Ben Clement, editor, Good Sport
After yesterday’s sporting madness that saw France crowned World Cup champions and Novak Djokovic reach new heights at Wimbeldon, we spoke to Ben Clement, editor of Good Sport, an Australian publication that aims to reinvent the sports magazine by focusing on the amateur rather than professional athlete. In the midst of a studio move, we peer into Ben’s typical week at the office.
Tell us about your typical Monday journey to work
I’m all about what I call the slow-morning movement. I’m always up early, but I like to take my time making breakfast and coffee and catch up on listening to a few podcasts and news stories. From home I’ll either cycle or ride to my studio to get on with the day.
Describe the state of your desk and what you can see in your office
My desk is always kept pretty minimal and clean. There’s always a glass of water, my camera, headphones, maybe a few bits of paper and some objects that I’ve accumulated over time. Our studio is shared with eight really awesome people who work across multiple creative outlets.
We have a large bookshelf filled with various books and references. Both walls are covered in framed art works or framed graphic posters. Looking out the window, we’re right in downtown Melbourne on a busy intersection, in the afternoon light reflects off other buildings and we get really amazing light in the studio.
Which magazine do you first remember?
From the age of around eight years old I saved my money to buy basketball magazines like Slam and as I hit my teen years I collected Thrasher and Transworld skateboarding magazines. I also really loved National Geographic from an early age.
Which magazine matters to you the most right now?
I think any magazine that has a strong identity is great. Magazines that tell me or show me things I’ve not seen or read before, stuff I can’t get online. To name a few I would say Primitive Skills, The Wine Zine and Apartamento. But I would say MacGuffin is one something that matters a lot. They can do no wrong! I also wish Colors would come back.
Can you describe your magazine in three words?
New wave sport
What magazines inspired Good Sport?
Champ Magazine for sure, because I worked on it for a few years and learnt so much from the team who run it. Also, Apartamento because it took an existing idea and made it new. And the size of it is perfect for travelling.
There is a huge list of magazines that inspired Good Sport both positively and negatively, we looked at so many details. Like pulling small ingredients from how other mags have done stuff to get to the final result of Good Sport.
The geographical spread of the magazine team helps broaden its outlook but does it make its production difficult?
Yes and no, I think regardless of geography making a magazine is hard. Having the team spread around places like Melbourne, London and New York has been great because we have a range of perspectives and our network is triple the size instantaneously.
What can we learn from amateur sportspeople we can’t learn from higher profile professionals?
That at the end of the day you’ve still used your body, you worked with/against other people, you achieved something and you felt something. We’re all the same.
What’s going to be the highlight of the week for you?
Continuing my run training, I’m feeling great, so each run is a highlight at the moment.
What will you be doing after this chat?
Heading out to a great wine bar called Neighbourhood Wine