The Board List: Pushing for Change
A week of rights being stripped, and the world of board sports rallying
It’s been a week of sunshine and grappling with life, work and school holidays resulting in a jenga of sorts, one that would normally be punctuated with joy from skating or surfing. But, alas, the arm is still on the mend, and I’ll have to be satisfied with watching my kids grab their boards (an inkling as to another life I would have had if I hadn’t taken up these sports) and listening, reading and watching things in this space. Which is handy, because it means that this week’s Board List is jam packed.
It’s also been a week of shock reverberating amongst skate and surf communities in the UK, as the supreme court ruled that transgender women were no long recognised as female. The skate and surf communities in particular have rallied, but it’s a sobering judgement, so we also cover how you can support trans people in our communities.
So, let’s drop in:
Don’t Be Board:
Listen to this: Matt Barr interview on the Adventure Podcast
Bringing two of my favourite podcasters, Matt Pycroft of The Adventure Podcast, interviews Matt Barr of Looking Sideways about his latest series ‘The Announcement’. If you haven’t listened to it yet, get thee to your nearest podcast platform immediately, as it’s a brilliantly insightful investigation into Patagonia’s corporate restructure to Earth being it’s main shareholder. This interview with both Matt’s is fascinating, as it helps you to understand the full background to the series (2 years in the making) and the dedication it takes to deliver this kind of journalism.
Read this: The Good Push Theory of Change
This is a document that has been a collaborative effort, showing how social skateboarding initiatives are creating positive change in the world. It was created from the insights of 40+ social skateboarding projects worldwide. If you haven’t heard of The Good Push alliance, it is Skateistan’s knowledge sharing platform and incubator for social skateboarding projects worldwide, enabling the creation of more impact. The work has now identified a common framework for the impact these organisations create, and later this month will release data from the international surveys.
Visit this: The New Melancoose location in Newquay, UK
I’m lucky enough (when my wrist isn’t broken) to go to a weekly surf fit class in Brighton, run by OceanSet and originally founded by Andy White, an excellent surf coach now based in Cornwall; and one of the founders of SeaLanes in Brighton (one of my favourite places to be based from for the day).
I was introduced to Andy’s excellent wife JoJo, who coincidentally is Matt Barr’s partner in crime in running All Conditions Media, an agency specialising in marketing outdoors brands. JoJo has also been on the podcast, because she has a long illustrious career working in the surfing industry.
JoJo and Andy have now launched a new location, in woodland just two miles from Newquay, built around a Grade II listed wood mill. They’ve created a wellness space including a studio, snug, sauna, plunge pool and fire pit, and have started to host events, and it looks like a seriously indulgent spot.
They have an Ocean Fitness x Sauna session on the 24th, and a Brave Wave private workshop combining mental training and surfing coming up. Get yourself to the woods today.
Go to this - The Unlikeable Women Summit
Taking place in London on the 28th May, and founded by Amy Kean who is on a mission for everyone to find their voice. Amy is an absolute powerhouse, always willing to ruffle feathers, and this event will be no exception.
Billed as a ‘one day love letter to the women the world’s afraid of’ it features a banging line up of women such as Tamu Thomas, who wrote ‘Women who work too much: break free from toxic productivity and find your joy’. This one is for all the women who have been told they are ‘too much’ and made to feel small.
Go deep on this: The Surfers against Sewage Water Quality Report
If you surf or cold water dip you can’t be oblivious to the work that SAS do, but it’s also easy to think that by checking out the app for water conditions that we are doing enough. The latest water report makes for sombre reading, but if you love using the sea, we simply have to take more responsibility for looking after it.
This stat particularly stands out: 994,000 untreated sewage discharges across the UK in the last year, in the same year that £1.2 billion in dividends were paid out by the water companies that were culpable. There’s numerous ways you can get involved, the paddle out on the 17th May, becoming a member, and the current #dearJon campaign. Have a read.
