Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

Full episode info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comAhead of the forthcoming London Surf Film Festival, I caught with an old friend for episode 097 of the podcast. I’ve know Demi Taylor for years and have long admired her questing, creative approach to life, whether through her prolific writing, or the festival she’s been organising with partner Chris Nelson for the past nine years. In that time the London Surf Film Festival has quietly become one of the most essential dates on the UK calendar. There’s a spirit of wry celebration about it that sums up all that is great about surfing, and UK surf culture in particular.So with this year’s event coming up, I thought it was high time I sat down with Demi to find out the story behind the festival, and also exactly how she carved out such an fascinating, influential career for herself. It’s a great story, driven by what Demi characterises as a spirit of ‘hopeful naivety’. She’ll scoff, but it also an object lesson in how it is possible to create the career you want by being steadfast in your goals and consistently brave in your decision-making. Listeners are perennially fascinated in finding out how guests ended up with such singular careers in such an unpredictable industry, and Demi’s story is a brilliant example. I had a blast chatting to Demi, and can’t wait for this year’s festival. Hope you enjoy the conversation. 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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI welcomed legitimate skateboarding royalty onto the show for episode 096 when I visited the legendary Cara-Beth Burnside at her Oceanside home for the final episode of my Looking Sideways California tour. CB is surely one of the most influential women in the history of action sports. Just look at her list of unique achievements. First woman on the cover of Thrasher. The only woman to win X Games summer and winter golds. First woman to have a signature skate shoe. 4th place in the Nagano Olympics. It is, by any measure, an extraordinary career. And yet, as is becoming depressingly familiar, these achievements only tell part of the story. Because throughout her career Cara-Beth has also had to fight to gain recognition in the face of a disinterested and sometimes hostile industry. Its particularly galling in CB’s case, because as you’ll hear, she’s done more than anybody to pave the way for the women who have come after her, and her story raises interesting questions about the differing levels of support the industry gives its legends depending on their gender. Still, as I discovered during our conversation, for CB it’s just one part of a long, storied and truly remarkable skateboarding career. I was really honoured to spend some time with CB, and help bring her story the platform and attention it deserves.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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI’m back! After an unscheduled few weeks off. And I got right back into it with a visit to Bristol, where I was shown around the new Wave site by Nick Hounsfield, the man behind the entire project. Like most British surfers I’ve been following the story of the Wave for a good few years now, and I’ve long been intrigued by Nick’s role in the whole escapade. Sure, it’s about building the facility itself. But on another level, it’s a classic ‘if you build it, they will come’ story of one man and his unlikely vision. Rich territory for a podcast conversation indeed, so with the project close to completion and the first waves about to flow, I headed down to Bristol to meet Nick and dig into his whole story. The result is a conversation that covers a lot of diverse, emotional ground. Because the Wave is much more than a story about - well - a wave. There’s a deeper purpose at play, and a wider community vision for which surfing is the vehicle. And there’s another level to this, too - the implications of such developments for surfing as a whole, and what it will mean for our oldest and most jealously protected sideways culture. So yeah, a lovely weighty chat this, conducted on site a few weeks before UK surf culture changes for good. Hope you can forgive the background noise, and enjoy this unique insight into the man behind the Wave. 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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI welcomed the great Nick Jensen onto the show for episode 094.Nick is a skateboarder and artist from London who has been a pivotal part of the UK scene for at least 15 years now. He occupies a really particular place in the UK skateboarding firmament - as a street skater of global renown and influence, and also as somebody with a unique approach to creativity and skateboarding.I’ve been intrigued by Nick’s take on skateboarding for a few years, particularly his video parts or the work his does through Isle Skateboards. There’s always a considered aesthetic at play, and I was interested in how Nick transfers this vision between the different disciplines he’s dedicated his life to.So I headed over to his studio in Homerton, to sit down and discuss the whole thing. As regular listeners to the show will know, I’m pretty interested in that whole area of creativity works, where ideas come from, and how you can still that voice of self doubt in your head to give yourself permission to do the work you’re trying to do.So that's what we chatted about. The result is a super involved conversation about the mechanics of creativity, and the challenges involved in trying to live a creatively fulfilling life. Really enjoyed meeting Nick and getting such an insight into his life and work, hope you enjoy this one.