Digital Social Hour: Austin Keen – Why True Athletes Stay Dangerous Into Their 60s | DSH #1755

Podcast: Digital Social Hour
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Austin Keen
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Sean Kelly sits down with world champion skimboarder and entrepreneur Austin Keen for an in-depth conversation about athletic longevity, mindset, humble beginnings, adapting to new chapters, and the blend of business and athletic life. With humor, candor, and inspirational insights, Austin shares his journey from a challenging childhood in the South to becoming a celebrated athlete and businessman. The conversation explores health, resilience, the evolving world of sports, and how true athletes keep their edge into their later years.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Athletic Mindset and Longevity

• Sustainable Sports:
  Austin and Sean discuss why sports like golf and pickleball have skyrocketed—athletes can play well into their 60s and beyond. Austin notes that not only does this allow continued activity, but the competitive drive never leaves a true athlete.
  • "[You] could play it into your 50s, 60s, 70s, no problem. Most sports, you can't. That's why I think pickleball took off too." — Sean (00:03)
• Competition Humility:
  Austin recounts a humbling defeat in pickleball at the hands of older women, emphasizing the mental aspects of athletics and the lifelong nature of the competitive drive.
  • "We got smoked by 70 year old women... We both looked at each other like, we're not gonna talk about this again." — Austin (00:12, 39:11)
• Training Smarter With Age:
  Austin reflects on how awareness of recovery, nutrition, and mindfulness, largely missing from his youth, can dramatically extend athletic prime.
  • "Now with like...biohack knowledge...if you take care of your body, you can continue to increase your longevity your prime. There's guys in their 50s in better shape than I am." — Austin (28:39)

Nutrition, Health, and the Evolution of Athletes

• From Poor Choices to Superfoods:
  Austin contrasts his childhood diet—root beer and sugar-laden tea—with his current advocacy for genuinely healthy snacks (Vitamin Bar).
  • "I was chugging 2 liters of root beer, eating specific rolls. I was not eating healthy." — Austin (02:15)
  • "We have 25 daily intake of vitamins and it's all from the superfoods. So super clean." — Austin on Vitamin Bar (01:05)
• Changing Information Flows:
  Both speakers discuss how modern social media spreads nutrition knowledge to young athletes much faster, though some regions still lag behind (03:21).

Challenging Childhood and Unusual Upbringing

• Growing Up at Bethesda Home for Boys:
  Austin shares candidly about growing up with foster siblings in a unique communal setting, discipline via point systems, and the life lessons learned.
  • "It was kinda like its own compound community...my parents were responsible for like, I dunno, six, seven, eight boys." — Austin (07:53)
  • "They become like your brothers in a way..." — Austin (10:24)
• Early Physicality and 'Flipping':
  He recalls mastering backflips as a child and the resulting confidence and athletic foundation—skills that would help him later as a professional athlete (11:00).

Transition to California and Athletic Breakthrough

• Drastic Life Changes:
  Austin describes the awe of moving from rural Indiana and Georgia to coastal California, a dream realized through his supportive mother (04:17–15:14).
  • "It like, didn't even seem real...I saw my first palm tree, I was just like, whoa..." — Austin (04:20)
• Parental Support:
  His mom’s willingness to relocate for a nursing job enabled him to experience Laguna Beach, pivotal for his career (14:22–15:14).

Resilience, Injury, and Mindfulness

• Avoiding Major Injuries:
  Despite a career full of risk, Austin credits luck and gymnastics training for his durability but admits to pushing too far before learning recovery and self-care (26:11).
• Impact of Yoga & Mental Practice:
  Winning the touring world championship coincided with his first disciplined yoga/meditation routine—suggesting the mind-body connection as essential for peak performance.
  • "The year I won the tour for skimboarding...was the first year I was dedicating to yoga and...meditative practice..." — Austin (31:58)
  • "[Yoga] was actually...helping me keep my mind and body all together. That's ultimately what helped a lot with my competition skill set." — Austin (32:05)

Mindset, Motivation, and Adaptability

• Mental Side of Competition:
  Austin and Sean discuss how success in sports is as much about mental focus as it is about physical skill, especially under the pressure of unpredictable environments like waves or golf (31:11–36:36).
  • "The mental side of sports is undervalued...I think that's everything." — Austin (31:14–31:16)
• Comparisons Kill Motivation:
  Austin shares that the path to lasting fulfillment is self-direction, not comparison to others—especially in the age of social media.
  • "That's probably the sole ingredient to demotivation and unhappiness is comparing yourself to other people." — Austin (51:09)

