Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

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

Full episode info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI paid homage to a personal influence for episode 089 when I met up with the great Steve Douglas, a legendary figures in UK skateboarding who’s had an incalculable influence in a career that has spanned almost four decades. Like a lot of people, my first introduction to Steve was through his column in RAD Magazine - an essential connection to the global scene in a time before the internet. He was also one of the people behind @newdealskateboards - another big influence in my life - and other massively influential innovations like 411. Throughout his career, he’s been driven by an absolute love of skateboarding, and a work ethic that has enabled him, time and again, to make things happen by sheer force of will. No media in your hometown? Create a zine yourself, as Steve did. Want to push yourself as a skater to become as good as you can? Be one of the first UK skaters to make the move west, and end up as one of the most important figures in the industry. Not happy with the way skaters are being treated by their existing sponsors? Start one of the first truly skater led companies, and turn it into one of the most influential brands ever. For me he’s the ultimate distillation of the DIY ethos that is such a crucial part of skate culture, and has a legit claim to be one of the most quietly influential skateboarders of the last thirty plus years. Not bad for a Chelsea fan from North London. It was a proper privilege to meet Steve and sit down to get the whole story. Big thanks to him for being so generous with his time and experience, and my friend Dan Adams at RaD for being so helpful. 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.comI’ve been lucky enough to interview a massively diverse range of people since I started the Looking Sideways podcast. And one thing unites them all: the activity might have lured them in; but it was the lifestyle that eventually hooked them.Yet few guests, if any, have taken their dedication to this chosen lifestyle to the same extreme as Rip Zinger, a self-described travelling monk who has turned couch-surfing into an artform. Rip is from Tokyo and is, in the title of a blogpost written about his lifestyle, ‘a most interesting man’. A skater, snowboarder and, latterly, surfer, he left his home in pursuit of the lifestyle he loves about - and he's still on the road. Along the way Rip has racked up several lifetimes worth of incredible experiences, and made himself one of the most well-connected and much loved figures on the scene with a truly ridiculous network of contacts and friends around the world.He’s also an amazing photographer, who documents the whole scene on Instagram, and has published a couple of books that document his adventures.I’ve long found Rip’s story intriguing. Sure, we’ve all got mates who have dedicated themselves to their chosen lifestyle with noble single-mindedness - but few have managed it to turn it into such a fascinating life. Sure, the story of action sports is usually told through the lives of the superstars we all know. But characters like Rip, who are the unsung lifeblood of the scene, are just as important when it comes to sustaining our unique culture.So as my Californian road trip came to an end, I caught up with at his current digs in Cardiff-by-the-Sea to get the whole story. And what a tale it is, uniquely told by one of the scene’s great characters. Enjoy!Thanks as usual to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my new 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.comWhat attributes spring to mind when you think of the average action sports athletes? Style? Skill? Bravery? Youth?Whatever comes first, longevity is unlikely to figure too highly. After all, the majority of professional action sports careers burn short and sharp, averaging a decade at best before real life intervenes. Sure, there are a handful of special talents that have graduated to the legend programme, notably in surfing and skateboarding. But they are the exception rather than the rule. This context is what makes Mike Basich’s achievement so unparalleled. Here is a professional snowboarder who has sustained a career for 30 years. Even more impressively, he’s done so by managing to remain relevant in the face of the relentless progression that is the hallmark of all action sports culture. That alone would make him a member of an exclusive crew. But what makes Mike’s story even more special is the fact that he has done it all completely on his own terms, and by following his own idiosyncratic path. Not surprisingly, this experience has given Mike a unique outlook on life, and in today’s episode we explored the entire tale. Central to Mike’s story is the aforementioned legendary Area 23, the private resort compound he’s created for himself somewhere near Lake Tahoe. Its a two decade project that is central to the entire Basich story and ethos, and in this chat we explored what it means to Mike, and just how integral to his tale it really is. Sure, this the story of a snowboarding career. But as is always the case with Mike, it is so much more: about how to live your life on your own terms, and how to play the long game while staying true to your principles. It’s a extraordinary story from one of snowboardings most extraordinary individuals. Thanks as usual to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my new 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.comDisaster, tragedy, catastrophe, death, grief - these are the concealed details of life, hidden in plain sight in the hope we never have to experience them.The truth, of course, is that we will all be tested by such experiences in our lives. Until we do, a couple of questions loom. How will we cope? How can we square these experiences, and move forward?These are questions Jamie Brisick, my guest for episode 086, has faced twice now in the last decade. The first time was when he was suddenly widowed. And now, having lost everything he owns in recent Woolsey Fires in Malibu, he is facing them all over again.Jamie is a surfer, writer and documentary maker. Like all true artists, he’s used these unimaginable losses as fuel for his work, channelling his experiences into a series of articles exploring the aftermath of the fire that rank among his finest.I met up with Jamie in Malibu at the start of my recent trip. We recorded this episode of the podcast at the site of his former home, exploring in depth the emotions that such experiences bring forth - loss, grief, self-examination and, ultimately, hope.This was the second time we’ve chatted for the podcast, but the first time we’d actually met, and it was a rare pleasure to meet somebody I’d long admired in person for the first time, and to share such a personal and moving conversation. Thanks as usual to Matt Ward for the theme tune, and to my new 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