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.My guest for this episode of Type 2 is longboarder Belinda Baggs. Bindi is a surfer from Newcastle in Australia who is renowned as one of surfing’s foremost longboarding stylists. In the water, her milestones are numerous. She initially made her name on the Australian competitive circuit but is really renowned for the elegance of her approach to wave-riding, which has been showcased in films such as Sprout, Come Hell or High Water. She also has the distinction of being the first female surfer featured on the cover of Surfers Journal.Today she is an ambassador for Patagonia, and works extensively with the brand on a variety of different projects, Like a lot of surfers, Belinda’s relationship to the ocean is much more than the simple act of wave-riding - as she said in a recent interview, it encompasses care for the environment, respect for the power of nature, the ultimate playground, a place to be challenged and a place to relax. The ocean is my lifeblood and the true meaning of home. This viewpoint helps to explain her passionate, forthright involvement in the Fight for the Bight, the grassroots campaign that aims to stop Norwegian oil giants Equinor from drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight. As a resident of Victoria, this is issue is particularly close to home for Belinda, who has been tirelessly using her platform to draw attention to the issue, and lead the conversation on what has rapidly become a symbolic frontline issue for surfers around the world I met up with Bindi in Ventura in April 2019, where we sat down to discuss her life in surfing, the Fight for the Bight and the ways in which activism has gradually evolved to become more of an important element of her life. It was a really thoughtful, reflective conversation with one of my favourite surfers. Hope you enjoy it. New episodes of Type 2 will be released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify, Podbean, OvercastFM 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

Full episode info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comMy guest this week is Gabe Davies, one of the UK’s most legendary surfers. Whether it’s his career as a free surfer with Quiksilver or his pioneering explorations of the heaving waves off the west coast of Ireland, Gabe has helped to redefine British surfing on an international and big wave stage. He is also synonymous with the none-more-grassroots NE surf scene in the UK, one of our true surfing heartlands and home to one of the country’s most passionate and hardcore scenes. Gabe has been an integral part of this world since his teens, dedicating his life to mastering the region’s waves and bearing witness to the characters and tales that have done so much to embellish English surfing history.Not that Gabe’s career was confined to this particular corner of the surfing world. Ambition and drive saw him test himself in the world’s key surfing proving grounds, and led to a pioneering freesurf career with Quiksilver which occupied him for most of his 20s and 30s. Being the personable lad that he is, Gabe also became great friends with some of the leading figures of the surf world, people like Kelly and the Malloys, who became a massive influence on his future direction. That’s both in and out of the water - the Malloys in particular were a huge influence on Gabe’s approach to Ireland, and his subsequent decision to begin working with Patagonia once his association with Quiksilver came to an end. I was keen to speak to him about every facet of his surfing life and in July 2019 sat down with him in London to do just that. The result was a brilliant insight into the richness of north east surfing, and a look at one of UK surfing’s most influential careers. 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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI’m back with perhaps my must successful guest ever - Dougie Lampkin, the motorcycle trials legend who dominated his sport to such an extent he has crossed over into the mythical realm where he basically symbolises his own sport in the eyes of the mainstream. And when you run the numbers, it isn’t difficult to see why. Dougie, who hails from the first family of British motorcycle trials riding, won his first Scottish Six Day Trials and Trial GP events in 1994. He went on to have an era-defining career which saw him win seven consecutive world titles and dominate his sport to such an unparalleled degree that today he is still considered to be the greatest trials rider of all time. These days he still competes in Scottish Six Day Trial events and continues his association with long-term sponsor Red Bull, for whom he continues to work on stunts such as his mission to wheelie around the Isle of Man TT course, a feat he counts as up there with any of his world titles. A career of incredible highs, basically - and with those come the attendant lows, including the moment his crown slipped and the winning streak ended, and the recent loss of his beloved father Martin, Dougie’s friend, mentor and partner throughout his career. This conversation is a brilliant investigation into the mind of an absolute winner, and how somebody who has experienced the greatest highs their sport has to offer copes with the negatives that inevitably follow. Big thanks to Dougie for being such great company and for getting into the spirit of the podcast so wholeheartedly. 