Send us Fan Mail

Growing up on Pleasure Point, I had no shortage of excellent surfers to look up to. There’s something special in the water off those fabled bluffs that molds such stylish, smooth, and powerful surfers—one’s who can measure up against worlds best on any given day. Chris Gallagher, Kieran Horn, Bud Freitas…the list goes on and on.

In my eyes, however, there’s one local hero that stands out above them all—Adam Replogle. Adam’s poise and presence in the water has influenced countless groms growing up on the Point, and he always brings humor and positivity into every interaction.

Adam has had a rich, action-packed life so far. From the early days in Capitola, sponsorship and brotherhood surfing Pleasure Point as a teen, life as a traveling professional surfer, to embracing life his current life as a father and business owner.

I was thrilled to have Adam on the Split Peak Soup Podcast. It’s not everyday that you get to interview one of your heroes. During our chat, we got into all sorts of juicy topics, from his opinions on modern pro surfing, wave pools, slanging surfboards at Your Board Quality Surfboards, the pros and cons of living in Santa Cruz, to how he avoided succumbing to the drug abuse that caught up many in his tight knit circle.

Time to bust out that crusty bib, cause it’s time for another tasty serving of Split Peak Soup!

Send us Fan Mail

Sandro “Batata” Santiago has devoted his life to his two passions—surfing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As a sixth degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu, he’s put endless hours into perfecting his technique and has the world titles to prove it. It’s also provided himself a livelihood, with his Batata Jiu Jitsu Academy on Santa Cruz’s Westside gaining popularity as a place where individuals with discipline and grit can learn how to defend themselves in sketchy situations.

Born and raised on the beaches of Barra Tijuca in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Batata decided early on to pursue competitive martial arts over surfing, starting with Judo, then Muay Thai, and finally landing on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Success came quickly, and before long he was winning competitions and gaining sponsors for his efforts. He also grew up hoping to one day travel to the United States and surf Steamer Lane, home of the Coldwater Classic.

Around the turn of the last century, Batata finally got his chance. After moving to California, he fell in love with the iconic right-hand point break on Santa Cruz’s Westside. For the past twenty-five plus years, he’s been a fixture at the Lane, and is well known by the community for his bright wetsuits and consistent presence in the lineup.

On Saturday, May 2nd, the fifty-one year-old regular foot found himself in the type of situations that he prepares his students for. After jumping in the water around 7:00 AM, he greeted a group of surfers and exchanged pleasantries. One of the gentlemen asked if Batata recognized him.

When he apologized and said he didn’t, the unidentified man aggressively confronted him over a disagreement they’d had in the water weeks earlier. Despite his efforts to diffuse the situation, Batata was violently attacked by the man, who threw a volley of punches at his face, even trying to hold him under water. Feeling threatened, Batata paddled to shore, with his attacker hot on his heels.

What unfolded next was captured by Steamer Lane’s Surfline cameras and went viral online in the days to come. The video captures Batata skillfully subduing his attacker, moving with lightening speed to neutralize the much larger man. Instead of throwing punches, he simply wrapped the man up and asked him to apologize.

While most surfers who know Batata applauded his actions, many keyboard warriors online did not. This episode of Split Peak Soup served as an opportunity for the man to tell his side of the story, including his upbringing, why he got involved in martial arts in the first place, the importance of good surf etiquette, and how he hopes people, including his aggressor, can learn from the incident.

Send us Fan Mail

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!!!