A Sideways Look at Californian Sports Culture

Malibu is a top surf spot on the California coast
Malibu is a top surf spot on the California coast | © Owen Tozer

Editorial Manager

Two West Coast board-sport aficionados have taken their love of the action-packed scene and produced a fantastic new book that will have you yearning for California. ‘Looking Sideways Vol 1’ serves as a companion piece to a podcast of the same name, and documents a three-week-long adventure undertaken by journalist Matt Barr and photographer Owen Tozer. Through their journey, they portray a vivid picture of a culture that continues to shape the world around us.

Traveling from Ventura to San Diego, Barr and Tozer take us on a trip to the remarkable birthplace of a scene that transcends sport to influence the clothes, music and films from a time in the not too distant past. The engaging pair also speak to the people at the heart of skateboarding, surfing and even snowboarding to discover more about what happened during the golden age of the scene, and what’s happening to it today.

Grab whichever board your comfortable with – even if that’s just your keyboard – and join Culture Trip on a journey to somewhere wonderful.

Situated northwest of Los Angeles, the coastal city of Ventura is popular with surfers and windsurfers
Venice is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles and is well known for its boardwalk, which features street performers, artists, vendors and colorful murals
The surf culture in California became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and continues today
LA plays host to many high-profile sports and entertainment events and is focused on helping the local economy by driving tourism and local commerce
Also known for its surf beaches, Huntington Beach is home to the International Surfing Museum, which displays longboards and other surfing memorabilia
Herbie Fletcher began surfing at the age of nine, and having competed at the World Championships in 1966, his love of the sport is now focused on the design of surfboards
Cardiff-by-the-Sea is a pretty seaside village located just north of San Diego. It has a long surfing history
Jamie Thomas, nicknamed the Chief, is a professional skateboarder and skateboard entrepreneur
The two reefs at Cardiff State Beach provide fantastic breaks for surfing
With more than 70mi (113km) of coastline, San Diego features many famous Californian beaches, including Coronado City Beach, La Jolla Cove and Pacific Beach

Looking Sideways Vol. 1 is available now

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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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