Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

Full episode info and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI welcomed one of the true greats onto the show for episode 076: the legendary Kelly Clark. Kelly is, without question, one of the most influential snowboarders of all time and the most successful competitive snowboarder in history - full stop. Run the numbers and you begin to understand the scale of her achievements: 20 years, nigh on 200 events, 137 podiums, 78 wins, 6 X Games medals, 8 US Open half pipe titles, two bronze and one gold medals won over the course of five Olympic Games. It’s a record that is unlikely to be bettered, and is why Kelly’s retirement, which she announced a few months ago, is a real pivotal moment in competitive snowboarding history.I called in to see Kelly Clark at her place on my way up to Squaw Valley, where we sat down to cast a forensic eye over this incredible career. This is a proper in-depth geekfest of a conversation about what it takes to succeed at the highest level for over twenty years. Its about the highs, the lows, and the constant reinvention required to stay relevant and keeping progressing over such a lengthy timeframe. We also talk about the responsibility Kelly felt towards the culture of snowboarding, and how she is using her unparalleled experience to help the new generation reach even greater heights.My thanks to Kelly for coming on the show, and being so honest and open about the struggles and successes that have characterised one of the truly great snowboarding careers.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.comFirst podcast of my California road trip! And what a lovely way to kick things off. I first heard of Sachi Cunningham when a listener tipped me off, and I immediately got in touch to ask her if she’d be up for coming on the show while I was in San Francisco.Sachi is a surf photographer, filmmaker, journalist, mother, cancer survivor and all round force of nature who has spent the last few years working on a project called She Change. It's a documentary which follows Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Bianca Valenti and Andrea Moller on their quest to be admitted in the Maverick’s big wave event, and which uses that topic to explore the wider story of the quest for gender parity in big wave surfing.It’s a story that has garnered significant mainstream coverage, and She Change tackles themes I've covered on previous podcasts, one of which is how men react when women ‘encroach’ on what is traditionally very masculine territory.Sachi is a skilled storyteller, and she tackles this nuanced and emotional topic with the honest and integrity that is a feature of all her work, whether it’s her pioneering water photographer at waves like Ocean Beach and Mavericks, or in the way she fearlessly and openly documented her recent cancer experience.Overall, this is yet another poignant, at times hilarious and completely honest conversation with an inspirational guest, who is driven to tell stories about people who’s passion has driven them into new and uncharted territory. Much like Sachi herself.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.com Now then flower. It’s a veritable War of the Roses this week as I welcomed my favourite Yorkshireman onto the show for a proper northern summit meeting. Schoph is a snowboarder, artist and all-round creative powerhouse, and his story is one of the strangest and most interesting in action sports. Today, he is probably the most sought-after artist in snowboarding, exhibiting at packed shows around the world, creating successful collaborations with Lib Tech, Dragon and Vans; and enjoying a fruitful creative partnership with the legendary Jamie Lynn. It’s a singular success story that begs a rather obvious question: just how did a lad from Doncaster, who started snowboarding at his local dryslope, end up here? At times Schoph’s persona can make it seem as though the whole thing is dashed off between metal shows and pints of his beloved ‘black milk’. But the truth is much more straightforward. Schoph is a grafter, pure and simple. You just don’t achieve this level of success without pushing yourself as hard as you can and being an extremely shrewd individual, which is something I’ve long recognised in Schoph. So when I headed to Laax for the Tidal art show in March 2019, I grabbed a couple of tinnies of Guinness and sat down with Schoph to get the full lowdown on his whole extraordinary career. Expect northern accents cranked up to 11, and some classic anecdotes from one of snowboarding’s truly unique characters. Enjoy. 