MEET THE TEAM
Carson Kropfl
What’s up! I’m Carson Kropfl, co-founder of Yüth.
My love for print started when I was reading all the surf mags my dad kept next to the toilet. As my collection grew, I realized I wanted to bring print back. This wasn’t my first shot at creating a brand, I started Locker Board when I was 11. So when Mikey gave me a call talking about starting a magazine, I was stoked and we jumped right in. Now after our first year, I’m stoked to have a Tribe, from our team to everyone who’s supported Yüth. I couldn’t be more grateful. And to my freshman year college English teacher who failed me...WHO’S THE ONE WITH A PUBLICATION NOW?!
Cheers,
Carson
Mikey Walshe
How’s it going, my name’s Mikey Walshe and I’m the Co-Founder of Yüth.
I’ve always enjoyed two things, sports and selling things. Whether it was Pokemon, bracelets, or lemonade I was selling it. Baseball was my life and I also enjoyed other hobbies like surfing and Jiu- Jitsu that I still do today. To be able to combine that active lifestyle with business is something I am really lucky to be able to do. Since starting Yüth I’ve met so many amazing athletes, mentors, and people who I have built lifelong friendships with. I quickly found out this was more than just a brand, it was turning into my life. I see this becoming bigger than just a magazine. Yüth will be on every coffee table, every hoodie, and will become the biggest all around media outlet for all things board sports in the next three years. I’m excited to say that I’ve made some sacrifices and am now doing this full time with the dream of one day doing this for a living.. Think it, will it, do it.
-Mikey
Mick Sowry
Hi all. Mick here. I’m older than everyone else.
The short story: After working in the advertising industry for a (very) long time, in 2006 I decided to jump ship and try something else. Since then I’ve been the writer, producer, director and co-editor of two films for performance with orchestra, The Reef (2012), and The Reef Redux (2015), and also the documentary Musica Surfica (2008). All made in collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. They’ve been performed around the world, at venues including Disney Hall in Los Angeles and The Barbican in London. An idea I played with for years, a journal of art, ideas and the sea, became real in 2013. Great Ocean Quarterly was mightily complemented by my partners, author Jock Serong as editor, with ocean adventurer and marketer, Mark Willett, as the commercial director. My writing and photography has featured in The Surfer’s Journal, Surfing World, Surfline, Great Ocean Quarterly, and Patagonia’s Roaring Journals. In 2022 I published ‘a spark becomes an is’ — a limited edition hardbound book of photography, poetry and prose, precipitated by the sudden death of my wife, Sue, in 2019. My large format photographic work featured in the solo 2023 exhibition ’Spark’ at Hoop Gallery in Torquay, Australia, and later that year in ‘South West’ and ‘Placemakers” . Sue and I have have two sons, Joey and Tom. Both are artists. I live, with Tom, in the village of Jan Juc, just five minutes from Bell’s Beach, where I love to surf, on Wadawurrung Country, at the bottom of Australia.
Where does YÜTH fit in? Mikey and Carson saw my photography and asked if they could use it. One thing led to another, I saw I could help because of my design and publishing experience, and here we are. Helping the youthful team of YÜTH evolve something mighty.
- Mick Sowry
Derek Enriquez
My name is Derek Enriquez, and I’m a graphic designer and photographer from Corona, CA focused on clothing, culture, and storytelling through design. I run Design House, a personal studio where I collaborate with others and grow creatively. Growing up around surf and skate culture, everything I made drew inspiration from the big brands we know today, now it’s our turn. At Yüth, I design the merchandise, helping turn the magazine into something we can wear, feel, and connect through. I see merch as more than product—it’s a way to tell our story and build Yüth into a movement bigger than print.
-Derek
Danny Cullen
What’s up! I’m Danny. I linked up with Mikey and Carson after stumbling across the Yüth booth at Rhythm and Resin in San Clemente. I had just graduated from Cal Poly SLO, where I studied design with a focus on print. So when I saw these two dudes were slinging the first issue of the mag, I had to check em’ out. I started my first company in middle school making skate decks, followed it up with a clothing brand in high school, and have been chasing that same creative high ever since. After talking with them, I knew i wanted in. They shared my passion for creating cool shit and building community. Now, I get to help shape this brand from the inside - designing for the mag and the site, whipping up graphics for socials, stickers, merch, whatever I can get my hands on. This team is insanely talented and I'm stoked to be a part of the vision.