Watch this: UK showings of The Big Sea are now live
The UK Showings of The Big Sea are now available to book. Get yourself to see this essential documentary that details the exploration of the toxic nature of neoprene wetsuits, and how the industry is linked clearly to ‘Cancer Alley’ in the US. The event details are here (hurry, they are selling fast) and the Board Women interview with the producer, Demi Taylor, on Board Women, is here.
Get absorbed in this: The hunt for the 100ft wave
I’m a fan of Tortoise Media’s approach to slow news. This is an exploration of the big wave industry’s hunt for the 100 foot wave - stated to have been surfed by Alo Slebir in December, although no-one can actually agree how big the wave actually was. It’s a fascinating account by reporter Claudia Williams, well worth a listen.
Get on Board:
Try this: @moceanfit paddle posture techniques
Some great techniques if you want to make the most of your time in the water (I’ll be doing these ahead of getting back after my wrist breakage). Emily is fab, and all her fitness is tailored to the world of board sports (and she’s a surfer, skater, snowboarder, so she knows what’s important!).
Use this - AWA surftionary
Sometimes you can get into a new sport, and everyone uses terminology that you feel too much of an idiot (or a kook in this case) to ever question. This is a brilliant guide to every bit of lingo used in surfing so that’s not you.
Get yourself one of these: The finisterre recycled changing mat
Finisterre have grappled for a while with what to do with the numerous wetsuits that get discarded each year. While they’ve tried but not yet succeeded in making another wetsuit using the material, they have developed a rather brilliant changing mat from the offcuts, check it out.
Get behind this: Stand alongside the trans board community
There’s been so much written about this in the last week, but this article from Dazed, and this instagram post by Bee Illustrates are a good place to start when it comes to supporting those around you who are affected.
The Board Crew:
It’s that time again to highlight a brilliant member of our community. This week it’s @julesnewbiesk8er who I already thought was brilliant for starting to skate at 61, and despite having a big injury off the bat, coming back to it. Jules came to one of our London events, and the whole group loved her. More recently, she’s sadly broken her wrist (I can relate!) skateboarding, so it’s nice to be able to celebrate her skateboarding journey a little!
When and how did you get into board sports?
It was about 3 years ago. I play a lot of tennis, and I felt I wasn’t progressing or learning, so I had a think and for some reason landed on skateboarding. It looked super cool, I used to be a figure skater in my childhood (I thought I’d be good at balancing). I also googled older skateboarders and I came across Lena Salmi, a finnish lady who’d taken it up in her 60’s and that was pretty inspiring.
What do you love about them?
Initially I enjoyed the challenge, and still do. I liked that it can be done outdoors, and that it’s on the cusp between exciting and terrifying. When you’ve succeeded in a trick that feels really good. As time has gone by my reasons for enjoying skateboarding have morphed. It’s become almost as much about the people as it is about the sports and physical side. I’ve met so many inspiring and encouraging people. From a starting point of feeling like I was out on a limb, and an outlier, gradually I’ve been made to feel like I really belong, which is wonderful.
Describe how it feels when you’re on a board
Very often when stepping on for the first time at a skatepark, I feel uncertain and hope I’ll stay upright and not fall off, even when pushing round the park. As the session goes on, you gain confidence and you start to achieve things or go over tricks that you’ve done before. Then it feels really good. It’s a lot to do with the adrenaline, the endorphins, the raised heart rate. At the end of the session you feel elated to have achieved something so extraordinary.
What would you say to anyone considering trying it?
To anyone who is taking up skateboarding, find yourself a coach, a buddy or mentor. Someone of a similar standard or someone more advanced. And pad up! As much f**king padding that you can fit under or over your clothes! It might not come easy, but just stick at it and you will progress. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, without a doubt - but that’s what makes it a satisfying thing!
That’s it for this week! Don’t forget to listen on Wednesday when the Sally McGee of Surf Yonder interview goes live on board women, and we’ll be back with more content on instagram, new interviews going live from the archive over the next few weeks, and much more!
And don’t forget to let me know what you think of The Board List below, and give us a share!
Have a good one!
Caroline x
Board Women Founder
Hey thanks Caroline 🙏