The Cross Section Podcast

Quick Update and a Thank You

The end of season 1 is near ... editing and recording the final episode with one of my great friends . It's taking some time to get it all done - we did it once and are recording a 2.0 version as well.  It's been amazing. But it's time to pause for awhile. There may be a sneaker episode in there from time to time so stay tuned. It's been a labor of love and I will cherish every recording! Thanks for listening in so far!

Squid Bikes - Where Art and Cycling Are One. The Origin Story and Much More - Episode 14

It's the penultimate episode of season 1 and a session that I had in mind from the very beginning. This week’s episode is unique in that I have not one, but two guests - Emily Kachorek [https://www.instagram.com/eekachorek/] and Chris Namba [https://www.instagram.com/nommeke/] of Squid Bikes [https://www.squidbikes.com/]. They joined me from Sacramento where their unique HQ is located; a place where art and cycling become one.  I first met Emily and Chris and their third wheel Pete [https://www.instagram.com/dirty_side_dismount/]  years ago when they hosted the 2nd live screening of my short film State of Cyclocross [https://www.stateofcyclocross.com/]. We projected the film on a Saturday night onto the side of one of the many shipping containers right there in their courtyard. A intimate gathering of 'cross devotees and an experience that I treasure even more now due to the lack of such things today. On this episode we caught up and talked about Squid’s origins, their design process, and how it has used the gap year of 2020 and the bike boom to transition a bit with a renewed focus on its roots. While it may seem that they fly by the seat of their pants, they are a very professional outfit and they always have a plan; nothing is ever arbitrary.  We of course  talked tracklocross and cyclocross, the past and the future as well as their legendary 'Cross Nationals After Parties (how the cops weren't ever involved I'll never know). As The Cross Section has no sponsors for this first season, I decided that this episode is brought to you by Mid-Town Taqueria [https://ysd123.wixsite.com/thetaq ] in Sacramento - the best chips and street tacos I have ever tasted and I eat a lot of street tacos. This is the penultimate episode of the first season. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and I appreciate you all for listening in the past 4 months. It's been a labor of love and a celebration of friends and their stories. One more episode to go, but for now … let’s hang out with Emily and Chris co-founders of Squid Bikes … I think you’ll like it. Thanks so much for taking some time out of your life today and I hope you had as good of a time as I did with this one. Follow me on Instagram@dcmediahaus [https://www.instagram.com/dcmediahaus/]and also Sign up and download, rate and review and subscribe wherever you source your podcasts so you’ll always know when a new show drops - it means the world. Stay Safe. And just keep pedaling. Content Warning: A small handful of curse words by both host and guest (but mostly by the  host).

Sarah Sturm - The Zen of Single Speed, Humility and How Crisis & Opportunity are One: Episode 13

Well, friends, this one is insanely good! It's an episode full of laughs, stories, and serious discussion and we just couldn’t hang up so to speak. We started the wrap up at one point and the went on for nearly another hour. In other words, this is a long one, folks … but my guess is you won’t even notice. I got to sit with one of the most genuine and honest and joyful people I know. Her mantra is "Be kind. Do good. Have as much fun as possible." A graphic designer in addition to being an elite cyclist, she is unbelievably fun to talk with as I know you’ll discover and I can’t wait to get into this one with you all. Her instagram is a great follow - @sarah_strumy [https://www.instagram.com/sarah_sturmy/] - and here are a pair of wonderful videos on her from Wahoo Fitness [https://cyclingtips.com/2020/11/sarah-sturm-is-badass-heres-why/] and from Rapha [https://www.rapha.cc/us/en_US/stories/sarah-sturm#mensclassic] ... Check them out … trust me. All you need to know about Sarah as a cyclist is captured  in a Bicycling Magazine article titled "These 12 Badass American Women Are Crushing Cycling Right Now". In it she was described this way: “If you’re ever looking for an all-around cyclist, look no further than ultimate badass Sarah Sturm. She has raced criteriums, singlespeed cyclocross, mountain bikes and gravel grinders—most notably the Belgian Waffle Ride in California in 2019, which she won in a stacked field of pro women. After that, she jumped into the pro women’s criterium at the Sea Otter Classic and took the win… also on her gravel bike. The same season, she was second in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race.” In the course of the episode we discussed creativity, changes, the zen of single speed, the benefit of doing things you suck at, the human need for challenge and so, so much more. If you don’t know who my guest is before, after this you will definitely become a fan. Magnetic, fun, authentic, and thoughtful, Episode 13: Sarah Sturm ... I think you'll LOVE it! (Side Note: My smallest human made an appearance at the end. Also, you may hear a slight echo of my voice ... so not pro ... but that's fine) Thanks so much for taking some time out of your life today and I hope you had as good of a time as I did with this one. Follow me on Instagram @dcmediahaus [https://www.instagram.com/dcmediahaus/] and also Sign up and download, rate and review and subscribe wherever you source your podcasts so you’ll always know when a new show drops - it means the world. Stay Safe. And just keep pedaling. Content Warning: A small handful of curse words by both host and guest (but mostly by the  host).

