SNOWBOARD MYTH BUSTERS
Out of curiosity what ones would you say you mastered?
BX, downhill, gates.
When required I forerun race courses at Thredbo (set the ideal time for a given course).
And general all mountain - I can’t include big mountain because I’ve been limited to Aussie BC (which is pretty good on it’s day). Never ridden OS.
My knee slowed me down in the trick/gymnastic style disciplines like park/big air/pipe. (don’t mention my age - but it’s worth consideration).
I love pipe but only got to ride it in my 2nd and 3rd season - in 2012 I rode pipe again, with my bad knee and found I was very limited.
Everyone here has only experienced my riding without an attached ACL (excluding rider who rode once with me prior - in rainy spring conditions). Busted my knee the year after BW launched.
Natural features, high speed and turning are where I excel, I don’t mind a big cliff either.
This post isn’t an excuse or ego fuelled (much), read into it and it’s pertinent to the; skiing is easier to learn/harder to master myth.
After 4 full seasons boarding 6-8 hours a day I found snowboarding boring (mostly due to a lack of good park/rail facilities at the time).
I started riding everyday with a 4kg camera in one hand, a DSLR in my backpack and lenses. I rode with this set up for 7 years EVERY TIME I RODE (I would launch off big air and ride the pipe camera in hand - not side slipping either, I would get air while filming); it severely affected my style and I had to relearn how to ride when I started using lightweight HeadCams.
When my faults were pointed out on boardworld due to my HeadCam vids being posted - it took one run to rectify my faults.
Because of the calibre of skiers and boarders I filmed it was useless for me to ski - I just couldn’t keep up! or for it to be safe for my gear on ski’s, I needed to work more on my skiing but never could find the time.
Whilst snowboarding I could ride while all my attention was on the camera and filming and still go hard.
I took part in launching the careers of many big name skiers and boarders - at least one competing in Sochi (a person competing in 3 snowboard disciplines), others that have now retired. Some big Aussie names in the bizz I’ve shot while I snowboarded, some for training purposes others for promotion and sponsorship.