Q&A with Brianne Davies

Here we are again ladies and gents, winter's over and the days are getting longer so for those among you who put their boards into hibernation for the last couple of months, it's time to shake off the dust and get out again!

With tons of events happening allover Europe (and no doubt in Canada, the US, or wherever in the world you happen to be) it's set to be a busy summer. For those among you planning on attending our workshop in London (UK) in May - if you haven't done so already, please sign up and make sure you pay your rider fee in advance! To remind you, here's the LINK. More information can also be found in the relevant blog entry a bit further down.
As we'll be able to venture out into the great outdoors again over the next months, you'll probably see less text and more images and other footage on here - we also want to show you what we're up to after all!
Today however, we are talking to Brianne Davies who's hailing all the way from Canada. If that name doesn't ring a bell I strongly suggest you copy and paste that into Google to educate yourself. For now however, read on and find out what one of the world's top female Downhill Skateboarders has to say....

Hi Brianne, please tell us a bit about yourself!
I am 24 going on 25 in May. I am an electrician by trade, and I love to cook.



How did you get into longboarding?
I first got into longboarding from borrowing a board from a friend and trying it out. I fell in love, got my first job at 16, worked till I had enough money to buy one, then quit.

Do you practice any other sports?
I snowboard, and train for triathlons to keep in shape.



What do you do when you don't skate?
When I'm not skating I'm hanging out with my boyfriend and other friends, watching movies, hockey and visiting my rents.

You've got your own Pro Model - Do you think girls need different board than guys?
My Pro Model is fine for both guys and girls, the only thing that caters more towards women is the smaller platform for smaller feet!



Over the past few years, you have been the most successful woman on the race circuit. How do you deal with enviers?
The girls I race with are usually really supportive as most of them are friends. I occasionally have a few snide remarks but I just ignore them because the positive is overwhelming the negative at any point. I have a few girls out there that you could say are my "nemesis" but it's all fun when you get down to it. That said, the boys are actually worse! I have had more guys make rude comments because I have beaten them than the girls. I guess it's still hard for a guy to swallow that the girls can beat them.



How often do you go skate with girls and how important is that to you?
I skate with my girlfriends all the time. There is definatly one girl I try to never skate without becuase she actually pushes me!! Dom, you're awesome. Having girls around pumps me up, I feel comfortable around them and we just have al lot of fun riding together. We have girl skates quite often. Don't get me wrong, to have guys around to skate with is a must. I have learned everything I know from them (skill wise).

How significant are races to you?
The races are getting less important to me now than say two years ago. I wanted to prove myself and I did. But now I just want to have fun without the pressure. I still love racing, it's a huge part of longboarding for me that got me so excited about it. The race season means I get to see all my international friends, which is the beast part by far. I'll keep racing but the amount of races I'll attend might start dropping over the next few years as my life gets to the "holy crap what am I doing with my life" stage.



How do you imagine the future of longboarding?
The future of longboarding? I hope it stays similar to what is is now. Hopefully the rest of the world can accept us, treating us like bikes so we can freely skate where we need to with ut being honked at, yelled at, fingered or pulled over while we just try to get from point a to point b.

Where do you see yourself in say, 5 years' time?
In five years I'll still be skating but I will not be in the competitive scene I am in now. I'll do it without any sponsors, just for fun. I'll attend and race a few races, but I'll be to busy with my career to make longboarding a full time job. I love the sport but my body wont beable to keep up forever.



How do you deal with fear, or is that something you are immune to?
I only fear zombies. Seriously. Deathly afraid.

Do you have any advice or other words of wisdom to your fellow girl riders out there?
To all the girls!! Wear your helmet. Keep pushing yourself bit by bit. As long as you're having fun you're doing it right.



Thanks for your time Brianne, and the very best of luck to you for the upcoming season!