The Worlds of Athletics & Creative Collide at the SMSB Event in Singapore
With the help of Mister Sabotage and the Storror Parkour Collective amongst others.
The global Sound Mind, Sound Body community recently got together in Singapore for an all-encompassing sports and creative experience. Along with the help of a hand-selected group of workshop leaders, The Lion City served as an inspiring backdrop for local and global collectives to move and create through the lens of the aforementioned philosophy, which also aligns with the founding values of ASICS. A variety of influencer-led workshops and activities built around the program’s four pillars of creativity, movement, community and mindfulness allowed the participants to get acquainted with each other and share their respective approaches to lifestyle and fitness. Notable activities from the three-day experience included a sneaker customization workshop led by Mister Sabotage, a parkour workshop headed by elite parkour collective Storror, an urban photography walk by photographer Jeryl, and a wellness tutorial taught by Holiday Phillips.
The highlight of the festivities, however, was the much-anticipated ASICS relay. Kicking off at the historic Kallang airport, the competing four teams took on a scenic half marathon route along the Kallang river passing by some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks along the way. All runners were fueled by the dedicated SMSB cheer zones throughout the race, though in the end, SMSB SEL + TYO were able to claim the bragging rights over SMSB London, SMSB Paris and the Storror parkour collective. Following the competition all participants and influencers gathered 71 floors up to celebrate in style at Bar Rouge.
We chatted to five members of the SMSB program to gain some insight into the festivities and how they integrate movement into their respective lives and work schedules. Coming together from varying creative realms and cultural backgrounds, Drew Taylor, Mark Ong, Jeremy Esteve, Naomi Clement and Junya Nishigawa share their thoughts on how they interpret the core elements of the Sound Mind, Sound Body program.
How do the worlds of creative and sports come together in your world?
Drew Taylor, Storror Parkour Collective
Parkour is a sport all about freedom of expression and creativity – everyone has their own style of movement and it’s up to you to approach obstacles in a creative and interesting way. That’s part of the fun! It’s a great balance between physical activity and creative expression because you always need both to overcome an obstacle effectively.
Mark Ong SBTG, Sneaker Customizer
I believe that for the mind to be creative, the body needs to stay fit. So being creative and sports have always been parallels for me.
Jeremy Esteve, Photographer & SMSB PAR Captain
For four years sport takes a more and more important place in my life – I train at least three times a week. I am a freelance photographer and the manager of my own post-production agency, so in general, my days are very busy. Sport naturally helps me relax and allows me to sort out my artistic visions.
Naomi Clement, Music Journalist & SMSB PAR Member
Music plays a very big part in my everyday life, since forever. Whether it is for my work, my relationships with people or my approach to sports, it’s always there – stimulating my creativity, helping me connect with new people, and encouraging me pushing the limits of my body. So yes, I guess music is the link between creative and sports in my world.
Junya Nishigawa, Underwater Photographer & SMSB TYO Member
I’m a photographer who specializes in taking pictures of swimmers in the pool. I use the unique lighting, clearness and the mirror effect of the water surface and background to show the subjects in an artistic like that is only possible in the pool and not the sea.
In what way do you associate yourself with the four pillars of creative, movement, community and mindfulness?
Drew Taylor, Storror Parkour Collective
Creative movement is the sport of parkour so the first two are wrapped into one for us. What’s great about the way parkour has grown so organically means that the community is really tight – everyone knows everyone and that’s great. It creates a really friendly open atmosphere at any jams or events. Mindfulness plays a big part in what we do. You can’t perform such dangerous tasks without being completely present in the moment.
Mark Ong SBTG, Sneaker Customizer
Growing up with unspoken codes. I am constantly very mindful of how the approach of my work impacts the next generation.
Jeremy Esteve, Photographer
Creativity is always around me. I am constantly looking for mood, inspiration and ideas to create my own projects. As a fitness explorer, runner and triathlete but also curious to discover new things every day, the movement is part of me, I like to feel my body and go further in the effort but also go further in my travels and my life in general.
The community is all my life, I’m not a lonely person at all, I need others to move forward, I need friends, my production team, my family and I also need to feel that I can help people, have a little influence to give back to my community the energy they give me.
Then mindfulness for me corresponds to the feeling of being in agreement with my way of living, not to contradict myself, to follow the way that I want to follow, to feel that I am a real person and not an image.
Naomi Clement, Music Journalist
Those four elements are deeply connected to me. As a freelance music journalist, I have to be in a permanent state of creativity and movement in order to find news topics to write about. Then, community is what encourages me to move forward. I feel very proud when a friend or a stranger from Instagram tells me he enjoyed my last piece. It encourages me to keep going. ‘Cause this is my goal you know, having people enjoy previously untold stories. As for mindfulness, I guess it is a state I’m still looking for, but one that creativity, movement and community will help me to reach.
