New Face on the Scene: Danny Davis

Oct 16 2006 / Los Angeles, CA

At the local sledding hill in Michigan, most kids used their sleds as they were supposed to, riding down on their butts. Some of the dare devils opted to ride down on their bellies. Danny Davis rode his sled standing up. From the very beginning, his calling was clear. Danny was a snowboarder.

In a little over two years, Davis went from total obscurity to being one of the most feared halfpipe competitors on the circuit. For an 18-year-old kid from Highland, MI, that’s a pretty unattainable dream, but with perfectly executed back to back 1080s and a pipe run that easily rivals (and beats) many guys years his senior, Davis isn’t intimidated by riders with more experience.

In 2005 Danny was named outstanding rookie of the year at the US Open, and in 2006, he came back to win the quarterpipe competition and take second in the halfpipe, behind none other than Shaun White. Danny also enjoyed the view from the top of the podium after winning the prestigious Nippon Open, easily Japan’s biggest halfpipe contest of the year. He already started off the 2007 season with a bang, returning from a trip to Chile just in time to collect his award for Transworld Snowboarding’s Rookie of the Year at the Rider’s Poll awards.

It’s all happened pretty quickly, so Lat34 decided to catch up with the young pipe superstar before he reaches Shaun White status and is too busy for interviews. At this rate, that will probably be around January.

Lat34: Last year was definitely your break out season. How are you feeling going into this season?

DD: Last year was the most fun I have ever had. I just shredded with the right people and it made all the difference. It made me realize that I just need to have fun and shred with my friends and that’s what keeps snowboarding fun. So going into this season I just want to ride with my friends and have a lot of fun, and I am stoked it is not an Olympic year!

Lat34: You keep winning rookie of the year awards. Are you ready to shed the rookie status?

DD: I don’t really care about the rookie status, it’s all good. I still am a rookie. I think I just need more experience. I mean I have only been traveling and snowboarding outside of Michigan for 3 years.

Lat34: Where did you ride in Michigan, and how did you learn to snowboard so well riding garbage dumps?

DD: Hey don’t be talking shit on my home mountain (haha). It’s no garbage dump, it was an old gravel pit way back in the day. The place is called Alpine Valley. It is an epic 308 ft. of gnarly vertical.

Lat34: You had some pretty impressive contest finishes last year, and nearly made the Olympics. Were you disappointed that you didn’t make the Olympic team after coming so close?

DD: Yeah, I was disappointed, but at the same time I was stoked because right when I found out I wasn’t going, I got asked to go to China with Terje and Pat Bridges, so how could I be bummed. I also learned a lot through the Olympic qualifying series. I learned that snowboarding started out as being fun and snowboarding with my friends and I just have to remember that when I compete. I have to remember that it is just snowboarding, not the Super Bowl or something stupid like that.

Lat34: Halfpipe riding has really seen a lot of progression in the last couple years. How much further do you think it will go?

DD: Geez, I hope not much further or I might be out of a job, haha. No I mean snowboarding has gotten so big and not just halfpipe riding has progressed. I mean David Benedek did a like triple cork 1260 last year. Snowboarding is out of hand, the whole thing is progressing and it is really hard to say where it is going. I mean a couple years ago Travis Rice double cork 1080ed Chad’s Gap and I don’t think anyone saw that coming.