Looking Sideways: 10 Things
This week's links of interest
1. I had a great time being interviewed by my pal Chris Cracknell for his Thank U Snowboarding podcast. It very much made me want to go snowboarding with a gang of old mates (something I’m doing next week; woo-hoo!), for a start.
Anyway, listen here if you’re so inclined. Chris also asked me to choose a favourite song from a snowboard film, so I chose this absolute Graham Nash banger from DCP’s Into The Mind section:
2. Big up my pals at Db, who have asked me to present an online talk/live podcast on the topic of ‘Travel in the Modern Age’. I’ll be chatting to friends-of-the-show Tim Myers, Alex Aubry and Pacha Light in front of an invited audience. Sign up here if you want to join the session. (I’ll also be releasing it as a special Roundtable episode of the podcast later this year).
3. RIP Damo Suzuki. Above is a playlist primer to Can I made for a mate a few years back, and this is a lovely Mojo interview with the great man if you’re after a bit more context.
4. I really, really loved this lovely Laura Snapes tribute to Smash Hits writer Tom Hibbert, surely one of the most quietly influential British pop culture writers of the last 40 years. I had no idea how much I’d been unwittingly influenced by his style until I read it, that’s for sure.
5. Like everyone, I chortled along to Gregg Wallace’s viral, Partridge-esque Day in the Life article. This piece by Chloe Grace Laws makes some serious points about the whole thing.
6. One of the great privileges of being on the Natural Selection selection committee each year is having an excuse to watch as many snowboard films as we can find. Spencer o’Brien’s new piece Aether 5 was my favourite this year. Watch it above.
7. This critique of Kevin Kelly’s rather influential 1000 True Fans idea, which I missed when it came out, is interesting. I’m not wholly convinced, but it’s a decent counterpoint.
8. My pals at Sidetracked are organising an intriguing-looking bash at Kudhva in Cornwall this summer. More info and tickets here.
9. The continued demonisation of trans people for nakedly political ends continues to be deeply depressing. So good on Jonathan Liew, for me one of our truly great sportswriters, for getting to the heart of the matter in this piece which tackles the utterly cynical politicking at play in the completely confected Parkrun ‘controversy’.
10. Finally - my pal
has shifted his brilliant to Substack. Follow him above 🤙Thanks so much for supporting Looking Sideways! It’s so appreciated. To say thanks, click the link below to get 20% off a paid subscription - forever!
Not a laughing matter but I did giggle to Jonathan Liews reference to ‘genital inspectors’ at the Park Run.