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 reconnected with an old friend for episode 073 when I met up with Vernon Deck in Laax. Vernon is a snowboard photographer who has been working in the industry for two decades. Today, he works as Volcom’s main Snowboard Photographer, travelling the world and working with riders like Arthur Longo, Elena Hight and Jamie Lynn. That’s a great gig that would probably warrant an episode on its own. But there’s another side to Vernon’s life that meant I was determined to get him on the show. Because when he isn’t shooting snowboarding, Vernon lives on a sailboat and is slowly making his way around the world, documenting the entire thing through his fantastic YouTube series Learning by Doing. I’ve been hooked on Learning by Doing for a while now, especially given how multi-layered it is. Because as well as being a fantastically droll account of Vernon’s adventures and life on the road, it is also a really sensitive series of documentaries about some of the world’s lesser-known corners. So when I realised we would both be in Laax for the Sudden Rush Banked Slalom in March 2019, I decided to sit Vernon down to find out more. Naturally, we covered his career as a snowboard photographer at the top of his game. But we also dug deep into his lifestyle choices, and chatted about exactly how he has ended up living this truly peripatetic, off-the-grid existence. It’s a story of living your life as simply, honestly and possession-free as possible; and about using your talents and platform positively. I found this conversation hugely enjoyable and inspiring, and I hope you do too.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.comI’m really proud to have snowboarder Nicola Thost on the show for episode 072. As snowboarding’s first female half pipe gold medalist, Nicola stands as one of the key figures in freestyle snowboarding history. More importantly, she is hands down the most influential female rider of her generation, somebody who grabbed competitive snowboarding by the scruff of the neck and dragged it kicking and screaming into the future. In doing so, she changed our perceptions of what is possible and, during a competitive purple patch unrivalled until Kelly Clark came along, pushed the progression of snowboarding at a vital time. It is a legacy that meant Nicola was one of the first names on the list when I wrote down my initial wishlist of guests back in 2017. I had another motive, too. Snowboarding has always been notoriously bad at looking after its legends, and in some small way I wanted to help ensure that Nicola was given due credit for what she bequeathed to the sport. The result is a conversation that pays due homage to Nicola’s considerable achievements, and also takes on an unexpected poignancy as she explains the personal price she paid along the way. We discuss how, despite her unparalleled achievements, she still felt pressure to prove herself. And how no matter what she did, or how many competitions she won, it was never enough in the eyes of a sport and culture that was at war with itself over the entire Olympic question. As you might be gathering, there are a lot of themes to unpick in this one, despite its short running order. I feel privileged that Nicola has allowed me to update her story, and I hope I’ve done it justice.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.comA real reflective treat of an episode this week, as I am joined by surfer and waterwoman Léa Brassy in a conversation recorded in August 2018 down in Newquay. A lovely, light and artful chat, this, as Léa talks me through her life and passions. As a surfer, free-diver, spearfisher, film-maker, ocean advocate and writer, Léa has been courageous enough to follow her own path in life and is deeply thoughtful about her relationship with her environment. I mean that in the broadest sense of the word; both in how her actions affect the environment, and how her relationship with the environment affects her own mood and sense of fulfilment.As I discovered, this gently questing approach is something that Léa brings to every aspect of her life, whether its the food she eats, the possessions she owns, the journey she takes, or her constantly evolving relationship with the sea and the rawness of nature. To hear Léa’s story, you realise that the small decisions of life are actually the basis of an ongoing dialogue with ourselves about the type of person we want to be. There’s an honesty and a courage to this approach that is really inspiring and infectious.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.comFirst BMX guest!Bas Keep is one of the UK’s most respected and celebrated riders. He’s been at the top of his game for twenty years now, consistently carving out an unusual, thoughtful path for himself. He’s probably best known for his association with Red Bull and hugely ambitious projects such as Walls. He is also cherished by the core BMX community, who recognise the commitment to the culture of BMX that shines through every varied project he turns his hand to. It’s a heartfelt grassroots approach epitomised by his two current successes: Tall Order, his BMX brand; and his wildly successful YouTube series, through which he documents his life and the ongoing Tall Order story. As ever, I was keen to dig a little deeper during my chat with Bas. I wanted to find out where his quietly ferocious work ethic comes from, and understand what drives him to keep reinventing himself and finding new ways to remain relevant. I also wanted to find out how he’s balancing this whole thing with his new role as a Dad, and what his plans are for the future of Tall Order and his YouTube project in the face of a constantly changing media landscape. As you’ll hear, Bas is a thoughtful and entertaining conversationalist, happy to accompany me on my usual tangents. The result is a roving, free-wheeling conversation in the finest Looking Sideways tradition.