Profile... Matt Barr
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Introduction...
Introduction coming here soon...
View my band "Super-U's" Profile
View Brighton Source Article about the Homeless
View The Face Article about the Robot Food Video
View M3 Article about Bosnia
View Transworld Snowboard Article about the Music Scene
View Whitelines Article about Argentina Trip
View Article about Sainsbury's in Brighton
Snowboarder Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began riding?
Around 17 or 18, I can't really remember the exact age.
What/Who got you into it?
I was friends with Chris Moran, Steve Bailey and a load of others who used to go up to Rossendale. So from there really, although I started after that crew.
What sort of board do you ride?
Usually a 164 wide number. It changes a lot - at the minute I am riding a Burton BMC, an Option Supercharger and a Salomon thing.
Do you ride Regular or Goofy?
Regular
Stance width?
Fuck knows. It varies every time I put my bindings on.
Stance angles (front and back)?
+24, -9
Favourite resort?
I like every one I've ever been to, although I've had better times in some, obviously. Riding wise I had a good time in Las Lenas. Socially I had a great time in Meribel over the years.
How many seasons have you done?
6
Where and when did you do your seasons?
Three in Meribel, one in Chamonix and two travelling around.
What was your favourite trip and why?
Last season was one long trip, and it was wicked fun.
What do you love about snowboarding?
I like the fact that you get to piss about with your friends in a beautiful environment. I also really like hanging out in the mountains. To be honest, the travel aspect has the been my favourite part of snowboarding the last few years. It's just funny the amount of people you meet and the daft places you end up.
What's your goal within snowboarding?
To ride more nice powder, more often.
What aspect of snowboarding gives you the most satisfaction (powder, kickers, halfpipe, competitions, big air, cliff drops, etc.)?
I'm rubbish at freestyle, but I like pushing myself to do bigger drops and to hit jumps that scare me. Which is usually all of them, so that's OK.
What style of snowboarding best describes your riding (include a couple if you want)?
Lanky.
What's your favourite trick?
I can't do that many, but I can do cab 360 indies, and I like them a lot.
What's your scariest snowboarding moment?
When I saw the reaction to Johno Verity's VO5 ad for the first time.
What are your top safety tips when riding?
If it's a powder day and there are a few of you of varying abilities on slightly sketchy terrain, wait for your less able friends every so often to make sure they're OK.
Surfer Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began surfing?
24, but that was strictly floundering around on a foamie getting nailed. It's only really the last year I've been trying to get better at it.
What/Who got you into it?
It was just something that I always wanted to try cos it looked like it was such a laugh.
What length board do you ride?
As long as possible - that way I don't fall off as often.
What do you love about Surfing?
I like the fact that, when I started, I had no idea at all how on earth I was going to get any better at it. There just seemed so much to get your head round. I'm still shit, and I still feel like that, so it's still super good fun. I reckon it's probably like that no matter how good you are at it though.
What's your goal within Surfing?
To travel to some nice, warm beaches, and to eventually get barrelled. I imagine that's everyone's goal though.
What aspect of Surfing gives you the most satisfaction?
Standing up - it's still rare enough for me to get proper stoked on.
Journalist Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began writing for publications?
Ha, well the first thing I had published was back in the day at school, when I was 14 and did some behind the scenes thing on Tony Wilson's (the guy off 24 Hour Party People) local TV show at Granada TV for the magazine. After that, I began writing regularly when I was 19 and at University.
What/Who got you into it?
I was pretty lucky really. About eight years ago Eddie Spearing and Ian Sansom let me write an interview Chris Moran was getting in Snowboard UK. They liked it and offered me more work and it went from there. Chod at White Lines hooked me up at about the same time. Back then I was indebted to friends like Chris, Danny Wheeler, Stu Brass and Steve Bailey as they all let me write things about them and try different things. Writing was what I'd always wanted to do so I chased it as much as I could when the chance came.
Who do you work for?
These days me and Moran have a freelance writing agency called ACM and we work for many different people. At the moment, we run White Lines (I'm Senior Editor) full time and freelance for different titles. We've worked with Transworld, Snowboarder, Snow Planet Surf, 2B3, SG, Global, The Face, FHM, Loaded, Daily Mail, Brighton Source, Elements, Method Mag, The Big Issue, Ministry, M8, Monster Backside, Snow Surf, Freestyler, Elements, Freeride, Lastminute.com and more. We've also taken the Man's dollar and done various bits of consultancy work for companies such as Marlboro, and we have a children's book on snowboarding coming out at the end of the year.
