For LA explorer Tom Carroll, adventure means making sense of the world

Adventure Pop Quiz — Tom Carroll uncovers the hidden history of Los Angeles in his Youtube channel Tom Explores LA. Here he talks about putting his life in harms way every day and the joys of the open road.

In Huck’s Adventure Issue we joined up with a motley crew of headstrong characters to explore uncharted territory. We learned that adventure means a whole load of different things to different people, from a polar expedition for explorer Ben Saunders to seeing New York City through an outsider’s eyes for skate photographer Pep Kim.

With the Adventure Pop Quiz, we’re reaching out to people from the issue and others from Huck’s world to find out more about what adventure means to them and where their hunger for new experiences has taken them.

First up, it’s Tom Carroll, who sneaks his way into the forgotten corners of Los Angeles to reveal hidden layers of the city’s history in his Youtube channel Tom Explores LA. Season two just wrapped, and you can check out the finale Salton Sea now.

What do you picture when you hear the word ‘adventure’?
Sunshine. Being somewhere I have never been before.

What did adventure mean to you when you were a kid?
Wandering, exploring unknown places. Anything outside of my house.

What does adventure mean to you now? 
Freedom. The best way for me to make sense of the world and my place in it.

When was the last time you felt completely out of your comfort zone? 
When we were shooting our most recent episode at the Salton Sea. Had a feeling of being watched the entire time we were there.

When were you last scared? 
At the Salton Sea, very much felt like an outsider.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Hiking for 10 hours over Dragon’s Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Wasn’t my choice, turned out to be far more dangerous than we had expected. Won’t be doing it again.

Who is the most adventurous person you know?
My friend Lisa Nguyen. She is a fearless, unapologetic adventurer.

If your life was an adventure novel, what would the title be?
Muddling Towards Frugality.

When was the last time you saw something completely new for the first time?
At the Salton Sea, it’s California’s largest lake and filled almost entirely with farm water run off.

How do you bring adventure into your everyday life?
I commute to work by bike, nothing more exciting than putting your life in harm’s way everyday.

Complete the sentence: A life without adventure is…..?
An unfulfilled existence. The only way you can know yourself is to put yourself in uncomfortable positions.

If you were on a yoga retreat, or in therapy, and were told to picture ‘your happy place’, what would it look like?
On my bike, an open road, with no cars in sight, going as fast as I can.

What in life gets your adrenalin pumping?
Riding my bike through the streets of Los Angeles.

If you had to walk around the world, what would you carry in your backpack?
A camera, a sketch book and my skateboard.

What book / film / song makes you wanna go an adventure?
Any history book. By learning the history of a place, it makes me want to see it in person.

What’s the one thing on your bucket list you’ve never told anyone about before?
I want to walk the whole length of the Los Angeles River, all 51 miles of it.

Read the full article on Tom Explores LA in Huck 51 – The Adventure IssueSubscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Black-and-white image of two men in suits, with the text "EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER" in large bright yellow letters overlaying the image.
Culture

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?

Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.

Written by: Emma Garland

A group of people, likely children, sitting around a table surrounded by various comic books, magazines, and plates of food.
© Michael Jang
Culture

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography

The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.