Take our hand as we venture behind the Gram…
The whole influencer-follower relationship is a weird dynamic that has only properly arisen in the past couple of years. Defined by follows, likes, comments, reposts and so on, the pseudo-relationship it entails can make you feel like you really know them, that just because you see their posts, watch their stories and so on, that you know what they’re truly about. But of course, that’s almost never the case. So we figured, why not take a deep dive into some of the nation’s biggest influencers Instagrams, pick a bunch of their posts at random and, here’s the best bit: have a genuine and authentic conversation with them about it. All in the hope of getting to properly know them and find out what truly matters to them in 2021.
First up is Sydney’s own Alex Hayes, a proper good bloke who embodies everything great about Aussie culture: kick ass surf skills, an addiction to the outdoors (especially 20,000 feet in the air), music and most importantly, a love of life so intoxicating that it uplifts all he comes into contact with.
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Recent years however have seen him dig deep and take the time to focus on self-improvement, filtering out all the noise that comes along with being in the spotlight and putting all effort back into his own self-growth. And not to sound too corny, but old mate is definitely practicing everything he preaches, having the mindset of someone that’s been through the storms; that’s taken the time to journey within and develop as an individual.
Of course, the resulting chat is super honest and real, and will hopefully remind you of some simple human truths we tend to forget amidst the ridiculousness of every day life, the most important of which being, there’s always more to someone than what meets the eye.
But enough from us, hear it from Alex himself below.
Nature Is Wild
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“Well, it’s kind of really hard to describe the feeling of surfing this wave, because when you’re in that moment, you’re kind of being controlled by nature, you’re not really thinking, you’re just reacting, and it’s quite instinctive. It’s quite intense yet peaceful.”
“It just gave me a greater appreciation for the people that do surf this wave a lot, and also the people that surf big waves as a career, because it’s really a matter of putting your life on the line for that moment of making a wave, to then feeling that adrenaline rush of, “I survived,holy shit that was epic,” and it’s like dancing with death in a weird way. But it’s what makes you appreciate life on a deeper level, because you just understand how precious it is, and how it could really end at any moment. And it sometimes takes putting yourself in that life or death, fight or flight situation to really appreciate it, in my opinion.”
“I can say that the way that this day changed me was the understanding of “Holy shit, I can do this.” Because I did have a lot of doubt before going there and before surfing it. I had some anxiety around whether I was capable or not I think there’s always going to be that fear of whether you’re good enough no matter what you do – but for me, it’s the practice of overriding those thoughts with the belief that you CAN do it – focusing on staying calm, staying relaxed, and relying on your presence and training to then perform at your best.”
“But nature always wins at the end of the day. You’re never in control. So it’s also just about being okay with that. Instead of worrying about the outcome, I just focused on each moment & reacted to it. I’m just stoked to keep pushing myself in the ocean, but with the understanding that the ocean always wins…”
California Skydive
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“Fuck, this is awesome. This was a really special jump. This is in America. I got my skydiving license when I was 17. I actually had to… My parents weren’t too stoked on the idea, so there were a couple of forms that I had to sign without them knowing, until I convinced them, but I kind of already went and got it, which was funny.”
“Jumping out of a helicopter is a feeling that I understand not many people in the world will have experienced, but it’s something that is just so mind blowing. You get that initial two second of jumping out and your stomach drops, but just imagine it keeps going, and you just keep on falling. And I just think it’s the most incredible feeling. Quite hard to explain, it’s just another one of those things that I crave, of being so in the moment where nothing else in life matters, like that fight or flight. I’m in this to survive and experience the beautiful world that we live in, but in a different way. I gain a broader appreciation every time, because it’s just another one of those things of being so close to dying that you become so grateful for living.”
First DJ Gig
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“This photo was quite a while back. The start of 2019. So for me, that first show wasn’t just my first DJ show, it was kind of like a transition of myself as a human, and as a brand as well. I’ve been in this YouTube-influencer space for quite some time now, I started my social media when I was like 12, and probably gained a following when I was like 14. I was very grateful to have the freedom & amazing experiences, but I kind of reached this point where I was like “What’s next for me?” and “What’s something that I’m really passionate about that I want to pursue for a longer term in my life?” And the answer that continually came into my head without even knowing it was music, you know?”
“But it just came to that point where I kind of reached a bit of a burnout with the whole YouTube scene and social media, and I’d just been doing it for so long that I was so excited by this idea of pushing this new venture, and a lot of work went into it. And once again, I was so fearful of people’s opinions being like, “Is it just another influencer DJing, or is he actually good?” All of those insecurities that rush to your head when you’re trying something new. And it’s just overcoming that fear and overcoming that doubt.
