Looking Sideways: 10 Things

This week's ten things I thought were worth passing on.

Jun 2, 2023

Looking Sideways is proudly ad-free and reader and listener supported. Thanks to all my paid subscribers, who help keep the podcast and newsletter free for everybody. This week, thanks so much to surf industry legend and host of the Double-Up Shannon Hughes, who took out a paid sub for the next year and left me a nice note while she was at it.

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1. I married two of my closest pals last week! And it was a truly wondrous experience. Thanks Tanya and Alex for trusting me with your service, and for a beautiful weekend. Turns out being a celebrant is actually really good fun, can recommend.

2. Big up Mike Lay at Wavelength for commissioning me to write a whopping 4500 word interview with Chris Nelson and Lewis Arnold about The Big Sea. Especially as the silence from the rest of the surf and wider sideways media continues to be deafening. It’s in the latest issue, which you can order here.

3. Come and work with us at All Conditions Media! We have a new role going - more here.

4. Congrats to local Brighton skater Jack Francis on the release of his ace-looking new how-to book for skaters. Buy a copy here.

5 Why are orcas attacking boats sailing near the Spanish coastline?

Enjoying my stuff but hesitating on the old paid sub plunge? Fear not: sharing a favourite post or podcast episode is THE simplest (and freest) way to help spread the word about Looking Sideways. It really helps and takes about ten seconds. Thanks in advance 🙏

Freedom Skatepark Ghana

Freedom Skatepark Ghana on Instagram: “SAVE FREEDOM SKATEPARK.
Thank you to the community who came to the skatepark to show support, shared their precious contacts, assist us in any way. We are sincerely grateful. How you can help now?
You can share the video and donate online to help us to pay our legal fees. We built the skatepark with love so we are trying our best to solve this peacefully with our lawyers and hopefully with the help of the authorities. We are trying to be strong and courageous in that nightmare. Thank you to all for your messages and support, sorry we can’t answer to everybody but we are actively working on the ground. What happened this weekend is heartbreaking but we don’t give up. God is with us wherever we go. We are one. Love y’all”

May 8, 2023

6. Freedom Skatepark in Ghana, which features heavily in Yama Surf, is under threat. More on the above post, and click here to listen to my chat with Lucy Small and Maddie Meddings where they discuss the amazing work of the park.

7. Love this: local Sussex diver Steve Allnutt has been on a one-man mission to restore the region’s kelp beds, and his Herculean efforts are now getting the attention they deserve.

8. Shaka Surf are hosting a series of live podcasts at the Bristol Wave in July, featuring friends of the show Yvette Curtis and Sally McGee. More here.

9. Between filming in Ukraine and covering Trump’s latest press conference, friend-of-the-show (and one of our Db Fund mentors) Timothy Meyers has had a busy year. He spills the beans in this entertaining Db interview.