Professional adventurer, John Morrell, talks to Socrates about how he came to the Japanese wonderland of Hokkaido for a flying visit... and never left! He explains how he and has family made a life leading hardy and adventurous souls on the experience of their lives in this land of snow, mountains, volcanos and bears! Hokkaido gets more than its fair share of snow. The … [Read more...]
Ten of the coolest and craziest communities that surf!
10 – The Swiss Who knew that the Swiss surf? They do! Swiss junior surf team. The Swiss take their surfing very seriously! Switzerland doesn’t even have a sea… let alone an ocean. Switzerland is completely landlocked. It’s not the kind of place one would expect to produce a fired-up surfing community! The Swiss, as a rule, locate their annual national surfing … [Read more...]
Sumo
I got off the train at Osaka and did not have the foggiest idea where to go. Or even in what direction to head. The jumble of busy streets and incomprehensible signs gave no indication. Boasting a Japanese vocabulary that might have stretched to half-a-dozen words on a good day, I was steeling myself for the ignominy of approaching a perfect stranger and asking plaintively, … [Read more...]
“The Magic Pudding” – a guide to what kids love and how risky play helps create young athetes
When controversial Australian painter and novelist Norman Lindsay was told by friends that he should write a children’s book he quickly took a liking to the idea. When his friends told him that the book should be about fairies, goblins and mythical creatures he laughed at the idea and said that kids aren’t into fantasy stuff… they just love fighting, sticking … [Read more...]
What great sports writing does.
“I hope you enjoy this, John! Fond regards, Judith.” I’d been living in Connecticut for three months. New England, forested by trees of red, gold and amber foliage, was wrapped in Autumn’s melancholy. Back in Oz, the semi-finals of the footy season would be kicking off. I was homesick. ‘Hooked on League,’ the autobiography of Penrith hooker Royce Simmons (co-written … [Read more...]