Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

Full episode info and Show Notes: www.wearelookingsideways.comRecorded during my visit to Cornwall in August 2017, my conversation with Surfers Against Sewage Chief Executive Hugo Tagholm is a vital listen. Surfers Against Sewage are the marine conservation charity who first came to prominence in the 1990s when they spearheaded the campaign to improve water quality in the UK and around the world. Since then, they have diversified into one of the country’s best-loved marine conservation charities, primarily concerned today with the issue of single-use plastic. As Chief Executive and leader of SAS, Hugo has a hand in shaping these campaigns and as a result he is hugely insightful on the environmental challenges we face as surfers and in society as a whole. There’s no question that the work SAS do is of vital importance, and in Hugo, as you’ll hear, they have an articulate, visionary spokesperson who is leading from the front. This is an inspiring conversation that will have you rethinking your own relationship with plastic and the environment in general. Thanks for coming on the show Hugo. 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 Another week, another legend – this time big wave surfer and extreme waterman, the great Garrett McNamara. Garrett was in London for a few days during mid November 2017, so I sat down with him for an hour and look back over his storied, spectacular career.And what stories these are. Whether it's growing up surfing Halewia and then pioneering the outer reefs, or dedicating his life to Nazare, Gmac's life story reads as a guide to big wave surfing's recent history, and in this chat we cover the lot.As it was a week after Cotty's slam at Nazare, we hear Garrett's perspective on that, as well as the details of new Fearless project with Pablo Garcia, and some fascinating stuff on how recovering from his own death-defying wipeout at Mavericks left him facing the biggest emotional and physical test of his life. Yep. there's plenty to get your teeth stuck into here.It was brilliant to speak to Garrett about his life and experiences in such intimate detail - big thanks to Garrett for coming on the show, and to Jordan Williamson at CSM for making it possible.Thanks as ever 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.comLegend alert! Yep, for episode 023 I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with one of snowboarding’s most beloved characters: the great Bryan Iguchi.‘Guch’, as everyone calls him, has had one of the most most legendary and important careers in snowboarding, spanning over two decades and covering almost every key development along the way.Name a milestone and chances are Guch was part of the session. Big Bear back in the day, with Brushie and the rest? Tick. Part of the legendary mid 90s snowboard team with Terje, Rippey, Johan and Craig Kelly? Check. Moving to Jackson so he could expand his mountain knowledge and truly dedicate his life to snowboarding? Yup. Having a ringside seat as Travis Rice broke through? Check.We cover all this and much more during a lovely, enthralling conversation held in later October 2017 on a crisp, hungover autumn day by the banks of the Thames in London.If you’re a snowboarder, you’re going to love it. Not a snowboarder? Then sit back and enjoy zen-like wisdom of this most popular and respected legend anyway.Right on Guch!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 and show notes: www.wearelookingsideways.com *L E G E N D K L A X O N*Yep, I invited another true great onto the show for episode 022: none other than Travis Rice, a towering presence in snowboarding culture since he exploded onto the scene back in 2001.Today Travis stands as one of the undisputed greatest of all time. With his riding, his approach to arenas such as AK, his films or pioneering contests such as Ultranatural, it is no exaggeration to say that he has set the snowboarding agenda for the best part of two decades.So when he agreed to sit down with me in London in October 2017 to look back over his career, I was naturally pretty stoked. And Travis didn’t disappoint, getting right into the spirit of the podcast as we looked back over the key milestones of his career.Yep, it’s a good one this, a peerless insight into the mind of one of the world’s most influential snowboarders and athletes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.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.comI welcomed a true legend onto the Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast for episode 021:  3 x World Champion, renowned shark puncher and all-round Aussie surfing superstar Mick Fanning.I headed round to Mick’s place during my recent surf trip to Hossegor in the South West of France, and we got stuck into Mick’s life and career during the course of a hugely enjoyable conversation.Whether it’s the wildcard win at Bells back in 2001 that served notice of his talent, those 3 World Championship titles, that infamous 2015 run-in with a Great White or his recent return to the tour after a much-needed year out, Mick’s lived an incredible life by any standards.He is also, as I discovered, a supremely laidback and welcoming character, and during our conversation we covered the lot in an in-depth conversation with a man who’s lived a rollercoaster life, and is constantly striving to learn from the past, keep moving and keep evolving. A real pleasure to talk to you Mick. Thanks for coming onto the show and getting into the spirit of the Looking Sideways podcast.