I first met Craig on the glacier. I had seen him and Kelly Jo riding Blackcomb once before but we never met, and then later he was up filming some stuff and because the snowboard scene was so small in the late 80s we all connected. Then he started a camp and would live in Whistler all summer long so we’d see each other regularly. I wouldn’t say it ever developed into a friendship. Kelly Jo on the other hand, we became friends.
Then there was a trip to Mike Weigele’s heli in 1990 or so where I got to ride with him and a bunch of friends for a couple days. That’s when I saw how good he was on all the natural terrain, when no cameras were rolling, when he was just having fun.
I didn’t start taking pictures until 1991 and although I took a couple pictures of him that summer, there was nothing memorable. I always wanted to have a day shooting with him.
It almost happened at Mt. Baker. Garry was shooting film at this point and me and him and Warburton went down to shoot as a storm was clearing up. When we got there though, the weather never cleared. We made the decision to leave the cameras in the car and the four of us rode all day. It was one of the best memories I have of snowboarding.
By 1995 I thought the window had closed with Craig as Burton had their staff photogs and I was a senior photographer with Snowboarder Mag and had a bunch of riders I worked with regularly. But one day I got a call from Beat Steiner to spend a day shooting with Craig and Omar Lundie in a heli.
This is probably my best-known photo of Craig and I can look at it endlessly.
-Dano
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