Enormocast 256: Matt Segal – Florida Man Goes Climbing

Photos: Middle Keith Ladzinski Right Tim Kemple

On episode 256, climber, entrepreneur, and Florida man, Matt Segal, joins the Enormocast. Matt was born and raised in Florida, and this podcaster contends that he is the baddest climber to come out of that flat and swampy State (Matt demurs this accolade, BTW). Though he started as a proto gym-kid, and had a short but very successful indoor comp career, Matt pivoted in his early 20s to hardcore trad-climbing. For 15 solid years, he pretty much only trad-climbed and took down some gnarly R and X routes ground up. Along that dedicated path, Matt was not afraid to get uppity about how rad his cohort’s ethics were compared to whatever bullshit climbing you were doing. But in the end, a hard fought maturity prevailed, and now Matt looks at climbing with a much more encompassing view, though big adventures and fun with friends are still his compass. At 38 and with gas still in the tank, Matt is as happy with this moment as he’s ever been.