Oliver Wright never thought he’d go viral for going about the heat.
“I knew the humidity out here is something different. I've been here for 15 years,” said Wright, a British soccer fan living in Kansas City who makes videos online as Side Quest Dad.
But ahead of the World Cup and the arrival of international teams and visitors, he posted videos talking about Kansas City’s hot, humid summers — and how soccer players might react to the conditions.
@sidequestdad It’s only 85F (28c) with 65% humidity and the sweat
♬ original sound - Side Quest Dad
He thought the weather updates were “throwaways,” but the videos found a global audience.
“It’s the smallest things that resonate with people,” he told KCUR’s Up To Date.
Wright has been a content creator for nine years, but started Side Quest Dad as a way to make space for joy in his daily life — like going to Casey’s for breakfast pizza or seeing how long it really takes to wear down soccer cleats on the concrete (around 160 days).
Since that first viral heat video, where he lamented that European footballers really had "something to complain about" with the humidity, Side Quest Dad has made videos introducing World Cup fans and out-of-towners to many aspects of life in the Midwest, from Walmart snacks to lightning bugs.
But he likes that his content is garnering local pride among Kansas Citians, too — like a simple video appreciating the Kansas City skyline driving north on I-35.
“From their comments it showed that they wanted to rethink how they live parts of their life… to appreciate these things that (they) take for granted every single day,” Wright said.
- Oliver Wright, Kansas City content creator, @SideQuestDad