Siobahn Kelly: Dogs, Skiing, Broken Noses, and of course, Cyclocross - Episode 12

This episode of “The Cross Section” is one of my favorite types of episodes because I got to finally meet and talk with someone who I feel like I know due to social media but we haven’t ever been face to face or had the chance to be due to the pandemic. And we hit it off as I figured we would. We talked black dogs, skiing, broken noses and, of course, cyclocross.  She is a professional ‘cross racer based in London, Ontario, Canada and she is someone who I admire the shit out of because of her determination, commitment and courage. One of only a handful of North Americans to head overseas to race this year, she was the last Canadian in Belgium and hung on until the very end barely escaping the severe Canadian lockdown. And she does it all as a privateer. This year she went at it alone and endured a broken nose, covid testing galore, police knocking on her door as well as living in a bubble for months in Oudenaarde (Aud en ard uh) with some other racers. She is bright and funny and thoughtful. I recorded this one a bit ago when she joined me during her quarantine upon her return from Europe just as I was getting ready to head over there myself and it’s a great look into what it’s like. Today we hang with Siobahn Kelly. I think you’ll like it.

Chris San Agustin: Broken & Coastal, Inspiration, and How Good Things Happen When You Don't Play by the Rules - Episode 11

Today I get to share my conversation with a dude who I have admired for years. In fact our pre-pandemic pub chats are a bit of an inspiration for this show. We would get together often and talk about creation and film and photography and design and whatever else we each had going on. And inspiration is the word. Chris just goes for it. Fuck the rules. He eschews convention and traditional pathways. Just. Make. It. Happen.  His DIY spirit really is all about making your own luck rather than waiting around for someone to call.  For a short burst from 2017-19  we had a bandit 'cross race here in Portland  - COBRA racing - and it was his brainchild born from his days of BMX and love of cyclocross. They were fast moving, set up & compete & tear down and leave no trace event that were one part race and two parts party. You had to sort of know in order to know. Locations weren't posted until mere hours prior. I first met Chris at these events and did a pair of videos ... HERE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGLdaM3-Edk] and HERE [https://youtu.be/AGo8cnS6Fbo]. Check them out! They are amongst my favorites. His story is complex and layered - as it is with all interesting people. His magazine - Broken & Coastal [https://www.brokenandcoastal.com/] -  is a publication that I personally have been honored to be involved with, and he has used it as a vehicle to benefit others such as The Trevor Project [https://www.thetrevorproject.org/] which is the unofficial official sponsor of this episode and in light of recent bullshit legislation in states such as Arkansas and Kansas it's LGBTQ advocacy has never been more important. He is a humanist, an activist, an environmentalist, an art director, a cyclist ... basically all of the things this podcast endeavors to explore. Episode 11: Chris San Agustin ... I think you'll like it! Thanks so much for taking some time out of your life today and I hope you had as good of a time as I did with this one. Follow me on Instagram @dcmediahaus [https://www.instagram.com/dcmediahaus/] and also Sign up and download, rate and review and subscribe wherever you source your podcasts so you’ll always know when a new show drops - it means the world. Stay Safe. And just keep pedaling. Content Warning: A small handful of curse words by both host and guest (but mostly by the  host).