Profile... Neil McNab
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Snowboarder Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began riding?
Started riding when I was about 18 I guess.
What/Who got you into it?
I kind of got into it through skiing. I was working out in the alps as a ski teacher and got hooked on snowboarding pretty much straight away. I then funded my habit by skiing until the whole Pro rider deal came along and skiing took the back seat. Snowboarding ruled my life for pretty much the last 12 years with the whole pro thing. Now I feel I have more time and less pressure and the whole freeride thing is really taking off for me. I've always been a climber and so I've kind of been led full circle from climbing, to the mountains, to skiing, to boarding, to the backcountry and so naturally with the whole backcountry high mountain deal I've come right back to climbing in the mountains again. With the fat skiis and everything now
What sort of board do you ride?
I ride a wide Freeride board for everything. 166 is my ideal length and I leave my stance and everything set up the same for every part of the mountain.
What length board do you ride?
a 164 or 166 is ideal for me.
Do you ride Regular or Goofy?
Goofy
Stance width?
Pretty wide, around 24/25 inches.
Stance angles (front and back)?
I have a stance difference between my feet of around 25 to 30 degrees. I normally hve something like rear foot -9 front foot around +18. Somtimes i'll have -6, +21 if I need a wider range of vision for freeriding.
Favourite resort?
Chamonix.
How many seasons have you done?
I started doing seasons in 1988 and have done every season since plus a few winters down under in South America and NZ. I'm not sure how many that makes but I'd guess at around twenty or something close to that.
Where and when did you do your seasons?
All over the place, snowboarding has taken me around the world a few times, but now I'm settled in Chamonix and that's where i ride most of the time.
What was your favourite trip and why?
Filming for 'day tripper' was quite good fun in so far as a trip goes, but the riding wasn't so good. I'd say my times in South America would take some beating in terms of riding on snowboard trips. At the end of the day I'd rather do a day trip from home up into the mountains of Chamonix, maybe take the heli up and hike out to one of my favourite descents.
What do you love about snowboarding?
I Love the feeling of flowing with the mountains antural terrain. The feeling of powering a cut back in perfect powder on the fine crest of a windlip. The feeling of floating over a perfect drop, kicker or roller. I love the solitude of the high mountains where it's just you and the mountain, it offers up it's terrain and you ride and flow with the mountain. It's just endless fresh turns, man, i feel so excited that I think my head might pop when i stand at the top of a run like that.
What's your goal within snowboarding?
To enjoy everyday and to keep searching for that perfect run!
What aspect of snowboarding gives you the most satisfaction (powder, kickers, halfpipe, competitions, big air, cliff drops, etc.)?
I like to ride the natural terrain of the mountain! For me this holds a piece of everything, pipe riding, kicker riding, drops powder slashes..everything! I love to jib and ride the park from time to time, some of my best days have been in the park with a good crew all stoking each other up. At the end of the day though, give me a perfect powder day and somewhere where there's no people and I'm pretty much sorted.
What style of snowboarding best describes your riding (include a couple if you want)?
Backcountry freeride.
What's your favourite trick?
Cab 5's
What's your scariest snowboarding moment?
Getting avalanched by a skier whilst in the exit couloir of Glacier Rhonde, the North face of l'Aiguille du Midi.
What are your top safety tips when riding?
Look before you leap!
What advice have you got?
Know your limits and know about the mountain. Don't just follow others, be responsible for your own actions and think about what you're doing before you do it. Also just because you're a snowboarder don't go thinking youre the shit and get a big attitude thinking that you're better than everyone else. be polite and have some respect, we're all guests in the mountains, leave the attitude at home.
Neil's Results/ Achievements...
Year | Event | Discipline | Category | Position |
| 1996 | British Championships | Overall | Senior mens | 1st |
| 1995 | British championships | Overall | Senior mens | 1st |
| 1995 | World cup series | Slalom | Senior mens | 22nd |
| 1995 | European open | Overall | Senior mens | 6th |
| 1994 | British championships | Overall | Senior mens | 1st |
| 1993 | British championships | Overall | Senior mens | 1st |
The North Face 
