Q: So how long have you been boarding?
A: Oh, about 20 years..
Q: Huh?

Snowboards have been around for longer than most people think, my first time out on a board was in 1984. I'd been skiing for about 5 years, and my mate Campbell convinced me to try something totally new, snowboarding.

Back in those days, (when I was a lad haha) most snow-boards (we had Wintersticks) had metal fins, and the bindings were a bit primative, so 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 the next year when we entered the 1st ever Australian Championships at Guthega!

Best Results?

1986: Guthega Australian championships
=9th place in dual slalom, I was beaten in the run for top 8 by Stefan Milson, he went on to win the 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.

Giant slalom: 13th place against some top 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.

Competing is a buzz, but free-riding my favourite back country is what really gets me going.
I've ridden the best in Australia, glaciers in Austria, and heli-shreded the steepest shutes in New Zealand,
I plan to go back to New Zealand again soon!

(with thanks to Hotshots photography)
 

What board do i ride now?: Oxygen vibe 58 carbon.
I also have a 1997 Lamarr Ranquet and a Burton PJ Assymetric carver.

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