In partnership with an international travel collective called surfEXPLORE Sam has worked in 60 countries, documenting surf and cultural tourism frontiers and mapping surfing locations in (among other destinations) Haïti, Hainan China, Jeju South Korea, Palawan the Philippines, the Malukus Indonesia, Algeria, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Liberia, Ghana, Lamu Kenya, Oman and India. Sam’s travel writing has been translated into 11 languages across 70 international publications, currently 993 networked articles. This body of work offers both an intensive and extensive study of tourist activities, surf travel frontiers, host-guest relationships, the local/global, coastal geomorphology, the historical legacies of colonialism, the rise of neocolonialism and dominant brand hegemony, celebration of place, re-representations of local culture, music, landscape and art, and the work of resistance deriving from local community and cultural capital. In Sam’s practice as a writer, surfer (he has been a multiple British and European Longboard surfing champion and regular on the ASP World Longboard Tour) and academic, Sam has advised the Chinese government on coastal and marine sports tourism development in Hainan Island. Sam has a highly active multi-media role. He is particularly interested in broad-appeal and innovative research presentation methodologies, including presenter led films and narrative non-fiction travel literature.
RESEARCH INTEREST
Sam’s current broad research interests include cultural tourism inspired by arts, sports and heritage sectors, underpinned by cross-cutting themes of creativity, sustainability and digital futures. Sam’s focused areas of interest include surf travel writing and the geographical imagination, surf exploration, jazz and world music, Haïti, actor-network-theory, Alphonso Lingis and Ryszard Kapuściński. Sam’s research has been particularly focused on Cornwall (UK), the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Sam is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Education
· 2010 – present – PhD (Geography: Travel Writing & Haïti) – Falmouth University
· 2004 – MA (Cantab.) Geography – Pembroke College, University of Cambridge
· 1998 – 2001 – BA (Hons.) Geography – Pembroke College, University of Cambridge
Publications & Journalism
Bleakley, S. (2014) The Longboard Travel Guide: a guide to the world’s 100 best longboard waves.Newquay: Orca Publications.
Bleakley, S. (2012) Surfing Tropical Beats. Penzance: Alison Hodge Publishers.
Bleakley, S. (2011) Surfing Tropical Beats Mandarin Chinese version. Haikou: Hainan Publishing House.
Bleakley, S. (2010) Surfing Brilliant Corners. Penzance: Alison Hodge Publishers.
Bleakley, S, Mansfield, R, Power, C. (2009) The Surfing Tribe: a history of surfing in Britain. Newquay: Orca Publications.
Bleakley, S. (2014) Longboard. London: The Writers Practice. (In production).
Bleakley, S. (2014) Pocket Cornwall Surf Guide. Penzance: Alison Hodge Publishers (In production).
Editor 2011-2008 Longboard & Freeride magazine supplement to Wavelength.
Editor 2008-1998 Carve Longboard Special.
Contributor, Columnist, contributing Editor to over 70 publications internationally, currently 993 articles, translated into 11 languages.
Presenter led travel documentaries
Kwepunha Liberia: Local Surf Cultures, 2014. Directed by Leo McCrea. UK: X-tremedia Ltd.http://www.localsurfcultures.
Brilliant Corners Barbados, 2013. Directed by Sam Bleakley. UK: Independent.https://vimeo.com/77801507
Jamaica OffBeat: a celebration of Caribbean cool, 2012. Directed by Sam Bleakley. UK: Coastal Transitions Project Production, Falmouth University. https://vimeo.com/50365545
Haïti ’s Brilliant Corners, 2012. Directed by Sam Bleakley. UK: Coastal Transitions Project Production, Falmouth University. http://vimeo.com/39766751
Contact:
Falmouth University
Cultural Management & Production
Academy of Music and Theatre Arts