Full episode and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comThis week’s guest Dylan Graves has managed something that sounds simple but is actually really very difficult when it comes to surf, skate and snow film-making - coming up with a simple idea that manages to convey the stoke of the entire business while also telling a repeatedly compelling story. If you don’t know Dylan, he is a professional surfer from Puerto Rico and the host of a YouTube show called Weird Waves, which for my money is the best professional surfing vlog out there. Why am I making this bold claim? Because Weird Waves is so far removed from the usual surf culture narrative, with its preoccupations with the same tedious tropes we’ve all had rammed down our throats for the past 70 plus years. Instead, each episode of Weird Waves focuses lovingly on the margins of surf culture, the scenes that are a million miles away from the Beach Grit beat, but are, in 2021, just as legitimate as La Jolla, Hawaii or Byron Bay. Whether it’s the Brits surfing the Severn Bore on junky old longboards, or frothing mid westerners tackling howling Great Lake windswell, Dylan puts these communities in the spotlight with zero judgement. There’s another reason that Weird Waves is to be applauded, too, which is the way that Dylan uses the format to challenge himself, whether creatively or by tackling the bigger issues of the day without fear or favour. When somebody with the profile of Dylan uses their platform to challenge themselves, and attempt to make our community more inclusive and accepting, they should be applauded. That’s a big reason why I invited Dylan on the show, and why I enjoyed our thoughtful conversation so much. Hope you do too.Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comWelcome to an absolute throwback of an interview in the finest Looking Sideways tradition. Yep, if you liked my recent chat with Ben Powell, for example, you’re going to enjoy this conversation with BMX legend ‘Mad’ Jon Taylor. For a start, it was face-to-face, which was such a laugh and something I’ve missed more than I’ve realised. Secondly, there’s the fact that this is a riotous look at the life and times of one of the most beloved figures in UK action sports. Jon is a true living legend of the global BMX scene, somebody who has been there, seen it, done it and has the raucously entertaining anecdotes to prove it. British listeners not hugely familiar with the BMX scene may have seen Jon on the BBC’s coverage of the BMX events at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where he sat in alongside Ed Leigh and provided brilliant context to the mainstream audience. I’m not gonna go through the CV, as Jon does this during our conversation far more entertainingly than I’m able to hear. But suffice to say this is a glorious trip through Jon’s life and times with one of the biggest characters in the game. I know some listeners have been crying out for this type of episode recently - like I say, it’s an instant LS classic in the truest sense of the word. Hope you enjoy our conversation! Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comIs experience a prerequisite for knowledge? How can you use the lessons of life to strive for equanimity? Is it possible to avoid taking life personally? Should we let our curiosity guide our decision-making? How can we put story-telling at the centre of what we do? Is life about taking or giving back? These are the questions we all grapple with at some point during our lives, however unwittingly. And, as I realised at the end of our conversation, they are the questions that formed the key themes of my fascinating and thought-provoking conversation with snowboarding legend Dani ‘Kiwi’ Meier. Let’s get the snowboarding part out of the way first. As you might have guessed from that nickname, Dani is from New Zealand, but it was as part of the nascent late 80s/early 90s European snowboarding scene that he made his name. On the snow, his surf-influenced, rootsy take on snowboarding saw him carve out a gloriously idiosyncratic career, riding for brands like Rad Air and Northwave, and helping to create the European pro scene as we still recognise it today. Off the snow, his work ethic, ability to see the bigger picture, and incessant curiosity marked him out as a genuine innovator. Take The Crystal Awards, snowboarding’s original culture-driven contest comp that soon became one of the most copied formats ever. Or his work with his agency Mana Media, which saw him work with the biggest brands on the planet and succeed in taking his culturally sympathetic story-telling approach to the biggest canvasses of all. Now, in mid-life, Dani is taking stock of his life and career, and I’m so fortunate he was gracious enough to share his insights for this episode. It’s the type of conversation that caused me to view my own life differently. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comMy guest this week is Skateistan founder Ollie Percovich, who I welcomed back for his second appearance on the show. I first chatted to Ollie in May 2018 in the dim, distant pre-Covid era, and in the intervening months it’s fair to say much has changed for Ollie and the community he’s spent so long establishing. The first event was, obviously, Covid, which understandably had a huge impact on a none-profit with operations and staff all over the world. The second was the recent geopolitical upheaval in Afghanistan, which it is booming clear has changed the country significantly - and had an enormous impact on the work Skateistan have been carrying out in the country. Back in August, when it became apparent just how serious the unfolding events in Afghanistan were, I contacted Ollie to see if he’d be interested in coming back on the show to discuss the entire situation. I’ve got such admiration for Ollie. His selflessness, positivity and belief in the power of community look more prescient with every passing year, and is needed now than ever right now. Obviously this is a highly sensitive topic (not least because Ollie and his colleagues are still working in the country), so we had to tread carefully in the way we discussed the issues. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 Shannon Galpin an explorer, writer, journalist, artist and global activist known primarily for her work on climate action and women’s rights. I first became aware of Shannon through her long-running work in Afghanistan, where she has been involved with womens’ rights projects for over a decade now. She first visited the country in 2009, eventually helping to establish the first Afghan Women’s National cycling team, and continuing to advocate for the right of women in the country to ride bikes in safety. Shannon wrote two books about this experience, as well producing the documentary Afghan Cycles. Today, with social and political change sweeping the country once again, she has been working to help evacuate the women she worked with and their families from the country, as well as setting up post-evacuation programmes for them around Europe, the US and Canada. In addition to this important, emotionally involving work, Shannon is also collaborating with her daughter Devon on a project called Endangered Activism, through which she focuses “on field research and the use of street art as a way of …inspiring youth activism for wildlife conservation and climate justice”As you’re going to discover from our conversation, Shannon has a truly remarkable range of interests and is creating important, transformative work across a number of different creative fronts, something she sums up by saying ‘my curiosity outweighs my fear’. I found her empathetic, inquisitive approach to activism to be hugely inspiring - I hope you do too. New episodes of Type 2 are released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify 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

Chris Hines bonus episode! Chris is a surfer and activist best known for being one of the original driving forces behind the original incarnation of Surfers Against Sewage. Today he enjoys a reputation as one of the most respected and successful communicators in British environmentalism.This is actually my third conversation with Chris after his initial appearance on Type 2 was followed by our Instagram Live conversation last year. This one came about when I was asked to create and run a workshop on how to create podcasts and the art of interviewing for a company called WMFTG. This day-long session ended up being part-workshop, part-practical podcast tutorial, and part-talk on the art of creativity and storytelling.Anyway, as part of the workshop I interviewed Chris Hines in front of the attendees. This went so well that I thought I’d release the chat as a bonus episode of the podcast. So here we are. There are no Show Notes for this bonus episode, so if you want to find out more about any of the things we discuss or join in the debate, check out my Instagram (@WeLookSideways), Twitter (@WeLookSideways) and Facebook (@wearelookingsideways). Nice one. 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.comThis week’s guest Torren Martyn is probably the most individual, interesting and certainly most celebrated surfer in the world right now. Draw a Venn diagram of all the modern-day talking points in surf culture - board length, style, the craving for some substance among a world of throwaway edits - and Torren would be right at the centre. As 2021 dawned, Torren’s lazy, lanky style and mastery of the less-than-obvious board length had already seen him lauded as one of the modern greats. Then he released Lost Track: Atlantic, a four-part, three-hour long collaboration made with his best mate and long-term foil Ishka Folkwell that marked the high watermark of the pair’s creative partnership.Why? Firstly because it’s a beautifully-made piece of work that, as it languidly documents the duo's journey from Scotland to Senegal in ‘Donna’, their beat-up old Transit, repurposes the surf road trip dream in a way that is quietly innovative, yet as comfortingly familiar as that first post-lockdown pint. Secondly, because of what this defiantly old-fashioned approach signifies in the modern surf era. In a time of quick cut vlogs and Insta clips, Torren and Ishka have taken it back to more reflective era, when surf films were a satisfyingly cohesive package of music, surfing and culture. Throw in Torren’s beautiful surfing and Ishka’s unique eye, and you have the recipe for what was immediately recognised as a modern classic. Yep, I’m a fan. Indeed, I’ve been trying to get Torren on since I saw the first episode, and after a few months of email tennis we finally made it happen in September 2021. This one is just a lovely open chat with somebody who is a warm and impressive as his incredible surfing. I’m hugely grateful to Torren and Ishka for brightening an otherwise dire year with their visionary work, and to Torren for taking the time to unpick the whole thing for this episode. This is a good one. Enjoy. