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
Jock Sutherland: Muscle Memory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:31
In early 1970, Jock Sutherland enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in Vietnam. At that time, he was considered amongst the most visible and versatile surfers on the planet. The surfing world was shocked; and so was his mo…
Nathan Oldfield: Breathing Room [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:53
Nathan Oldfield has journeyed into the depths of grief, and back, to make surf films brimming with reverence for the extraordinary beauty of life. He has crafted six award winning films, most recently The Heart & The Sea…
Bonus: Guided Meditation with Nathan Oldfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:00
Following on from our full length episode, Nathan Oldfield shares about his decade-long relationship with practicing and teaching meditation, and talks us through a short guided meditation that he offers to school childr…
Andy Ridley: Crowd Power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:00
Most conservation organisations mirror corporations in structure, operation, and strategy. But has that been effective? Andy Ridley, founder of Earth Hour and Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, doesn't think so. He's as…
Karina Petroni: Gumption [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:52
What happens when you lose it all? After a successful, 14 year professional surfing career, Karina Petroni discovered that all of her earnings and assets had suspiciously vaporised. Karina was born and raised in the Pana…
Gwyn Haslock: First Lady [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
Gwyn Haslock has nearly 6 decades of surfing under her belt. She was born in Cornwall in 1945, and is renowned as one of the UK’s original surfers. Gwyn holds many competitive surfing accolades, including multiple Britis…
Chelsea Woody: Cultivating Kinship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:27
For many, 2020 was the worst. Chelsea Woody, a neuroscience nurse who moonlights as a Vans surf ambassador, is clear that it was “the worst year of her life.” After getting COVID from work, and subsequently experiencing…
Jack Johnson: Time, Dreams & The Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:45
In Greek myth, staring at the monster Medusa would turn mortals to stone; one needed a mirror to take the edge off. Surfer, filmmaker and musician Jack Johnson reckons music and art can play a similar role in reflecting…
Kshisya Tachanskaya: Gifting Good Days [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
What if your homeland was suddenly the target of foreign attacks ? What would you do? Ukrainian Kshisya Tachanskaya fled with her two children, a few belongings, reluctantly kissed her husband farewell, and drove for a f…
Tom Wegener: The Artisan's Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:06
Unlike golf clubs and tennis racquets, surfboards are still largely made by local artisans. But, what sets the surfboard making industry apart from parallel industries? Why do local shapers still make boards? Master shap…