Episode 200: Nick Hounsfield - The Journey is the Destination

Milestone alert! 200 episodes!

Yep, six years and countless HKC rants later, episode 200 is finally here. And I’ve decided to mark this landmark occasion with the usual double header. Next week, I’m releasing a special bonus episode 200 conversation with my old pal and most-capped Looking Sideways alumnus Ed Leigh for paid subscribers only.

Today, for this instalment, I’ve invited surfer and Wave founder Nick Hounsfield onto the show for his second visit. Why? Because if you ask me, there’s an argument to be made that Nick Hounsfield has had more influence on British surf culture over the last decade than anybody else. Certainly, the Wave has changed the landscape of British surfing in ways we’re still getting our heads around.

And then there’s Nick’s own story. When we recorded our first episode, back in September 2019, the pool itself was still dry and the place was a building site. Excitement crackled in the air, as Nick drew close to the end of a ten year mission to get the place built. That chat ended up being a classic ‘if you build it, they will come’ look at the struggle’s Nick had been through to get the thing over the line.

Four and half years later, the picture, naturally, looks different. As Nick put it during our conversation, “I thought that was the end of the journey. I know realise it was actually the beginning”.

And what a journey is has been, taking in Covid, the energy crisis, and the debilitating stroke Nick suffered in spring 2020. It’s this narrative that means, for me, the story of the Wave is inextricably linked to Nick himself, as a founder and entrepreneur. What has he learned? What’s the personal cost been? And has it been worth it?

The resulting conversation is a truly fascinating insight into the personal cost of delivering such an all encompassing vision. It’s about what it takes to be a founder and visionary, and why hard, pragmatic decisions come with the territory.

I got a lot out of it, and I’m stoked Nick trusted me to go there. Hope you enjoy our conversation.