We’re all looking out of the window at the moment, thinking about a world we once knew. Perhaps that longing sense of adventure has become an unwelcome bedfellow within the parameters of a homestead.
There is relief, however, in the form of the Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast bringing glimpses of excitement over the airways, uncovering some of the best, less mainstream sports, and some of the characters and figures that perpetuate them. Presented by jovial and enthusiastic personality Matt Barr, a journalist and co-director of All Conditions Media, the Looking Sideways podcast ‘seeks to uncover the most interesting stories in action sports and other related endeavours’.
“For the past few years I’ve been posing myself the question: ‘I wonder why there isn’t a decent action sports podcast?’”, Matt described, “After a while, rather than keep wondering, I decided to start one myself.
“After all, I’ve been working in the industry for over twenty years, and in that time have interviewed athletes and written about action sports for everybody from The Times to Transworld Snowboarding.”
Beginning in 2017 and appearing on a regular basis, as of December 2020 there are 140 episodes to consume. They feature the likes of Nick Housfield, the man who turned on the tap of The Wave in Bristol, Shauna Coxsey, Britain’s most successful climber, surf writer Ben Mondy, and there’s even a lesson in ‘How to live your life through Snowboarding’ with Ski Sunday presenter Ed Leigh.
Episodes are usually an hour to an hour and a half in length, with various exceptions throughout the run, such as the powerful extended conversation with skateboarding artist Andy Howell, who had to come to terms with a fire that destroyed 30 years of artwork.
Looking Sideways, Matt says, is about “digging a little deeper”, with each episode attempting to illuminate the dreamers and the triers and the adventurers, who may not necessarily receive the right amount of attention, but are vital to the depth of the spectrum of sport and all its wonders. The Looking Sideways podcast is supported by Matt’s own company, All Conditions Media, “and by the goodwill of everybody listening to the podcast and helping to spread the word”, and is available to download through iTunes and all good podcast players.
