I’m a big believer in the right idea at the right time. And Dawn Days, the early morning ritual started by friends Mike Guest and Nick Pumphrey at the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020, is a great example of this principle in action. Like all good ideas, this simple concept soon took off; in this case becoming an online movement as more and more people from around the world began to document their own early morning experiences. Soon - perhaps because of the timing of the whole thing - Dawn Days transcended these humble origins and became a means through which to explore a range of other issues, including mental health, our connection to nature, and even the nature of community during the Covid and post-Covid era. It’s been great watching this idea unfold and see how Mike and Nick have nurtured it, so I decided to ask Mike, who I know through the village-like UK action sports community, to come on the show to discuss the whole thing. I loved this conversation. Mike is a warm, generous and insightful conversationalist and, like Dawn Days itself, our conversation evolved in some unexpected directions, particularly as we examined Mike’s relationship to his dyslexia, and the way this diagnosis has shaped his life. Hope you take as much from it as Mike and I did. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comMy ‘lifer’ episodes are always loved by listeners. And with this week’s guest Liam Griffin, we are in proper vintage territory. For me, Liam is THE classic example of somebody who has carved out a unique career for themselves, inspired by their love of shredding, and a desire to take risks and follow their own path. First, some background: LG is a proper stalwart of the US snowboarding industry who I first met back in the early 2000s, when he was overseeing all of Burton’s various events (including the Open series). Two things immediately struck me: his professionalism, and his geek-level love of all things snowboarding. We became friends and stayed in touch, and in the intervening years I’ve watched on as his career has gone from strength to strength, particularly after he left Burton to set up his own event agency SuperGoodThingMaker, and began working closely with Travis Rice on his various event concepts. If that isn’t the quintessential lifer resume then I don’t know what is. And behind the scenes Liam has quietly had a supremely important role in steering snowboarding’s development over the past two decades; efforts which have just come to fruition with Natural Selection, the event series he has put together with Travis. Think of this one as a complement to the Travis episode, and a look at the other side of the story. How do you put something like NS together? What challenges did they face? And just how did Liam get to the point where he could help T-Rice put together the most influential event series in snowboarding? The perfect territory, then, for a roving chinwag in the finest Looking Sideways tradition.Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI’m used to chatting guests with massive goals or awe-inspiring achievements under their belts. Think of Ross Edgeley’s Great British Swim, or Christina Koch’s record-breaking spaceflight. And this week’s guest Andrew Alexander King is right up there. Andrew is a surfer, climber and mountaineer who is at the beginning of an audacious attempt to become the first African-American to climb the seven highest mountains and volcanoes on each continent. 14 peaks in all, each with their own dangers and unique challenges. As a life goal, it is frighteningly ambitious. And that’s before you factor in his Between Worlds Project, through which he hopes to subvert the “lottery ticket of birth” that currently sets your cultural path, and dictates who gets to see these environments as viable playgrounds; a subject that is currently the subject of much transatlantic discussion and controversy.Like I said, it is ambitious stuff, and about as far-removed from the “because it’s there’ orthodoxy that has shaped the narrative of exploration for the past two hundred years as it is possible to get. Andrew’s infectious personality and compelling backstory only add to the intrigue. Naturally, I was keen to speak to him for the show, and find out more about his quixotic quest, so in March 2021 we caught up over Zoom to discuss the whole thing. It’s a good one this. Enjoy. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Type 2 is a podcast from Looking Sideways in association with Patagonia that explores the intersection between the outdoors, action sports and activism. This week’s guest is Ryan Gellert who last year replaced Rose Marcario as Patagonia’s CEO, taking charge at a critical point in the company’s history. Ryan took the role following his successful six-year stint overseeing Patagonia in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, during which he helped the brand attain its leadership position in the European outdoor and environmental communities, and oversaw projects such as Save The Blue Heart of Europe and Patagonia Action Works. Of course, as in all episodes of Type 2, we delved into Ryan’s back story and explored his own personal history of activism. But I was particularly interested in finding out more about his new position, and what he hopes to achieve during his time in the role, as we all reflect upon 12 months that have changed the world. After all, the