Welcome to Looking Sideways. A space to examine the creative life through the lens of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.
When I (that’s me above in Japan in the dim, distant pre-Covid era) began the Looking Sideways Action Sports Podcast back in 2017, I described it as ‘a podcast about action sports and other related endeavours’. I know everybody says this, but I genuinely had no expectations beyond the hope that a few people might listen to it and enjoy it.
Today, much to my ongoing surprise and delight, it has grown into quite a lot more than this.
Sure, it’s still basically a podcast presented by a middle-aged white man called Matt (lol) and, latterly, a newsletter (double lol).
But as another listener said recently (I’m very lucky to get a lot of messages from listeners) “…your platform is so very far from the usual action sports angle. It’s really the lens we’re using to look at life”. I liked that so much I’ve nicked it for the tagline for this Substack.
How it works
In January 2023, after 6 years of absolutely everything Looking Sideways-related being free and ad-free, I made the decision to switch on paid Substack subscriptions. Here’s a run-down of how it works:
Free subscribers
All my regular podcast episodes and blogs are free, as they’ve always been. These go out fortnightly. And my regular 10 Things round up email, which goes out every Friday, is still free.
Here are some favourite Looking Sideways episodes to get you started:
You can always just listen to the entire thing on Apple Podcasts as well if you like:
And here are some of my most popular free blogs:
All subscribers (free or paid) also get access to my HKC Discount Club, where I’ve partnered with brands such as Finisterre, Stance, the Wave and Albion.
Paid subscribers
Paid subscribers get more. Much more. For a start, they get access to Insights, the section of Looking Sideways exclusively for my paid subscribing community.
It’s where you’ll find exclusive blogs, podcasts, video chats, guest posts and articles all geared towards answering that two fundamental questions:
How can I spend more time doing the things I’m passionate about?
What does a ‘successful’ creative life actually look like?
Here’s a sample of what this involves:
To find out how make the best of your paid subscription, and to understand exactly what benefits it brings you, check this out below:
How much is it?
Monthly subscriptions will cost about £7 a month - the price of a pint of Guinness in central London, or two flat whites from a posh coffee shop.
Can I pitch an article for Looking Sideways?
Please do! I’m passionate about helping other people find their way into the industry, and helping other people develop their voice. I’m also painfully aware that there are so few platforms out there these days that anybody trying to get into the industry has very few options. If you have an idea, have a look at My Articles and my Guest Articles to see the type of thing I publish, and then email me at matt (at) all conditions media dot com. I pay for submissions, as you might expect if you’ve read this Open Thread.
Who am I?
I am a writer, journalist, author, editor, podcaster, publisher and business owner who has been working in action sports media and communications since the mid-1990s.
In 1995, I had my first story published in Whitelines Snowboarding Magazine. In 1997, I joined the editorial team full time, eventually becoming Editor. At the same time, I established a career as a freelance journalist and columnist writing about action sports for everybody from the Times to Transworld Snowboarding.
In 2005, I co-founded marketing agency All Conditions Media. Today we run strategic marketing communications campaigns for the best loved-brands in the outdoor, action sports and adventure travel industries, such as adidas, Arc’teryx, Brompton, Danner, Db, Finisterre, Gore-Tex, H&M and Yeti. Click here for more.
In 2017, I set up the Looking Sideways Action Sports podcast. Over 200 episodes later it is one of the most respected and popular action sports podcasts in the world, loved by hundreds of thousands of loyal listeners.
In 2019, I collaborated with Patagonia to launch the Type 2 podcast, through which I explore issues of activism in action sports and the outdoors. That show ran for 30 episodes.
In my spare time, I still work as a journalist and editor. I am a contributor to Wired, The Snowboard Journal, Pleasure, Huck, Metro, the Telegraph and Sidetracked; a columnist for Whitelines; and was Editor of independent snowboarding publication Curator for its brief run.
In 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, I was asked to be part of the five-person Selection Committee for Natural Selection, helping to choose the riders and shape one of the key events in snowboarding history. In Jan 2022, I was part of the broadcast commentary team in Jackson Hole, which was simultaneously one of the most terrifying and enjoyable things I’ve ever done.
In spring 2021, I published the first Looking Sideways book, which has been featured in Huck, Wavelength, Carve, the Telegraph and Metro and was described by Chas Smith in Beach Grit as ‘a work of art’.
In autumn 2021 and 2022, I was asked to be a member of the jury for the tenth anniversary edition of the London Surf Film Festival. In 2023, I was the official media partner.
In 2021-22, I was part of the cross-industry group that helped establish Opening Up The Outdoors, the initiative aiming to increase equity and diversity in the outdoor industry.
I'm currently working on a podcast documentary called The Announcement about Yvon Chouniard's decision to give away Patagonia, which is due for release in summer 2024.
I've basically always tried to tell interesting and honest stories about the cultures that have embellished my life for three decades now. The Looking Sideways podcast and newsletter is the latest manifestation of that extremely niche, yet increasingly popular mission.