Sports, Community, and the Power of Play

• Sports as Life Teachers:
  Both speakers reflect on the lifelong lessons from sports—commitment, perseverance, adaptability—and lament the decline of PE and active play in schools (41:11–43:37).
  • "I always say that [sports] should be a requirement. Like, we have PE class...But when I was growing up, PE class was so lame..." — Austin (41:14)
  • "Dropping in on a quarter pipe...teaches you commitment." — Austin (42:34)
• New Passions: Golf, Pickleball, Padel:
  Austin’s current passions mirror the theme of lifetime athletic engagement and competitive fulfillment (36:12–41:03).

Entrepreneurship and Social Media

• From Athlete to Entrepreneur:
  Austin unpacks his journey leveraging social media for authentic brand partnerships, building Vitamin Bar, and launching (publicly for the first time) the Marsh Water hard iced tea and lemonade company with his brothers in Georgia (44:41–52:56).
  • "Posting my action sports stuff was getting engagement. Well, we didn't even have that word back then..." — Austin (45:36)
  • "I've always been an entrepreneur at heart...creativity is how I'm gonna help keep building my platform." — Austin (50:04)
• Authenticity vs. Virality:
  He touches on the frustration of algorithm-driven fame, highlighting that consistent, authentic content is still the most fulfilling and sustainable path (50:50).

Vision, Goals, and “Riding the Wave” of Life

• Fluid Goals and Life Paths:
  Austin offers parting advice about having a flexible vision and letting the journey unfold organically—rather than clinging rigidly to goals.
  • "You can have a vision, but how the God or the universe gets you there is going to be up to that force. You're never going to have a blueprint..." — Austin (53:27)
• Living in the Present:
  • "I was more just, like, chasing after the vision, the grand vision, more than any specific goals." — Austin (53:28)
• Signature Send-Off:
  • "Gotta ride the wave, man." — Austin (53:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Getting Humbled in Sports:
  • "We got smoked by 70 year old women...And I don't think me and him have ever played pickleball together again." — Austin (00:12, 39:11)
• On the Mental Side of Competition:
  • "The mental side of sports is undervalued...I think that's everything." — Austin (31:14)
• On Yoga and Winning:
  • "That was the year I won [skimboarding], and it was the first year I dedicated to yoga and meditative practice. That was the year I won." — Austin (31:59)
• On Social Media and Authenticity:
  • "Never promoted any brands I don't believe in...I've been very authentic about the path." — Austin (50:41)
• On Comparing Yourself in the Social Media Era:
  • "Comparing yourself to other people...that's probably the sole ingredient to demotivation and unhappiness." — Austin (51:09)
• Final Wisdom:
  • "You can have a vision, but how the God or the universe gets you there is going to be up to that force...Gotta ride the wave, man." — Austin (53:27, 53:59)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• True Athlete Longevity / Pickleball Humbling – 00:03, 39:11
• Nutrition and Upbringing – 01:02–03:46
• Moving from Georgia to California – 04:17–15:14
• Bethesda Home for Boys Experience – 07:13–10:24
• Backflip Stories and Athletic Foundations – 11:00–13:19
• Learning from Early Injuries / Value of Recovery – 26:11–29:20
• Mindset, Yoga, and Winning – 31:06–33:59
• Nontraditional Sports (Golf, Pickleball, Padel) – 36:00–41:03
• PE Class Reflections and Skateboarding as Life Lesson – 41:11–43:37
• Entrepreneurship & Social Media Strategy – 44:41–52:18
• Marsh Water Hard Tea Announcement – 52:18
• Final Advice and Philosophy – 53:02–54:02

Conclusion

This candid, energetic episode traverses the highs and lows of chasing dreams, evolving as an athlete, and steering one’s own destiny both in sports and business. Austin Keen’s warmth, resilience, and humor shine as he reminds listeners:
"You've got to ride the wave..." (53:59)
No matter the setbacks or shifts, a true athlete never loses their competitive fire—or their knack for reinvention.