Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

Full episode info and Show Notes: www.wearelookingsideways.comIf you were to sit down to try and devise a way of creating the perfect snowboarder, you’d do worse than use Stale’s Sandbech’s upbringing as a template. Take one stoked kid living near an easily accessible local hill. Mix with three equally hyped friends who live and breath snowboarding. Add one older brother photographer who shoots with the best of the world, offering easy access to an incredible array of role models. Marinate in the world’s most influential snowboarding culture, one that has always valued individual style and heritage. The result? One of the world’s great snowboarding stylists, who is today of the most popular riders on the planet.I remember when Transworld Snowboarding asked me to write Stale’s first check out back in around 2011. Here was a 14 year-old kid who could ride it all and appeared to arrive on the scene perfectly formed. Plus, he seemed to already have an enviably stable head on this shoulders. Since then, Stale’s has evolved into one of the defining riders of the last decade, as comfortable on the Olympic podium as he is lapping the park in Laax with his RK1 mates, Which is exactly where I bumped into him, back in April 2018, arranging to meet him that evening and sit down to go over his life and career. As you’ll discover, Stale cuts the same impressive figure off the hill as he does on it, and it was a real pleasure to sit down and catch up on the ins and outs of his snowboarding life. Big thanks for coming on the show. 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.comHow do you get to the top of your sport? Sure, you need incredible focus, steely ambition and exceptional physical talent. But you also need a particular mindset - an ability to deal with setbacks and injuries; to turn setbacks into positives, and to continually readjust your goals as circumstances dictate. And that’s the main takeaway from my conversation with climber Shauna Coxsey. Shauna is a two-time ISCF World Cup bouldering champion who in 2016 was awarded an OBE for her services to climbing. She is also one of the highest-profile climbers in the world, who is set to be the focus of global attention when climbing makes its debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. I caught up with Shauna in London at the end of April 2018 for a hugely enjoyable conversation about her life and career so far. It’s an-depth and involved chat that covers in detail exactly how Shauna, who first discovered climbing as a four year old in Runcorn, made it to the top of her sport - and the incredible physical and mental focus it takes to stays there. We discuss the way Shauna compartmentalise her achievements and moves on quickly to her next goal, an approach that leads us nicely to the looming occasion of the 2020 Olympics, and how Shauna plans to tackle the biggest occasion of her career. As you’ll hear, Shauna is great company; completely unpretentious and a fantastic, articulate role model for climbing and women in sport. Her story is one of utmost dedication, and it was brilliant to get the opportunity to sit down with her and go over her life and career in such detail. Huge thanks to Jenny at Band of Birds for the help in setting this one up, and to Shauna for coming on the show. It’s a good one.As usual, thanks to Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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

Bonus Fire Food book launch episode! For this one I headed along to London to catch up with my old friend DJ BBQ, aka Christian Stevenson, on the occasion of the book launch for his new book Fire Food. I grabbed Christian for half an hour just before the party kicked off and have a fairly chaotic chinwag about the book and plenty more. It’s rough and ready this one, with interruptions, digressions and swearwords aplenty. If you enjoyed my first episode with DJ BBQ, you’ll dig this one, which is a similarly roving and free-associating chat between two old friends letting the tape roll for half an hour. No Show Notes for this one, so if you want to find out more about any of the things we discuss, check out my Instagram (@WeLookSideways), Twitter (@WeLookSideways) and Facebook (@wearelookingsideways) 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’s the reality of life for a top action sports athlete? Sure, there’s all the good stuff you might imagine - acclaim, adulation, world travel, free stuff and all that. But what about the rest of the time? What about the injuries? The constant hustling to make projects happen? What does it take to make a career in this most unforgiving of industries?It’s a world that celebrated freeskier Paddy Graham knows inside out. Paddy’s come a long way since he first tried skiing at his local dryslope in Sheffield in the north of England. Today he is part of the renowned Legs of Steel production team and is generally considered to be one of one of Europe’s best-loved and most creative and progressive skiers.In April 2018 I caught up with Paddy at the British Ski and Snowboard Championships and sat down to discuss his career at the top of skiing, and find out how he got there. As such this is a fantastic insight into the reality of life as a top action sports pro, all narrated with absolute casualness from one of the coolest cats in the game. As you’ll hear, Paddy is the