Nat Young

'How to be a surfing legend'

Albert Falzon's photograph of Australian surfer Nat Young captures what it is to be a surfing hero.

Nat Young portrait story. Video length: 2 minutes

Narrator: Look here. These are the eyes of a legend, a sporting legend, a surfing legend. Do you have what it takes to be a surfing hero like Nat Young? What does it take? Obviously, you’ve got to love having fun on the beach. You’ll need the right sort of shirt, and sunglasses, and a big Ford. A really big Ford.

You’ll need to be able to hold rather heavy trophies while standing on small boxes. Just look at him. But most of all, you’ll need to be able to surf like a pro. It will help if you’ve got the right sort of dog, if you look cool even when you forget to wear your shirt, and if you have the right sort of drop-top car with the right sort of drop-dead gorgeous companions with drop-dead gorgeous smiles and long hair. Long blonde hair.

To complete the package, add ringlets and singlets, and prepare to be a surfing hero.

Nat Young, c. 1968 Albert Falzon. © Albert Falzon.

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Related information

Arcadia

Sound of the sea

Previous exhibition, 2014

An exhibition of photographs by John Witzig, drawings by Nicholas Harding and film footage by Albe Falzon, expressive of the free-spirited, hot-blooded energy of Australian surfers under the cloud of conscription to Vietnam.

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