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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comShining a light in stories you may not know about, or speaking to people who are deserving of a wider audience, is a really important part of the Looking Sideways ethos. It is why my guests have included journalists, activists, chefs and musicians, as well as the big name professional athletes we all know. And it’s why I invited my old friend Neale Haynes onto the podcast for this week’s episode. Neale is a photographer, although that description doesn’t really do justice to the life Haynsey has led for the past 30 years. It’s a truly picaresque tale, which sees Neale, a man definitely both under a lucky star, forge a truly remarkable career that takes in the birth of Loaded and lad mag culture, sees him set up a ground-breaking action sports stock agency; and generally garner enough shameless, name-dropping anecdotes to give DJ BBQ, previous Looking Sideways namedrop world record holder, some serious competition. Yes, this is a romp of a conversation in which Neale outlines the entire rollicking tale, while also imparting a couple of really salutary life lessons which apply to everybody, no matter what they’re trying to achieve in life. Sure, it’s nice to embark upon a three week road trip around California. But sometimes it is equally nice to hop on a train to London and sit down with an old mate who you know has had one of the maddest, most incident-packed and downright successful careers of anybody you know. So that’s what I did. Hope you enjoy the episode. 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 info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI’ve interviewed almost 100 guests in the two short years I’ve been putting together this podcast, and they’ve all got one thing in common - at some point, they shelved everything and dedicated their life to their passion.It’s particularly true of professional athletes. There’s no other way to make it. But what if you reach the top and realise that - whisper it - there’s more to life than snowboarding? And that maybe this thing you’ve dedicated your life to perhaps isn’t the path to personal satisfaction and existential happiness you thought it was? That’s the premise at the heart of Elias Elhardt’s latest film project, Contradiction. It is a beautiful piece of work that is a treatise on the essential uselessness of the snowboarding lifestyle. It is that rare thing - an action sports film with a point of view beyond ‘Woo-hoo! Let’s shred’. As you’ll see if you watch the film, Elias ha s a lot of very interesting things to say about snowboarding, but also about how these activities link to self awareness, and how perhaps there might be something more to this while business than sliding sideways, and how it might, as a professional, behove him to use his platform to investigate this possibility. In this he takes his place alongside peers such as Christian Haller, Jerome Tanon and David Benedek who are also exploring similar themes in their own work. As you’ll know if you’re a regular listener of the show, these themes are right up my strasse, so while I was in Innsbruck in June 2019 I visited Elias at his place, and sat down to discuss these themes, and find out more about his new project which saw him spend five weeks in Kosovo. I very much enjoyed my thought-provoking conversation with Elias and I hope you do too. 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. The first episode of Type 2 features Greg Long.Greg is a big wave surfer from San Clemente who made his name as a standout at the planet’s biggest and most intimidating waves.He has won the Eddie, the Red Bull Titans of Mavericks and multiple XXL awards including Biggest Wave, Ride of the Year and Performance of the Year.In December 2012, Greg suffered a wipeout at Cortes Bank that almost killed him. It was an experience that changed Greg’s life. And the ensuing epiphany put him on the path he’s following today. Sure, he still surfs the world’s biggest waves. But he is also committed to using his platform to share his experiences and knowledge in practical, productive ways, whether that’s through his work with the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, or by raising awareness about ways we can protect the ocean environment and help solve the environmental challenges ahead. I met Greg on a recent visit to Huntington Beach and we sat down to record this conversation about his own approach to activism in the light of the experience that changed his life. New episodes of Type 2 will be released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify, Podbean, OvercastFM 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