very model of a modern action sports pro. A sick skier, yep, but also a hustler, a producer, a networker, a creative, an organiser, and above all, an entrepreneur.As Paddy explains the twists and turns of his incredible career, it is an object lesson in how many hats you need to wear if you want to succeed in his particular game. How ambitious you need to be, yes, but above all how hard you need to work.Don’t be fooled by Paddy’s hype laid-back demeanour. Beneath his extreme likability and affability, this is one shrewd operator. And that’s the great lesson of this episode. Sure, you can have talent, but unless you’re prepared to be adaptable and work, you won’t succeed.Big thanks for Paddy for coming on the show. Really enjoyed this one; hope everyone else does too.As usual, thanks to Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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

Bonus episode! For this one, I met up with episode 019 guest Sophie Hellyer to catch up on her year so far, and to speak to her about the media storm she recently found herself at the centre of. We chatted a few times during the week it was going on, and during that time agreed to sit down and spend half an hour discussing the whole farrago for this special bonus episode of the podcast. If you enjoyed the first episode I did with Sophie back in October 2017, then you’ll enjoy this one as we explore similar themes and try to get to the bottom of why this thing blew up in the way it did. No Show Notes for this one, so if you want to find out more about any of the things we discuss, check out my Instagram (www.instagram.com/WeLookSideways), Twitter (www.twitter.com/WeLookSideways) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/wearelookingsideways). 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.comWhat kind of city do we want to live in? It’s a fundamental question, particularly today, when urban spaces are becoming ever more homogenised and commodified. And it’s why the Long Live Southbank campaign, created to protect one of London’s most culturally important skate spots, struck such a chord. Skateboarders have been using the Undercroft on London’s Southbank since the mid 1970s. In that time, it has become one of THE flagship skate spots in the world. As the years have passed, it has also become an increasingly lonely flag-waver for the type of none-corporate culture that is becoming ever rarer in London and around the world. So when in 2013 the Southbank Centre, who own the space, put forward a planning application to redevelop the site and shift the skaters to a purpose-built spot under nearby Hungerford Bridge, local skaters mobilised. The result was Long Live Southbank, a hugely sophisticated and impressive grassroots campaign that succeeded in saving the Undercroft, and opening the wider world’s eyes to cultural importance of this legendary space. In March 2018, I headed up the Undercroft to meet Stu McClure of Long Live Southbank and find out exactly how they did it. The result is my first Looking Sideways conversation about a spot rather than an individual, and about the cultural importance of spots in our community and scene. The way we look at terrain, whether natural or urban, is one of the key things that sets the sideways culture apart from the mainstream, and in the case of Southbank, and the battle that has been fought over it’s future, this is one such occasion when that key difference, that cultural marker, has become a flashpoint, a battleground and a line in the sand.  A brilliant tale this one, one with many themes with relevance that go way beyond skateboarding, as important to this story as that it. It is about Southbank the spot, of course, but it’s also about positive activism, the importance of cooperation over conflict, and who gets to write the cultural history of a city. Hats off to Long Live Southbank for the positive, forward-thinking campaign, and for coming on the show. Hope everyone enjoys it!As usual, thanks to Scott Nixon (www.scottnixon.co.uk) for post-production help and Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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.comFor me, there is much more to the action sports world then the globe-straddling superstars we all know about. For every top pro or household name, there’s a lesser-known industry hero who’s passion and drive has contributed just as much to the culture we all love. Today’s episode with UK snowboarding pioneer Jeremy Sladen is about celebrating this integral part of the industry story. Jeremy was part of that first wave of early adopters who did so much to launch snowboarding in the UK and Europe back in the 80s. Driven by nothing more than a passion for the sport, Jeremy and his peers set up the brands, magazines, shops and associations that laid the foundation for much of the modern UK snowboarding industry. Today, as head of The Snowboard Asylum, he is one of the most respected presences in the European snowboarding industry, famed for his massive personality, sense of humour and love of snowboarding. In March 2018 I headed up to Aviemore in Scotland to sit down with Jeremy and cast an eye over his incredible, colourful career. As you might expect, we covered his entire career: how he got into snowboarding, how the UK scene developed, how he makes the decisions that characterise his role as one of the biggest retail influences in the UK, his thoughts on the future of snowboarding and much more. We also, as I’d hoped we might, addressed what for me has always been the key question: why? What has driven this character to dedicate 30 years to the passionate stewardship of the sport he loves? Was there one single spark? I’m happy to say that during our intensely enjoyably chinwag we got right into these details, and I came away with the answer I was looking for. For me this episode celebrates one of those individuals who has had as much impact on snowboard industry as anybody I can think of, and is all the better for it. Big thanks to Jeremy for coming into the show. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.As usual, thanks to Scott Nixon (www.scottnixon.co.uk) for post-production help and Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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.com From urban running to the biggest stage of all - this week’s episode is part 2 of my chat with Billy Morgan, this instalment recorded as he returned in triumph from Korea with a medal round his neck and a new level of fame and recognition. Like part one of my conversation with Billy, during which we examined his approach to life and snowboarding, and dug deep into his mental and physical preparation for the Olympics, this is a conversation on two levels. Firstly - of course - we discuss all thing Pyeongchang, and get right into the details of exactly how it went down during the Slopestyle and Big Air. We discuss his mental preparation, relationship with coach Hamish McKnight, and the fine margins and infinitesimal decisions that make the difference. But on another level, this one is about Billy the human, and how he’s coping with one of the defining moments of his life as it unfolds around him. As you might expect if you listened to part one, Billy tells that part of the story with the pitiless honesty, self deprecating humour and humbleness that make him such a popular figure in the snowboarding community. As with part 1, Billy approached our conversation with complete candour and honesty, offering up a truly revealing insight into how a world class athlete comes with the biggest stage of all - before, during and after. Huge thanks to Billy for carving out an afternoon in his schedule to take care of this one. Enjoy!As usual, thanks to Scott Nixon (www.scottnixon.co.uk) for post-production help and Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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.com For episode 036, I headed up to London to meet the inspirational Charlie Dark: runner, musician, DJ, thinker, leader, teacher, speaker, poet and much more. He's a member of seminal Mo’ Wax band Attica Blues, and founder of Run Dem Crew, the running community that has been the inspiration for and catalyst of the entire urban running movement that has taken off globally over the last decade. And if you do know Charlie? Then you’ll probably know the bare bones of the story. You’ve probably also read the same or similar interviews with Charlie countless times over - how he started RDC, the Nike years, his towering influence on the scene and so on. So understandably I was pretty keen not to go over the same old ground with Charlie during our time together. And I’m happy to say that what we’ve got here is a different Charlie Dark chat. One in which we cover plenty of old ground, sure, but also found out where Charlie is now, and what his plans are for the future. As you might expect from this legendary wisdom-dropper, there are plenty of though-provokers to get your head around in this one. I really enjoyed this one. Big thanks to Charlie for coming on the podcast, opening up and getting right into the spirt of the Looking Sideways podcast. Hope you all enjoy it. As ever thanks to Scott Nixon (www.scottnixon.co.uk) for post-production help and Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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.com"Our sports give us magical sensations and feelings. And you don’t need to be a man to experience them".Well, you can’t argue with this, just one of the many nuggets dropped by Swiss snowboarder and Freeride World Tour alumnus Anne-Flore Marxer in the latest episode of the show. AFM, as if you didn’t know, has been one of European snowboarding’s heavy hitters for over a decade now, thanks to a legit riding career that has taken in world titles, a Transworld Rookie of the Year award and film parts with Standard, among others.She’s also know for her passionate and forthright advocacy on a number of issues, whether gender equality in snowboarding, closing the prize money gap or her recent work with Riders for Refugees. Above all, she is unafraid to speak truth to power, and is determined to use her not insignificant platform to speak passionately and convincingly on the issues that concern her. And in this chat, recorded in Munich in January 2018, we cover a lot of ground. Listen in for Anne-Flore on her work with Riders For Refugees, the influence of Estelle Balet, her experiences of sexism while competing, and her continued efforts to ensure women and men share equal prize money. Big thanks for coming on the show AFM! Great to talk to you. As ever thanks to Scott Nixon (www.scottnixon.co.uk) for post-production help and Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) 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