And when I had a full room of people there just having fun, it was just a really special moment, because it was like the start of a new direction for me. And two years down the line from that, it’s 2021, and I’ve got a year full of music releases ready, jam packed for this whole new venture. And it’s just exciting that this dream is kind of turning into a reality more and more.”
Molokai 2 Oahu
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“This post came after a few months of training for a paddle in Hawaii known as the Molokai 2 Oahu world Paddle Championships. It’s a 32 mile paddle from Molokai to Oahu. It was something I’d always wanted to do since I was a kid, for a personal challenge and hopefully to inspire other people to push themselves more out of their comfort zones. I was raising money for a charity named Batyr which spreads awareness around mental health & makes the conversation around mental health an easier one to approach.”
“I lost a friend to suicide that year, It was really out of nowhere. It was heartbreaking and really hit hard. I really just wanted to do anything I could to spread the message & encourage people that it’s okay to speak up when they feel mentally drained or depressed. It’s something we all go through in this life so it’s about listening & being there for your friends & family because we are all in this life together.”
“And I think in prior years to that I was quite lost. As much fun and as much life as I was living, and don’t get me wrong, I was so grateful for it, I was just a little bit lost with my direction of everything I was doing. And I guess having that discipline in training and focusing on this race was really special, because it really just gave me focus in a time where I was thinking, “What am I doing? I’m doing all these really cool things, I’m so lucky. I’m working with cool brands, I have great friends.” It was all too good to be true for me, and it was just a bit of a realization for me that you could have everything & still feel like shit.
So, I made it a priority as well to just get on top of my mental health, and make that a focus along with spreading the awareness that other people should focus on their mental health too. I actually ended up doing a three-part series on my YouTube channel to document the whole journey, which was such a fulfilling experience.” (You can check out part 1 of that series here).
Canada Stack
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“Damn, this post gets me a little bit pissed to be honest. I was so close to landing this but I just stacked it. I was on a family holiday in Canada and hadn’t skii’d in a while but I’d always wanted to do a double backflip. I’d always seen videos of people doing them and I really felt like I could do It you know? “
“I had a nice pair of rental skis (I’ve never owned my own pair of skis lol) and after a few single backflips I decided to just send It. Even though literally my whole family recommended against it because It was hard packed snow & they obviously didn’t want me to get hurt – they accepted that I was going to do It anyway & showed me heaps of support. Mum went to the other side of the mountain so she wouldn’t have to watch of course, but my brother Josh was stoked to film it. In hindsight it was a win-win for him; if his brother either landed something epic or failed miserably he’d be able to catch it on camera either way haha. My dad gave great advice as well, and wisely told me to “please don’t die.”
“So, I was feeling pretty good! I made 4 attempts and was sooo close on one of them but on the final attempt I slammed pretty hard and ended up having a concussion. I really wanted to try again the next day but decided against it because my head was feeling really weird. Then the world decided to shut down so I haven’t had a chance of trying my luck again, but now that winter is on its way and the NZ bubble is opening I’m so keen for some snowboard and ski trips this winter!”
“Just putting it out there, my goal is to land a double backflip on skis and a snowboard in my lifetime haha. The power of manifestation baby!”
Make Excuses, or Make Changes
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“This was such a fun/painful/spontaneous send. I’ve always been a water boy so when It comes to running – well It certainly isn’t my strength. I was listening to David Goggins’ audiobook Cant Hurt Me at the time and I felt really inspired by It. I signed up to a marathon the week before, with pretty much no training – the longest I had run was 14km a couple months before – I didn’t even have proper running shoes so I had to get some a couple days before. I soon learnt why they recommend you to ‘Wear your shoes in’ before doing big runs haha – I didn’t tell anyone I was doing It either, I just wanted to do It. I feel like today we live in a world where people say they are going to do things and never do it because they only want to do it for some sort of social validation in the first place.”
“My goal was to use this marathon as an example of being able to overcome pain and learn to find joy in the struggle – because being able to feel is what makes us human. We’re so much more capable of doing things than we think~. Our potential is limitless! I strive to continually push my mind & body for my own genuine happiness, especially the feeling that comes attached with progression.”
“It’s also so I can hopefully mirror that idea that we are capable of so much more when we can tap into that part of our minds that believe we can overcome anything. I did a triathlon a couple weeks ago in the same fashion – signed up 2 weeks before without owning or ever riding a road bike but managed to get my hands on one 2 days before the race started – but that’s a story for another day haha…” (Since writing this Alex has spontaneously gone and completed his 2nd triathlon – great way to spend your sundays haha).
Be sure to keep up with the Alex on Instagram to stay up to date on all of his latest adventures. While we’ve got you, we also shot the Sydney legend putting the Calvin Klein Performance range to the test in late 2019. Check it out here.