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.comIt’s been two years in the making, but for episode 069 I finally bagged one of the big beasts of the snowboarding world: the great Jeremy Jones.Jeremy is a true icon. Firstly and most obviously, he’s one of the most legendary freeriders ever, helping to push the boundaries for over two decades now through one of snowboarding’s most influential riding careers.He’s been equally influential as a film-maker, through projects like the Deeper/Higher/Further trilogy, and idiosyncratic recent releases such as Life of Glide and this winter’s Ode to Muir.Then there’s his work in the environmental and political arena, which sees him use his platform to try and influence government policy and affect real change through organisations such as Protect Our Winters.In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover this ground and plenty more. We learn about the depth and scale of Jeremy’s environmental and political ambitions, and the passion that drives his work with POW and projects like Ode to Muir. We learn about how he squares the contradictions at the heart of his own travelling life, and about his own convictions are driven by an urgency borne of his own first-hand experience And yes, I did ask him about THAT Kayak ad...Above all, what comes across is Jeremy’s unquenchable passion for the sideways life. He’s also an absolute frother from first to last - and I say this as somebody who has been lucky enough to go riding with him. Cut this guy and he bleeds snowboarding, and it is this passion that continues to drive him today and which shines through during our conversation. Don’t miss this one.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.comEpisode 068 features me in conversation with one of the most quietly influential snowboarders of the last decade: Nicholas Wolken. Nicholas is one of the people behind Korua Shapes, the innovative European snowboard brand that has done so much in recent years to take the snow surfing movement, initially pioneered in Japan, to a global snowboard audience, helping to shift the focus of the entire industry in the process. They have done so by promoting a beautifully inclusive snowboarding aesthetic which prizes the simple joy of the turn above all else, making the entire thing as accessible as possible through a range of outrageously fun boards, and their addictive series of Yearning for Turning films. I got together with Nicholas in January 2019, spending a brilliant day splitboarding off the back of Kuhtai, before heading back down to Innsbruck to record this conversation. Of course, we covered the story of Korua, exploring how Nicholas and friends created such a massively influential brand, an unlikely phenomenon he puts down to ‘the right idea at the right time’. But I also learned how the entire Korua story is a personal one for Nicholas, representing a vision of snowboarding’s possibilities arrived at only after many years of experience and thoughtful consideration. Above all, the Korua story is about how a group of thoughtful, creative visionaries overcame their budgetary restrictions to craft a new relatable image of snowboarding, and set the snowboarding agenda in the process. Thanks as usual to Matt Ward for the theme tune. 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 a short new year hiatus, and am starting 2019 in style by finally snagging one of my most requested guests: the great Mickey Smith. Mickey is an influential photographer, film-maker and all round creative force of nature who is equally acclaimed for his work as a musician, whether as part of Ben Howard’s band, or through his own A Blaze of Feather project. A Cornish waterman who spent his formative years chasing heavy waves around the world, Mickey first came to wider prominence with the release of Dark Side of the Lens, which documented his life as part of the tight knit scene that spent the best part of a decade pioneering the slabs and reefs of the west coast of Ireland; and which has a claim to be the most influential surf film of the last decade. The success of that film gave Mickey a huge platform and some great opportunities, but Mick being Mick he continued to follow his own path and, as he puts it so eloquently in our conversation, the creative threads that he’s followed since he was a kid and that continue to motivate him and catalyse his life of relentless creative exploration. At the same time, his background as a musician saw him hook up with Ben Howard as Ben’s own career began to explode, and the subsequent years have seen the boys chase their collective muse on one endless, creatively honest and brave trip around the world. Some big themes in this one, from a true artist at the height of his powers, and this is an episode dotted with beautiful images and ideas. For Mickey, life is about ‘following the threads of imagination and instinct’ and how doing so can lead to moments of true wonder. Thanks as usual to Matt Ward for the theme tune. 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