-Danny Cullen
Reid Koti
Yo, it’s Reid! I’m from San Clemente, CA. Carson and Mikey have been good friends of mine for a while. I first got into writing as a hobby to pass time during my junior year of high school when I had stuff I felt needed to get out of my head and onto paper. From then on, writing kind of became my outlet for everything and I am currently pursuing a degree in journalism from theUniversity of Nevada, Reno. There, I’ve worked with CBS, Spectrum Sports, and several other sports media outlets. With a world that leans toward being more digitized everyday, most would argue that print is a dying medium. That prospect is exactly why physical media is needed now more than ever, to etch in history what it is that we hold so close to us: people all over the world sharing experiences. Being part of the Yüth team has been a ride, one I intend to see through, wherever it may go. The Yüth needs Punk Rock!
-Reid Koti
Shannon Thornton
Hi all, I’m Shannon. I guess you could say that my job is to make up for Carson’s failed English class and Mikey’s terrible grammar (I kid!). I became involved with Yüth, fittingly, after a surf at Creek when a mutual friend told me about this new magazine that was looking for writers. I had just wrapped up a summer internship with American Surf Magazine and been published in my CC’s literary journal, so I was feeling pretty good and decided to reach out. Working with the Yüth team has been nothing short of incredible, and there’s a strong sense of belonging to something that is constantly growing and finding its sea-legs in the tumultuous media landscape. There’s the old Confucian adage that the man who does what he loves will never work a day in his life, and that’s really how I feel when writing with the mag. The continuous exposure to and interaction with such interesting and authentic people is more of a process of learning and understanding than simple documenting, and I approach my writing with the goal of trying to pinpoint and encapsulate a little bit of soul within each page.
-Shannon Thornton
Ella Boyd
Hello, my name is Ella. I grew up surfing and skiing in a small town on the rocky coast of Maine. After majoring in Philosophy at Scripps College, I skipped graduation to move to the North Shore of Oahu, where I did water photography, worked for Matt Warshaw at The Encyclopedia of Surfing, and worked as a staff writer and photographer at The Inertia. Since then, my work has appeared in The Surftime Journal, Pacific Longboarder, Daybreak Magazine, Surfer, Powder, The Flow Trip, and more. I am also honored to have been a Follow The Light finalist in 2023. Now, I am happily living in California, where I am stoked to be part of Yüth as well as working on digital content for Vans and writing the surf column for the San Clemente Times. Yüth is so special and unique regardless of where you are in the world. Passion and authenticity never get old… pun intended :-)
-Ella Boyd
Rachel Meltzer
I’m Rachel, Yüth’s copy editor. I didn’t grow up in the world of beaches and boards, but every day, California’s wild beauty stops me in my tracks. Yüth Mag has this rare magic–bringing people together, grounding us in nature, and speaking to a generation in a way that feels real. I come with years of editing and proofreading behind me, and I pour that into every piece, part typo tyrant, part dreamer. Just grateful to be here, doing what I love with a team that inspires me.
-Rachel Meltzer
Lydia Sawyer-Chu
Aloha, I’m Lydia. I’ve spent the last 8 years working in surf media - producing stories, leading campaigns & helping brands connect with their audience. My daughters were born in San Clemente–little surfer girls through & through–so being part of this team feels like a perfect fit. With Yüth, I’m here to support a new wave of voices and help shape a platform that reflects the creativity & drive of the next generation. Media is a powerful tool, and I’m passionate about using it to elevate youth culture from the inside out!
-Lydia Sawyer-Chu
Mark Sawyer-Chu
How’zit, everyone. I’m Mark. I met Mikey & Carson while they were interviewing Drew Brophy; we reconnected via industry-legend, Bob Mignogna, and we ended up having several mutual friends over at Sur Coffee. Alongside my wife, I’ve had my own consulting agency (Action Sports Lifestyle Group) in the surf & outdoor industry for over fifteen years, and we’re stoked to be working with the next generation of media in the industry. Hit me up if you want to connect with the authentic community we are building at Yüth and let’s gooooo!
-Mark Sawyer-Chu
Jack Sanseverino
Yo what’s up, I’m Jack. Growing up in San Clemente, I naturally spent much of my time outdoors – surfing, skating, camping, and all the other things essential to the youth growing up the right way. That’s why I’m so stoked on the opportunity to work with Yüth, to have the opportunity to get the groms back outside, in the water, in the bowl, and on the trails. I’ll be managing Yüth’s Affiliate Program, helping push the movement through ambassadors who embody what Yüth stands for, and who will inspire the next generation. My passion is sports and people, and one day I hope to manage sports partnerships and athletes, so Mikey and Carson provided me with the perfect opportunity. Shoots!
-John (Jack) Sanseverino
Logan Brown
What’s up! I’m Logan Yüths video creative. Came across the crew when I got handed a magazine and had to reach out. I grew up in San Juan Capistrano heavily involved in the action sports world, and have been working in the industry for the past handful of years. I run a production agency currently based out of Boise, Idaho and love to create visuals that bring a story to life. Stoked to be apart of the Yüth team and get to create along side a rad group! FREE YOUR MIND FROM THE WEB
-Logan Brown