Junya Nishigawa, Underwater Photographer
I believe I contribute to the creative aspect of SMSB. Underwater photography is an area which allows me to capture the bodies, voices, dynamism and beauty of the athlete and support their branding and PR initiatives.
Does movement play an important part in creating your work?
Drew Taylor, Storror Parkour Collective
Movement is our work. We create by moving our bodies in interesting, fun or efficient ways and then capture it on film or stills so we can share it. Parkour is somewhat similar to dance in that way – but working with your surrounding environment adds a completely new dynamic.
Mark Ong SBTG, Sneaker Customizer
Yes. I would always skate down the corridor to wash my silkscreens before they dry out.
Jeremy Esteve, Photographer
A photographer is always looking for the right angle and viewpoint. I think it’s one of the most important aspects of my job. I never stay where the people are waiting for me but instead trying out new techniques to challenge my creativity. Then, more concretely, in my images I often use a technique of slow shutter speed, which creates moving images that come alive. I can freeze my model by the light and let time and movement print a mark.
Naomi Clement, Music Journalist
Definitely. As I said, my mission as a journalist consists of telling stories to people, so I have to keep an eye on everything that’s going around me, and to stay in movement. Through the years, I’ve noticed that the best stories I’ve written are the ones for which I really had to immerse myself.
Junya Nishigawa, Underwater Photographer
Exercise helps clear your thoughts and helps you think positively. I often come up with ideas while exercising. I believe that exercising helped me become more creative in general.
What’s an essential daily regimen that helps you maintain a healthy mind and body?
Drew Taylor, Storror Parkour Collective
I think you can get a lot from moving everyday in a way that challenges you. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is massively beneficial for physical progression but also for your mind. You can achieve things that seem impossible if you just chip away at them everyday.
Mark Ong SBTG, Sneaker Customizer
I would always prepare a veggie and fruit juice before I go to work. I would also drink a lot of water in the day to flush out toxins as early as possible so the body is cleaner throughout the day.
Jeremy Esteve, Photographer
The first thing I do in the morning is mostly have a coffee. In general, three times a week, I go out to do sports in the morning – running, biking or swimming for example. The other days I stay at home and I workout or some yoga or stretching. I really need to take my time in the morning because I am a freelancer and the boss of my own company. If I don’t have a shoot, I often stay at home in the morning and go to the studio in the afternoon. For the days when I didn’t exercise in the morning, I have a big sport session in the evening. After that I often meet friends at a restaurant or to have a drink. Time and sport is the key!
Naomi Clement, Music Journalist
I usually start my day by going to Dynamo Cycling with my SMSB partners. The classes, which are based on music, helps me work on my body but most of all clear my mind to have a better vision of my day. After that I spend the rest of my day writing about hip-hop and R’n’B news, or doing interviews with rappers or singers. Also, I meet my friends for a little dance party as much as I can. I’m repeating myself, but music is such a good food for my mind and body!
Junya Nishigawa, Underwater Photographer
I have a philosophy of only taking on jobs that I like, and not taking the jobs that I don’t like. Even if the job I take on is physically challenging I don’t get tired. On the other hand the jobs that I don’t like to do tire me exhausts me mentally and physically for a while.
How do your respective cities inform your creative process?
Drew Taylor, Storror Parkour Collective
London is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world and because of that, you’re always surrounded by different ways of thinking, new ideas, and better ways of doing things. I think that exposure to a fresh current of ideas is really important to any creative process.
Mark Ong SBTG, Sneaker Customizer
Being an artist from Singapore puts me in a very unique position. Because we are such a young city, the work that we put out gets to be in the history books so I do feel a big sense of purpose with what I do.
Jeremy Esteve, Photographer
Paris has always been a very inspiring city for me. The light is often sublime, even the gray days. I love to walk around and look for the graphic relations of its architecture. I like being able to do two things at the same time – to move in my city and to discover it and at the same time to do the scouting for my next series. Also, I’m a fashion photographer and the Parisian elegance is not a myth. I’m very inspired by people’s attitudes.
Naomi Clement, Music Journalist
I was born and raised in Paris but I’m still not tired of it because the people who make this city are very inspiring to me. I’ve seen a lot of young Parisian guys releasing quite bold projects recently, in music but also in fashion, sports and the arts. The people I’m surrounded by here in Paris are my main source of inspiration.
Junya Nishigawa, Underwater Photographer
In anticipation of the 2020 Olympics, there are a lot of exciting things that are happening in Tokyo. There are a lot of people helping to develop new businesses to support technology, art and entertainment surrounding sports. Over the course of the next three years I see many new businesses being built up. They are the same people that are supporting me right now. The expectations are high but I believe we will do things that haven’t been done before.