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 the third and final part of my Irish omnibus, recorded on my trip to the west coast at the end of September 2017, I headed to Galway to meet Easkey Britton.Easkey is a surfer, XXL nominee, swimmer, academic, artist, thinker, activist, environmentalist and explorer from Donegal. Part of the legendary Britton clan, she grew up surfing the great waves around Bundoran and Rossnowlagh, and is today famed for surfing some of the scariest waves around, like Mullaghmore and Aileens.Yet as I discovered, there's much more to Easkey than a penchant for taking on big waves. We covered a lot of ground during during our wide-ranging and captivating chat - obviously her background as a surfer, but also her academic work, her family's role as pioneers of the Irish surf scene and the way she is linking these threads together through the many different projects she's involved in, like Waves of Freedom and the new Ocean Collectiv, of which she's a founding partner.Ultimately this one is about connecting threads, and how through curiosity, openness, generosity and striving you can create links between the things that interest you for the greater good. Thanks Easkey! It was great to talk to you. 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.com It’s part two of my special Irish omnibus - episode 019 with surfer Sophie Hellyer, recorded during my brief sojourn to Lahinch on the west coast of Ireland at the end of September 2017. Sophie is a surfer, model and writer who came to prominence in her teens after she won British titles and was soon snapped up by Roxy. She then spent ten years as a Roxy girl, modelling, travelling, surfing and living what many would see as the dream gig. Since then, she has made some dramatic changes to her life, moving to Ireland, pretty much giving up modelling and using her experiences in that industry to formulate some unique and principled views on the issues of gender stereotyping and female objectification in surfing. We sat down at her cottage in Lahinch to chat over some of these topics and look back over her life and career. A great chat this one, with a principled and values-driven surfer creating change from the front. Thanks for coming on Sophie!Thanks to Chris Cracknell (@6ftstereo) 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 and show notes: www.wearelookingsideways.comWelcome to Part 1 of my special Irish omnibus! Yep, in mid-September 2017 I headed over to County Clare in Ireland for a few days surfing and to catch up with some friends for the podcast. First up is Irish surfer and farmer Fergal Smith. Ferg’s the man who turned his back on a successful pro surf career to head back to Ireland and establish a community farm in Lahinch on the west coast. Today, Moy Hill CSA Farm, run by Fergal, Matt Smith, Mitch Corbett and an array of helpers, feeds 50 local families from a 17 acre site. I headed up there to find out more from Ferg and got the lowdown on the whole project, as well as the new Moy Hill Crowdfunder campaign. Find out more and donate: www.moyhillfarm.com Thanks to Chris Cracknell (@6ftstereo) 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.comEpisode 017! How did that happen? This time I headed down to Newquay to speak to Ben Skinner, world-renowned longboarder, the man behind Skindog Surfboards and all round UK surf legend. Ben and the boys were super welcoming and after showing me around the factory we sat down and went back over his life and career. Up for discussion - the current state of longboarding, the ethos behind Skindog Surfboards, his impatience with people who try to limit what other people ride, and just why he was so pissed off about a recent article slating the state of UK surfing.Ben is forthright, funny, opinionated and all round good company, so this is a free-wheeling, entertaining chinwag on surfing and much more. Enjoy. Thanks to Chris Cracknell (https://soundcloud.com/6ftstereo) 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.comEpisode 015 is a special episode of the Looking Sideways Action Sports podcast, as I invited my old friend Marcus Chapman onto the show to discuss his work for CALM, his role as organiser of Nelson’s Tour de Test Valley and our old friend, the much-loved and much-missed Nelson Pratt. We wanted to discuss Nelson’s own story in the hope that it might illuminate some of the issues around mental health in a positive way, and help illustrate the ways in which CALM raises awareness about this most sensitive of issues.As you might imagine, it was an really honest and open chat this one, so huge thanks for coming on the show, being so honest and sharing yours and Nelson’s story Marcus. Ride on Nelly! We miss you brother XThanks to Chris Cracknell (https://soundcloud.com/6ftstereo) 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