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comMy ‘lifer’ episodes, in which I interview somebody without the profile of my more famous guests, but who nevertheless has dedicated their life to the culture with similar dedication (and, in many cases, has had a similar influence), are always among the most beloved Looking Sideways episodes. And in this episode with action sports agent and business coach Sue Izzo, I’m not afraid to say we have an instant lifer classic. Of course, as usual we discussed Sue’s life and career through the action sports industry - she founded Mosaic and helped steer the career of Danny Davis, Keir Dillon and Sofia Mulanovich, among others. But really, this open, honest and moving conversation is about the very stuff of life itself. It’s about the biggest questions and challenges of all, which at some point we will all inevitably have to face, and how we find the strength to deal with them. In Sue’s case, this ongoing reckoning has meant facing episodes of debilitating depression, numerous suicide attempts, a cancer diagnosis, as well as various professional crises. The story of how Sue found the strength to overcome these challenges, and come out the other side reborn as the person she is today is as compelling as any I’ve yet told on the podcast. Today, she is driven by mission to tell her story, in the hope that it will provide succour to others dealing with similar struggles, The result is powerful, thought-provoking and moving conversation. Just an advance warning - in this conversation myself and Sue converse pretty frankly about mental health, depression and suicide, so please be mindful before you get stuck into the episode. My thanks to Sue for her openness and honesty. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comI first asked Ben Powell to be a guest on the show back in 2017. In the end, it has taken almost five years of chipping away to get him to agree, and this week’s sprawling conversation is the result. Why was I so bloody-minded about getting Ben on the show? Because I challenge you to find anybody who has made a bigger impact on skate culture in this country over the last 30 years. Sure, Ben will cringe to his very fingertips at this highfalutin description. But it’s true. As part of the team behind Sidewalk, the much-loved successor to Read and Destroy magazine, Ben has spent literally decades championing every aspect of UK skateboarding with wit, integrity, irreverence and, when required, the utmost seriousness. If it happened, he definitely wrote about it - and probably filmed it, too. So yep, I’m happy I broke down his resistance. And in the end, this lengthy, digressive chat was also partially about that. Like all British northern men of a certain vintage, Ben is immune to bullshit and almost pathologically modest about his contribution, so my job in this case was to try to dismantle these self-deprecatory defences to find out just what motivated this legend to devote his life to the stories and culture of skateboarding. As you’ll gather, Ben is opinionated, erudite, passionate, a total skate geek and properly funny. Yep, I enjoyed this one. Hope you do too. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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 and Show Notes - www.wearelookingsideways.comOn this week’s episode I welcomed the great Lesley McKenna back to the show for her second visit, a mere four years after her first appearance in June 2017. If you don’t know Lesley, she’s a snowboarder and Olympian who is, to my mind, one of the most original and quietly influential thinkers in action sports. Lesley was actually my first ever female guest, and in the intervening years a lot has changed - and not just for the my humble little podcast. There’s the fact that her efforts with GB Park & Pipe (which formed a large part of that original discussion), helped yield a further British bronze medal for Billy Morgan at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, as well as the wider changes we can expect following skating and surfing’s own Olympic bow at the 2020 Tokyo Games. It’s the type of new territory that is, to my mind, crying out for the type of sophisticated insight that Lesley specialises in.Whenever I need to sense check my understanding of any new developments in our world, Lesley is my first port of call. Which is why I decided to get her back on the show for an agenda-free catch up about all things sideways as our culture steps into a brave new post-Tokyo world. I’ve been lucky enough to count Lesley as a close friend for over 25 years now, and I always relish our time together. I know the conversation will leap off in spontaneous directions, and that it’ll be thought-provoking and intellectually nourishing. I purposefully didn’t prepare for this conversation so I could enjoy that spontaneity in real time, and that’s exactly how it panned out. Enjoying the podcast? Want to keep it free and ad-free? Donate here: https://bit.ly/LSBuyPint 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