Donnie

 

Davos Snowboarding Instructor & Freestyle Coach

Donnie hails from Scotland & insists “when you can ride there, you can ride anywhere!”

Taking up snowsports at the not so tender age of 18, after a string of early successes, Donnie quickly became one of a handful of young sponsored British boarders.

These successes went hand in hand with his coaching career and in 2008, Donnie was invited to join the Great Britain Snowboard Cross development team for the 2010 Olympics. He finished 8th at the British Champs in Laax in March that year and 2nd at the Indoor Boardercross Champs in September 2010.

During the 2011-12 season Donnie was invited to coach the Australian Defence Force snowboard team and tour with them throughout their Championships Across Europe at the British Navy and Interservices championships where he steered the team to several victories against the Brits!

Donnie lives in Kinross, Scotland where during the summer months can frequently be seen in a lycra skin suit racing on his Time Trial bike!

Qualifications
BASI Snowboard Instructor

Best thing to do on a snowboard?
Get steep and deep in the trees….having just exited a helicopter!

Equipment for 2013-14:
RIDE SNOWBOARDS: A Ride DH (full camber) and a ‘Slackcountry’ (lots of reverse camber) for the back country. Ride ‘Revolt’ Seb Toot bindings and either a very stiff Boa Insano (to protect the rebuilt ankle) or the new Lasso boot (for park days).

Camber or reverse camber:
RC is great fun but I’ll never be without the power of camber for long. POP!

Stance:
REG +15 and -12 degrees (always changing them to keep my muscles guessing and avoid over conditioning)

Favourite trick:
Powder butter, T-Rice style! Or anything with a nose grab!

If not snowboarding, then what:
probably recovering from a snowboarding injury – it’s been a tough few years! Enjoying the Scottish trail centres on my mountain bike or racing on my Time Trial bike. I have an unhealthy obsession with my Subaru Impreza too….410 ponies baby!

Other sports:
Mtbing, Skating, Kite surfing, Time Trial racing and eh…….hill walking (”you’re so cool” – Stava!)