Canadian snowboarding-supernova Robin Van Gyn has just wrapped a screening of the latest epic cinematic masterpiece from infamous snowboarder Travis Rice and Quiksilver and Roxy, “Depth Perception” in the bustling heart of London’s film premiere hub, Soho.  An unusual place to find a mainly mountain-dwelling athlete like Robin, but it is clear she is exultant, in high spirits riding the wave of an incredibly successful tour of the film which has garnered world-wide critical acclaim.

Cornish born and bred lady-slider, the London Surf Film Festival Director, author and screen writer Demi Taylor has been a stalwart of the surf-ciné world and the global creative surf movement.  Co-author of numerous surf and travel books with her partner Chris Nelson, 7 years ago Demi & Chris gave birth to a vision to celebrate the unique and iconic British surf industry.  Years down the line, The London Surf Film Festival is a beating heart not just of the UK surf scene, but the global waters, hosting international film-makers, surfers, ocean lovers, dreamers and thinkers.

If when I say women’s swimwear and female empowerment go together in the same business strategy, I can understand how you could have your doubts, raise an eyebrow and potentially utter a likely hmmmmm.  But Kristina Maciukaite and Gerda Mickevicuite, owners of Bali/Cali -based swimwear brand Makara, are trying to turn the tables on the traditional narrative surrounding women’s swimwear quite frankly, on its head. 

If you’ve been tuning into the action from the Mad To Live Retreats x The Surf Experience weeks in the stunning, golden hued, lemon-tree scented shores of southern Portugal, your keen eye, like many others, may have been glued to the delicious imagery of the food that is served to the guests, and to the effusive and brilliant chef, Rachel Snow.

I was lucky to spend a few days with the Vans pro surf-team recently in the lushly wild Mundaka, a pocket in the Basque region of northern Spain that brims with adventure, surf, and a raw, primordial energy that is apparent and palpable in it’s vast mountains, Neolithic cave-painting remains and breath-taking vistas.

I’m at the LAAX European Open Switzerland, a definitive stop on the World Snowboard Tour at the home of snowboard freestyle, LAAX.  Attracting the biggest names on the global tour, the LAAX Open has long been one of the most critical and enjoyed stops of the tour, with the riders stoking out on LAAX, which was purpose built for snowboarders.  It’s incredible facilities include the world’s biggest halfpipe, indoor training hubs, and of course, the unparalled and stunning riding terrain.  I’m here to see for myself the incredible highs snowboarding has come to in this leg of the European Open, and to chat to none other than slopestyle QUEEN, the reigning Olympic Gold slopestyle medallist, the incredible Miss Jamie Anderson.

Competitive sport is an exciting arena.  Every so often a fresh and exciting, raw and disuptive talent emerges to shake the field up, and herald the arrival of a new crop of competitors vying for the top spot.  Enter Tahnée Seagrave, next up in the series of WHY I interviews delving into the minds, motivations and passions of a slew of diverse, talented, and highly inspiring women.  Downhill mountain bike racing could be fairly new to many of you, and with the first thing coming to mind normally being that this is one GNARLY sport, I was interested to chat to 21 year old Tahnée about her life in this adrenaline-charged world.

There are certain people you meet in your life who proffer those serious pinch me moments.  As an ardent and voracious little runner when I was a child, and having grown up in Greece, home to the 2004 Olympic Games, Dame Kelly Holmes always stood out to me as someone of incredible inspiration, someone on that lofty pedestal of athletic ability and success, physical and mental prowess.

It isn't easy coming up with an introduction for the astonishing, multi-talented force that is Hannah Bailey.  Recent recipient of Campaign Magazine's "Digital Maverick of 2016", Hannah Bailey's precocious talent, drive and motivation for what she believes in has seen her manage PR for some of the biggest action sports brands in the world including her current position at non-profit charity Skateistan, found her own creative agency, Neon Stash, and write and shoot (a talented photographer to boot) for a multitide of outlets including Dazed and Confused.  A tireless promoter of creativity, of positivity, of women in sport and just women generally being rad, being imaginitive and being original, I am so excited to introduce Hannah Bailey to the "WHY I" mix.  Kick back and settle down for a killer read with the awesome Hannah.

Next up in our "WHY I" series of interviews with inspiringly awesome women, we have none other than Aimee Fuller.  Pro-snowboarder, Olympian, the first woman to land a double backflip in competition and long-time face of Roxy Snowboarding, the list of accolades goes on with twenty five year old Aimee.  I think I first met Aimee at the London Freeze festival when she was still mid-teens, and it's been amazing to see her progress and prosper through the years.  Even back then her infectious high-energy, positivity and all-round stoke and love for her sport was clear and made her stand out from the pack.  Grab yourself a hot one and settle down for the read with the truly brilliant Aimee Fuller.

Sound the claxon y'all, I am so excited to announce a new sequence of interviews on the Mad To Live Blog.  In the "WHY I" series, I will be speaking to a host of awesome and inspiring women, to pick their brains on what drives them, what inspires and motivates them, what stokes them out, and what advice they can share with you and I, dear reader.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the proliferation of images, words & videos that we’re assailed with daily through our social feeds and through the media.  There’s no doubt about it, wellness and fitness now are HOT right now, smokin’, red-hot, which is great.  Some of you may have been following my adventures and love of sport, the outdoors and a healthy life for a while now through my Mad To Live Blog, and I felt that I wanted put some words down about why I train the way I do.