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085: Chris Cote/Mogul

Chris Cote, Encinitas, April 2019. Photo: Tozer

“I’ve always had an ADD/ multi-interest thought process”

Podcast shop talk special!

That’s exactly what happened when I met up with the host of the self-styled ‘World’s Greatest Action Sports Podcast’, Chris Cote.

Chris is a surfer, skater, podcaster, presenter, editor, broadcaster, musician – a veritable action sports renaissance man, if you will. He’s also extremely good company, as I discovered when I went to meet him at Cote Media Group HQ in Encinitas.

Chris Cote, Encinitas, April 2019. Photo: Tozer

On this side of the pond, Chris best known for presenting the Monday M.A.S.S. with fellow Looking Sideways podcast alumnus Todd Richards, which to my mind is the best of the weekly action sports round up shows. Sure, they’re proper sideways geeks – but I also really like the way they openly acknowledge how ridiculous the whole business really is.

Away from the podcast mic, Chris has carved out an action-packed career at the heart of action sports, whether presenting at the Vans Park Series or commentating on the WSL.

Sure, its good to chat about life’s weighty themes, as I have done plenty of times on recent episodes of the show. But it’s equally fun to sit back, relax and talk about podcasting, action sports and life in general, as we did during this riff-filled, freewheeling conversation which came along at just the right time during our California road trip. Big thanks to Chris for being such a generous and entertaining guest – listen to our conversation below:

Show Notes

  • Seeing The Prids on the night before the interview.
  • Writing music reviews for Transworld Skateboarding.
  • Why music plays such a formative part of action sports culture.
  • Being the ‘early adopters’ of action sports podcasts.
  • Red Bull Live broadcast.
  • Podcasts he’s binging on, including Disgraceland and Beyond Yacht Rock.
  • The podcast ideas he had before The Monday M.A.S.S.
  • Kolohe Andino vs. Italo Ferreira in the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2019 Final.
  • Debating subjective wins in action sports: “we’re talking about people playing on toys”.
  • Parking lot banter with Rob Machado.
  • From hobby to monetising his podcast.
  • Choosing sponsors.
  • His bond with Todd Richards: “we’ve been friends forever”.
  • Not knowing names of snowboard tricks.
  • Running Cote Media Group’s HQ in Encinitas.
  • Chris’ 6 jobs.
  • Editor-in-Chief at Encinitas Magazine: “it all comes from loving this town… it’s cool to feel the tangibility of print”.
  • Paid $40 to play at a gig.
  • His busy summer of travel.
  • Began surfing aged 13.
  • “When I went to Hawaii I knew I definitely wasn’t going to be a pro surfer”.
  • Joined the launch of Transworld Surf in 1999.
  • Writing opportunities in early 00s.
  • Transworld Surf’s first crew.
  • The heydey of magazine journalism.
  • Cote’s Cube.
  • On becoming ‘Editor At Large’.
  • When all side hustles became a hustle.
  • Musing on the latest news with surf and skate magazines, including Transworld Surf.
  • Could magazines be the new vinyl?
  • Social media accounts about old magazines.
  • Expanding through podcasting.
  • Repurposing podcast content.

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Companies/Brands/Organisations Mentioned