Looking Sideways: 10 Things
Dirty Business, LSFF on the road, and my book of the year so far.
1. Dirty Business, Channel 4’s new docudrama expose about the British sewage scandal, launched this week and the response has been remarkable. Even if, notably, the UK surf press and industry has been pretty silent about this defining issue.
I’ll be chatting to Julie Maughan (here we are pictured above at the recent official launch of the series) and Chris Hines about the entire campaign and show for a forthcoming episode of Looking Sideways: stay tuned.
2. My recent Olympic debrief episode with Tim Warwood and Ed Leigh has been going down a storm. Here’s an extract above, and listen to our full conversation below:
3. This wondrous biography of Paul Gauguin has confirmed it: there are few none-fiction writers I enjoy reading as much as Sue Prideaux. THE most beautiful, enviable style; an ability to render difficult ideas with humour and affectionate irony; and the compassion she feels for her subjects is infectious and, at times, very moving. My favourite reading experience of the year so far.
10 Things will always be free, but it takes a lot of effort, love and curiosity to pull this thing together each week.
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4. Whitelines Magazine interviewed the judges behind this year’s Olympics womens’ slopestyle controversy.
5. Timeline cleanser: Alex Yoder camping in the Tetons.
6. My dear friend Marcus Chapman is this week’s guest on the excellent Thank U Snowboarding podcast
7. For years I’ve loved followed the adventures of a gang of mini shredders down in Cornwall - and now they’re the stars of this ace new film.
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8. This Russian skater has turned a frozen river into a personal skate park.
(I thought about whether to share this, given what’s going on in Ukraine. Then I remembered an important lesson I took from travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Uzbekistan and other countries over the years: judging people by the actions of their government is generally a mistake).
9. Rest in peace the inspirational Stratton Matteson.
10. Finally, the London Surf Film Festival hits the road next, with events in Newquay and Devon. It’s a great line-up featuring Kepa Acero’s brilliant new (and LSFF award-winning) film Kingdom of the Evening. More here.
Which of these stories did you enjoy this week? Let me know ✌️
I love your podcast and updates, but find it super curious, why there still has not been any mention of Great Britain's X 2 Olympic golds in snowboard cross at the competition.. Is there an explanation you could put up at some point as to why it's less important to be the fastest out your mates going down a hill, and more important to impress a judge? Personally, I'm all for every discipline in this awesome sport, whether it's an Olympic level or not, and whether there are medals won or not.. But, to disregard the only X2 gold medals from your country in snowboarding, and still comment on the Olympics, and pictures, and judges, is really really bizarre? Or, am I missing something completely.
Look forward to your newsletter ever week!