We also spoke about his excitement for the premiere of “Keeping in the Shadows”, an independent surf film he’s been working on with Perry Gershkow for the past six years. Waggy is a class act, so do yourself a favor, hit that play button and prepare to soak up some knowledge from a truly original Santa Cruz icon.