Q: So when did you start boarding?
A: Oh, 1983..
Q: uuuuuh?
Snowboards have been around for a lot
longer than most people think, the first board was invented in the US in
the 1960s, it was just two skiis bound together and called a "Snurfer".
In the 70s Jake Burton and Tom Sims competed to bring out the first production
boards.
My first time out on a board was in
1983. I'd been skiing for about 5 years, and my mate Campbell convinced
me to try something totally new, snowboarding. Back then most snowboards
had metal fins and the bindings were a bit primative.
We used
Wintersticks
which had a swallow tail and a deep fin for powder snow, and we weren't
allowed on the resorts. Campbell, myself and my ex Linda hiked up Mt Tate
(near Guthega NSW), and the first run was magic, so completely different
to skiing, but familiar enough from skating & surfing, and we picked
it up pretty quickly. We rode the mountains for the next few days and were
completely hooked! We even started competing in 86 when we entered the
Australian Championships at Guthega!
Best Results?
1986: Guthega Australian championships
=9th place in dual slalom, I was beaten
in the quarter final by Stefan Milson, he went on to win the Aus title!
5th place in freestyle (ok it was
a shitty day and most of the pros didn't turn up!)
1988: Mt Hotham Australian titles
Dual Slalom: 8th
Half pipe: 14th
Giant Slalom: A top course down Snake
Gully, the best run at Hotham, I was flying but crashed and burned at the
last gate, got a great cheer from the crowd though.
I had a great time at this comp, ripping
up the mountain, one night we had a "2am expression session"
and we found a great 1/4 pipe jump,
with a snow-sign to bonk off.
Here I am hitting the Hotham pipe during free-practice
Click any of the following pics
for a pop up
pic by Linda Kitchen
1991: Mt Hotham Australian titles
Half pipe: 14th
Giant Slalom: 12th
A top G.S. course down Snake Gully,
the best run at Hotham, I was flying and got air off the last crest, crashed
and burned at the last gate, got a great cheer from the crowd though. I
had a great time at this comp, ripping up the mountain, one night we had
a "2am expression session" and we found a great 1/4 pipe jump, with a snow-sign
to bonk off.
1992 Thredbo International
Giant slalom: 13th place against
some top local and international pro riders, (I was 9th Aussie)
1.5 seconds of fame: If you
don't blink you can see me in the Aussie Snowboard movie "Stuntwood Hoods",
flailing madly in the freestyle comp, and some slo-mo footage of my GS
run.
Here's me in action in the GS
(pic by Hotshots photography)
Free riding
Photo Op at Perisher Valley 1989
 |
 |
Getting air at Thredbo
1992
pic by Linda Kitchen
Backside tail-grab 360 at Perisher 1994
(pic by Hotshots photography)
What boards do i ride now?:
Oxygen Vibe 58 carbon. (158)
I also still have my old Winterstick,
a 1997 Lamarr Ranquet (160), a Burton Assy Cruize (165) and a Burton PJ9
Assy carver. (190)
You want some links?
Transworld snowboarding magazine The snowboarders bible
Snowboarder Magazine The other snowboarders bible
Board the world.com Online magazine, board and resort reviews, even weather reports
www.Snowboarding.com/ Reviews, pics, bulletin boards, you name it!
Snowboarderreview.com The place for resort and product reviews
Ice age snowboard galleries Loads of hot pics
Trav's snowboard picture galleries An aussie site with some kewl pics