position of Patagonia CEO fulfils a certain totemic role in the outdoor and environment worlds, and how Ryan approaches his tenure will obviously say a lot about Patagonia the company. How is he going to use this position and power? What does he stand for? And, by extension, what does Patagonia in 2021 stand for? These are the topics I was interested in discussing and which, I’m happy to say, Ryan was equally happy to explore.The result is a completely fascinating and wide-ranging conversation with someone in one of the most influential roles in our industry. I’m also extremely grateful to Ryan for sharing his own at times very personal story. My thanks to Ryan and his team for their help in setting this episode up. Hope you enjoy it. New episodes of Type 2 are released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify or any of the usual other podcast providers. Thanks to Ewan Wallace for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Bone fide legend alert!Yep, my guest this week is a proper icon, somebody who has achieved so much in their own discipline that they’ve crossed over into the mainstream realm as the personification of their chosen sport. Take a look at Rachel Atherton’s record and you’ll see why. Five world champion titles. 6 UCI World Cup titles. 39 World Cup events. The ‘double double’ in 2015 and 2016 - which was, also, the only perfect season ever. It is an absolutely extraordinary record of achievement by an athlete who has achieved genuine greatness. And yet, as I discovered during our conversation, it has also come at quite a physical and mental cost, as the lengthy list of injuries and setbacks that have complemented her victories attest. Now, as Rachel prepares to become a mum, we sat down to discuss her career so far and her plans for the future. I’ve met and chatted to Rachel a few times over the years and I’m always so impressed by her complete emotional honesty and levels of self-awareness. This is just a brilliantly revealing conversation with somebody at the absolute top of their field, full of peerless insights into the nature of success, competitiveness, and how to cope with failure. I really enjoyed this one, and I have to thank Rachel for opening up fully and bringing the full range of her experience, insights and extremely impressive levels of self awareness to the conversation. Hope you enjoy it. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Welcome to the second of two episode 150 instalments. To mark this milestone, I decided to stay true to the ethos of the Looking Sideways podcast and speak to two of my oldest and closest friends; two people who’ve been integral to the Looking Sideways universe since it launched - Ed Leigh and Owen Tozer. This, episode 150b, is the second instalment with Owen Tozer. Long term listeners will know Owen - he’s one of my oldest and closest friends who has been a key part of the Looking Sideways story since its inception a decade ago. He’s also my co-author on Looking Sideways Vol.1, the first Looking Sideways book we recently finished and which will be available soon. Not that this comes close to covering the full extent of Owen’s omnivorous creative talent and range. As I’ve said many, many times before, Owen is the real deal - a supremely talented photographer, art director, designer, film-maker, artist and musician. Sure, like any creative he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop arguing with the producer but that’s alright. His standards are higher than everybody else’s. I’m extremely fortunate he continues to lend his considerable talents to Looking Sideways, and the completion of our book and episode 150 seemed a fitting occasion to finally get him on the show. Join us, as we cover Owen’s life and career, his work on new project Goodrays, Looking Sideways Volume 1, the creativity v. commerce conundrum, and loads more classic LS topics. I’m so grateful for my friendship and creative partnership with Owen, and this was a hugely enjoyable catch up with one of my favourite people - hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPintWelcome to the first of two episode 150 instalments. To mark this milestone, I decided to stay true to the ethos of the Looking Sideways podcast and speak to two of my oldest and closest friends; two people who’ve been integral to the Looking Sideways universe since it launched - Ed Leigh and Owen Tozer. This, episode 150a, is the first instalment with Ed Leigh. Ed, as you may know, is a broadcaster, journalist and presenter best known for helming legendary BBC show Ski Sunday, and for being the voice of the BBC's snowboarding coverage at the Olympics. He’s also been a stalwart of the European industry for over twenty years now.Ed is also one of my oldest and closest friends, as well as somebody I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. He was my guest for the very first episode of the podcast back in January 2017. I also brought him back for episode 50 a few years ago, and he’s generally been a huge supporter of and advocate for the show since day one. So it seemed fitting to bring him back for a third appearance, which we recorded at the end of February 2021. On this occasion we had a lot to chat about - the serious knee injury he suffered in January that looks set to keep him out for action for the rest of the year, his experiences presenting the latest series of Ski Sunday during a pandemic, the vociferous online reaction to a recent Ski Sunday piece on diversity presented by our mutual pal Phil Young, his time in NZ quarantine which is where he was when we chatted, his thoughts on Natural Selection and much, much more. As ever with Ed, this was a supremely relaxed, lengthy chat, full of digressions and tall tales from one of the European’s industry’s most beloved communicators. I really cherish my friendship with Ed, and I’m so proud of what he’s achieved over the years. This was, as ever, an absolute blast. Enjoy! Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comEnjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPintMy ‘lifer’ episodes are always among the most popular instalments, and this conversation with podcaster and journalist Shelby Stanger is a classic of the genre. It’s also particularly fascinating for me because, as I realised during our conversation, our careers are actually really, really similar - from the circumstances that got us into the industry, to our progress through it, and to the way we ended up laughing our own podcasts at around the same time. Given how niche our careers are, I found it to be an intriguing coincidence. As fellow members of the unofficial action sports podcaster union, Shelby and I have been internet pals for a couple of years now. It’s a small world this industry, so you tend to end up knowing each other. And from the beginning, when she went out of her way to give me some extremely useful and savvy advice, I could tell she was a total legend. So in February 2021, we sat down to unravel the story of Shelby’s life and career. And what a tale it is. As you’ll expect if you’ve listened to Shelby’s show’s Wild Ideas Worth Living and Vitamin Joy, this is a top yarn from an expert, empathetic storyteller. These are my favourite episodes of the show, where I can tell we’re on safe hands, and the overall vibe is relaxed and expansive. My thanks to Shelby to coming on the show, and for such a warm, insightful conversation. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comEnjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPintLike all good ideas, the Natural Selection Tour seems obvious in hindsight. The world’s best riders on a specially built course designed to showcase snowboarding at its most progressive and stylish? Conveyed using next-level production and designed to nudge snowboarding away from the evolutionary cup de sac we’ve been heading down for years? Why on earth has nobody thought of this before? The answer is that similar ideas have been mooted in the past. But it took somebody with the clout, vision and sheer dogged energy of Travis Rice to make it a reality. It’s been an endeavour, as Travis explains during our conversation, “50 years in the making”, and with the dust settling we sat down for a catch up about a truly historical moment for competitive snowboarding. As regular listeners will know, I’ve also had a tiny involvement in Natural Selection as a member of the five person Selection Committee alongside Travis, event COO Liam Griffin and industry legends Barrett Christy and Pat Bridges. As part of that arrangement, Travis agreed to come on the show to discuss the entire show once Jackson was in the bag. The result is an expansive, illuminating chat that takes in the entire lengthy backstory to Natural Selection, what it means for snowboarding, and how Travis felt about losing to eventual winner Mark McMorris in THAT quarter final match up. This is a peerless insight into the entire NS story from the man who made it happen. Don’t miss it. Big thanks to Travis for this one, as well as my friends Liam, Lora and Brantley for their help in making this happen. Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe

Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comEnjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPintSpecial meta Curator/Circe Wallace special! I’ve spent a good chunk of the last couple of months donning the journalist hat and occupying the editor's chair for the latest volume of Curator, the independent print snowboarding publication I’ve been privileged to work on for the last couple of years. As well as editing the whole thing, I also wrote a couple of stories for this volume, including an interview with my old friend Circe Wallace, who regular listeners will remember I had on the show a couple of years ago as part of the California mission. Myself and Circe got on real well during that first LS conversation; so much so that we ended up staying in touch and becoming pals. So when it came to chatting to Circe for the aforementioned Curator piece, I thought I might as well record the whole thing as an episode of the podcast, as well as use it as material for the story I ended up writing. This episode you're about to listen to is the result. We recorded this one a few days before Christmas 2020, and as a result myself and Circe were in a particularly reflective mood, as you’ll hear. The result is this really warm, insightful and enjoyable conversations with one of our world’s most interesting and successful personalities. There’s plenty of 90s snowboard nostalgia for the geeks (hey, I include myself in that), as well as plenty of insight into the drive and vision that have made Circe one of the great motors of progress in action sports over the last twenty years. Thanks to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wearelookingsideways.com/subscribe