What sort of articles do you like writing?
Self-indulgent ones, although this causes a lot of problems when I freelance for others. Specifically, I like writing things that get experiences across successfully, or pieces that are as insightful as I can make them.
Favourite trip for a publication?
I've been able to go on some funny trips since I started writing. Last year I ended up working for a dance music magazine called M8 and went to Bosnia for a week to cover a hard house and trance tour. It was me, four DJs, three VJs a photographer and some PR people. We stayed on a NATO base just outside Banja Luka and .... it was a little hot and surreal. It was 40 degrees all week, they were all fuck-heads and we went to a lot of strange parties in wrecked Bosnian nuclear bunkers and castles. Super good fun though. Snowboarding wise, they've all been good but I guess trips to Argentina and America have been the more memorable. I also had fun when I went surfing in Australia recently, but that wasn't work.
Kind of writing you admire?
Writing that is truthful in whatever way.
Writers you like
Journalists - George Orwell, Hunter Thompson, Bruce Chatwin, George Monbiot, John Pilger, Gavin Hills. Others - there are too many.
Ambitions?
To never have to get a proper job.
General Questionnaire
What are your other interests?
Apart from snowboarding? I like making music with my friends in our band Super-U, reading, writing, travelling and, of course, the social. I have also been getting pretty into surfing this summer, and have been heading down Cornwall-way regularly. It's ridiculously hard, but as much fun as I've had for a long time - especially when I'm with my crew of fellow hopeless beginners, the 'Out Back Posse' - Spencer Claridge, Moran, the Boneyard, Johno Verity, Lesley McKenna and Ewan and Grantock Wallace.
Where would you like to see yourself in the future?
To be honest, I'm having a really good laugh at the minute, both with work and without work, so if my life continued the way it's going now I'd be pretty stoked. Ambition-wise, I have things I'd like to achieve with music, writing, travelling and now surfing (the Green Room, yo), so obviously if I could accomplish any of those I'd be very happy.
Realistically, what will you be doing in the future?
I feel lucky in that my work is gradually turning into the things I'm interested in and that I really enjoy doing. I've said it before, but everything I've been doing recently leads to something slightly better and more interesting, so I hope things carry on in that direction.
Who are your idols?
I admire people for different reasons, whether it's because of some great artistic accomplishment, for being true to what they believe in, for individuality, for changing something for the better, or for a combination of all these things. So I'd say my idols at the minute include George Orwell, Aneurin Bevan, John Pilger, all my friends (Moran, Verity, Leigh, Wallaces, P, Dremily, Russy, Stevenson etc), Beckham, George Monbiot, Bruce Chatwin, my family, Jack London and loads more that I can't remember right now.
What music are you into?
I like it all these days. I used to just be into a particular kind of guitar music but I do really like listening to most stuff at the minute. My favourite tunes at the minute are My Baby Left Me by Elvis, Juicy by Biggie, Rock Your Body by Trousersnake, The Word by Super-U, Unbroken by Four Tet and There There by Radiohead.
What's your favourite book?
I like lots of different books and lots of different writers. I read Moby Dick a few years ago and couldn't believe how good that was. One book I have re-read a few times recently and always been stoked and inspired by is What Am I Doing Here by Bruce Chatwin.
What's your favourite film?
I can't really sit through many films at the minute, but the best two I've seen recently are 24 Hour Party People and, of course, Zoolander.
What's your favourite quote?
'She's in the attic'. The best heckle ever - it's what someone in the audience shouted at the stage when the SS walked on during the first performance of the musical version of The Diary of Anne Frank. Apparently, it was that bad.
Best cocktail, shot or drink?
Vodka and tonic, Guinness or the tea.
What's your most prized possession?
I'm glad that I can read, but I'm not sure that counts as a possession. Proper possession wise I guess it'd be my computer, as I'd be pretty screwed without that. I also like my guitar.
Thanks to:
There probably isn't enough space to shout out to everyone I would like to thank for helping me out over the years. So I'll just say all my friends and my family.
Anything else you want to say?
Not really.
