After a comeback season that included qualifying for the Winter X Games Europe superpipe and the ground-breaking Peace Pipe session, a gnarly slam over the summer sidelined Danny Davis for most of this season. In this Bur-Ton of Questions, Danny covers everything from his ideal halfpipe run, what his dream shred vacation would entail, and what he is doing to curb his jonesing to get back on a board.
1. What was your inspiration behind the Peace Pipe?
I just wanted to make a halfpipe that was different. I didn’t even want it to be a halfpipe, I just wanted to see what we could do with transition. I wanted to see how many different transitions and different features could we cram in to it. I just wanted a transition beast
2. Do you see more creative contests coming in the future after doing the Peace Pipe?
I don’t know. I would love to do a contest/jam session in something like this. I hope people like the idea and run with it.
3. What is the hardest grab to hang on to while spinning?
Taipans are the hardest.
4. What tricks would your ideal pipe run include if you could do whatever you wanted?
I would do an air to fakie, a switch back rodeo, switch back seven, cab 10, and some sort of alley oop variation.
5. How far do you think we are from seeing someone pull a triple in a pipe run? Will it happen before the Olympics?
Not too far. I’m sure someone will stress themselves to do it. I know Shaun has tried them.
6. What riders do you think are pushing the level of pipe riding with both style and technical tricks?
Scotty Lago, Peetu Piiroinen, Christian Haller, Greg Bretz, Luke Mitrani, and Shaun is always keeping up with the tech stuff and going massive.
7. Have you gotten to go on any cool road trips with your camper yet? Or do you have any planned?
I’m always going on cool trips with my camper. As of now I have nothing planned, it’s a bit tough in that thing in the winter. There’s no heater and she gets pretty darn cold.
8. What kinds of physical therapy have you been doing to recover from your broken femur over the summer?
Lots of hip and butt stuff, because the hip is where they entered through to put everything in. I’ve been in the pool quite a bit, on the bike, and I’ve been snowshoeing and skinning around Tahoe. I cannot wait to shred, I’m dying to snowboard actually.
9. Are you still in the process of remodeling your house in Truckee? What is your favorite thing about your place?
I’m still doing that, seems like it may never end. My dad just came and installed some beautiful reclaimed oak floors. It’s looking really good!
(Photos: Blotto)
10. What is the story behind your dogs Layla and Jerry? Did you adopt them and do they ever leave your side now?
They follow me all over the house because they think I’m always going to leave, but I’ve been home for a bit now and they are much more settled. They are adopted from the Humane Society. If you’re going to get a dog, I definitely recommend going to look at the Humane Society first. All the dogs there are just looking for a good home and some love.
11. Seems like you have been getting more and more into splitboarding lately, what is it about splitboarding you like?
I think I like the idea of it most—it’s free snowboarding. Plus, when you’re in the mountains, whatever you see on the side of the road or if there’s something that you can’t get to with a sled, you can just skin right to it and rip it. It’s a nice freedom to have no lifts and just be skinning and shredding in the middle of nowhere. It’s a good feeling, but it’s a lot of work for one run, and that’s a bitch.
12. How did growing up riding in Michigan shape your riding style today?
Well, I am spoiled now, but I think I had somewhat of an advantage in icy conditions growing up because it’s always icy and bad in Michigan. So the “good days” in Michigan were really good days out West, which always made me happy. So maybe I got a happy riding style from it?
13. What would be your ultimate snowboard trip and who would you bring with you?
A lot of people: KP, and all the Frends boys first (Mikkel Bang, Jack Mitrani). And probably Terje, McLovin, and Mikey Rencz for sure. Driscoll, both Jackson’s, Pat Moore, Niko, Billy, Sam, and Danny Kass is classic, so him too. Lots of family and anyone else I forgot. There would be a lot of folks. I suppose we would rent out Baldface or something like that. Just rip pow hopefully and jam out.
