TYPE 2: Episode 018 - Sean Doherty

Type 2 is a podcast from Looking Sideways in association with Patagonia that explores the intersection between the outdoors, action sports and activism. This week’s guest is Sean Doherty - a journalist, writer, editor and activist who has been one of the key voices in the Australian surf industry for the last twenty years. In a way the path of Sean’s own career reflects the shift that has occurred in the industry in the period since since the early 2000s glory years, when he came to prominence as editor of venerable Aussie surf mag Tracks. Sean was at the helm of Tracks for the best part of a decade, during which he helped to transform the much loved titled both commercially and reputationally, before leaving to forge the career he has today, and which sees him deftly balance editorial and brand work. Today (as you must if you hope to have any type of career in the industry), he wears many hats. He works for Patagonia Australia, is publisher and editor of venerable Aussie surf magazine Surfing World, and is still one of the most respected and sought-after writers in the game. He has also, almost to his own surprise, embraced his own particular form of highly influential and effective activism. As he explains during our chat, this evolution has been a gradual one. Today he finds himself at the forefront of the activism conversation in the Australian surf industry, thanks to his involvement with causes such as Fight For the Bight, and the impassioned, hilarious way he raises awareness about specific issues on his very singular Instagram feed. Sean justly has a reputation as one of the savviest, funniest and generally most essential voices in the game, something this honest, open and frequently hilarious conversation amply demonstrates. Hope you enjoy our conversation. New episodes of Type 2 are released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify or any of the usual other podcast providers. Thanks to Ewan Wallace for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson.