Everlasting: The Dave Downing Interview

From Everlasting: The Dave Downing Interview

Do you think that style is less of a factor these days?

Totally. Certain parts, like big tricks in the backcountry. Look at Devun Walsh, that guy has great style. To me it just doesn't go hand in hand. I would rather just see someone do something cool looking. It doesn't matter if it's 160-feet or 20-feet; if it's cool looking, it's cool looking. Watching Chris Roach do a little 8-foot air of a hit was amazing. It wasn't forced, he was just ripping the terrain.

I had a conversation the other day about this, snowboarding nowadays compared to back when Hetzel was doing it. All pro snowboarders went to the resorts and rode the terrain that was in front of them. They didn't have parks or pipes, there was nothing. They had to go and adapt to the terrain. Nowadays, kids learn in perfect parks, amazing snowboard parks, but they are all straight jumps. You go to Mammoth and kids hit a 60-footer to another 80-footer to another 80-footer and then hit the rails; they don't have to think for themselves. Pro snowboarders don't even ride resorts anymore—you know, just go up and ride around, find cool stuff and adventure.

I was at Squaw last December and it was all time, and there were probably 100 pro snowboarders down in Reno hitting rails. It was me and Mark Landvik. I'm trying not to be negative, but I hope the next generation of snowboarders will have that creative gene in them.…