Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast

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

Full episode info and Show Notes: www.wearelookingsideways.comFor episode 034 I welcomed one of snowboarding’s most creative and influential characters onto the show - David Benedek, who for a decade bestrode the global snowboarding scene like a veritable colossus. Think of any significant cultural snowboarding development from 1999 to 2008 and chances are Benedek was involved. From the moment he burst onto the scene with a podium at the 1999 Air and Style, his career was one long list of significant milestones, from that classic trio of Robot Film movies, to his ground-breaking double corks, with plenty more in-between.And then, seemingly at the top of his game. Benedek made the Cantona-esque decision to retire so he could concentrate on his creative ambitions. Since then he has produced the book project Current State, headed to film school, and today makes a living as a renowned and award-winning creative and designer. At the end of January 2018 I headed to Munich to catch up with David and have a brilliantly wide-ranging conversation about his snowboarding past and creative present. Such a great chat this, with a fascinating, erudite and compelling thinker. Myself and David had a great time catching up and discussing his life and career, and I hope this comes across in the episode. Thanks for coming on the show David, love your work! 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 episode 033 of the podcast, I met up with British snowboarder Billy Morgan the week before he headed to Korea to compete for Team GB at his second Olympic Games. Billy is a hugely respected member of the UK snowboarding community, who came up through dryslope and seasons in the classic UK way, but has since transformed himself into a world-renowned snowboarder with a top ten Olympic place in Sochi and at least two world snowboarding firsts to his nameAhead of his second Olympics and on the day Team GB was announced, I headed to Southampton to catch up with Billy to get the story of his life and career in his own words. A great chat this, in which Billy opens up about his hopes for Korea, how he deals with risk and fear, and how he has translated his immense physical talents into one of snowboarding’s most colourful and impressive career. As you’ll hear, Billy is a total one-off, and a unique character. Thanks for taking the time to come on the show during one of the busiest weeks of your life Billy!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.comIt was second time lucky for episode 032 as I finally wrapped my interview with one of European snowboarding’s great: James Stentiford. For two decades James has been one of Europe’s most respected snowboard pros, both for the longevity of his career, but more importantly for his whole approach to snowboarding and life in general. James has always been somebody with an extremely developed sense of sense, and an almost pathological desire to follow a lifestyle that will give him the freedom to pursue his lifelong sideways passion. It’s an approach to life that has long made one of UK snowboarding’s most quietly influential leaders and in this episode ‘The Silverback’ drops plenty of wisdom and insights.Today, after his professional career is over, James runs Stentiford Snowboarding, guiding snowboarders to their best ever experiences in destinations around the world, and finding another way to pursue the passion that has defined his life. After balling up my first interview with James, I headed to Chamonix in January 2017 for take two, spending three days riding with Stenti, and sitting him down to discuss his life and career. 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