Taylor Steele: The Observer Effect

Taylor Steele: The Observer Effect

Author: Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich - surf stories & ocean adventures August 2, 2021 Duration: 1:20:04

If the act of looking at something changes it – an effect that holds true for people, animals, even atoms -- then what further impact does documenting have?

Over the course of the last 30 years, Taylor Steele's observations and interpretations have helped to define and redefine surf filmmaking -- and to shape the modern, California-centric culture of surfing.

In the 1990s Taylor documented a new era of approaches to wave riding through films like Momentum and Loose Change. Later, his cinematic surf travelscapes like Sipping Jetsteams, Castles in the Sky, and Proximity paid poetic justice to the beauty of an adventurous surfing life --  a creative shift inspired by the birth of his daughters.

Taylor shares stories about finding a way to do what we love,  the impact of fatherhood on his creative process, his formative family surfing experiences, being the 3rd best surf filmmaker in his high school, and realising a formula for making good memories.

...

"Taylor, you’re the kinda guy who’s a real observer. That’s probably why film became your thing because you like to watch. And maybe you don’t make a strong opinion in words, but you do in the things you put out.”Kelly Slater, on Taylor Steele.

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer & Music By: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music: ‘Evergreen’ by Band of Frequencies:  Men of Wood & Foam album  www.bandoffreqs.bandcamp.com

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

Waterpeoplepodcast.com



Photo Credit: Taylor Steele

Send us Fan Mail

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray   + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast 

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia 

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.


There’s a particular kind of life shaped by time spent in and around the ocean, one that blends saltwater with a deeper perspective. Hosted by lifelong surfers and storytellers Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich, the Waterpeople Podcast explores exactly that. Each conversation is less an interview and more a shared dive with guides who know the water intimately-from scientists and activists to adventurers and artists. You’ll hear firsthand accounts that stretch beyond simple adventure tales, touching on how a connection to the sea informs everything from ecological stewardship and community building to the pure, playful joy of a wave. This podcast serves as a meeting point for a far-flung tribe, weaving together themes of inclusivity, humour, and what it means to live thoughtfully along the coast. It’s about the stories that emerge when people are truly at home in the aquatic world, offering listeners a sense of place and connection within a global ocean community. Tune in for genuine, meandering talks that feel like sitting around after a long day in the swell, where the topics are as vast and shifting as the sea itself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Waterpeople Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Felicity Palmateer: Nature’s Course [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:13
If you only had 10 healthy years left of life, would you choose to know it ?Big wave surfer Felicity Palmateer is known for her paddle-ins at Peahi, commentating WSL events, starring in Australian Survivor (twice) and ho…
Elizabeth Nguyen: Ancestral Stream [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:26
“Each of us occupies a singular ecological niche in the web of life that is uniquely ours, and when we restore ourselves to health and vitality, we contribute to the health and vitality of our entire planet.” Such is the…
Chris Del Moro: Lead with Deeds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:01
With gender norms up in the air, what does it mean to be a dad today? For Chris Del Moro, it means showing up for it all - good, bad, and messy - and maintaining stability for his family. Chris is an artist, surfer and d…
Belen Alvarez Kimble: Watch Me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:18
When was the last time you refused to take 'no' for an answer ? Belen Alvarez Kimble shares about the life-changing instance when she pushed against cultural norms and expectations to lay down her life's path. Belen occu…
Rusty Miller: Surfing Through Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:03
What's possible in the eighth decade of life? Rusty Miller will be 80 this year - and he's still rocking off at Lennox Point and taking off on the best set waves. Born in Southern Californian, Rusty was the 1965 United S…
Season 5 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:07
Welcome back for the 5th Season of The Waterpeople Podcast. Listen in as Dave and Lauren turn the mic on one another and get set for 16 fresh episodes of ocean-centric storytelling. ....Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave…
James Nestor: Shut Your Mouth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:49
Is your mouth open or closed right now ? There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: we take air in, let it out, and repeat 25,000 times a day. But most of us have forgotten how to do it…
Laola Lake Aea: Maka'ala [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:01
Lore of the Waikiki Beach Boys is well known – those legendary Hawaiian watermen like Duke Kahanamoku and Rabbit Kekai who regulated the turf of one surfing’s most fabled beaches. But where were the wahine ?Today we’re i…
Rick Ridgeway: Wild Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:39
How will we choose to spend this one wild and precious life? Rick Ridgeway has devoted his seven decades to adventuring Earth's widest seas and tallest peaks -- and working to protect the wildness that remains. Rick's ea…
Peggy Oki: Artful Activism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:51
As a member of the Zephyr skateboard team in the 1970’s -- made famous by the documentary Dogtown and Z Boys -- Peggy Oki was at the top of the women’s skateboarding world while pioneering the vertical skating movement a…