Dave Snaddon 10 Tricks and Interview

When I first met Dave Snaddon, it was in the early days of Projects distribution in Bristol, he rode for Osiris shoes and later Minute Skateboards (a fairly short lived UK brand with a powerful team)

Since then he’s been on a steady killing spree getting constant coverage and attending events. He’s made now taken the next step on the journey taking on full time employment with DC as a rep, he recently dropped by to flog us some shoes but while he was here we made him film a ten tricks on the Surgery block and interrogated him for a while!

You must have got sponsored pretty young, what were you, like 14 when you got hooked up by Projekts?

Yeah I was 14 when Matt Law hooked me up on Projekts. So funny looking back at footage of those days now, long curly hair and braces haha. It was pretty cool getting free stuff all of a sudden, my mates at school couldn’t believe it. One Xmas they got the UK Osiris team down to the office in Bristol and had a present wrapped up for each of us, I think I was the most stoked out of everyone to find out it was a ” G – Bag” I was like – ” Yes !!! imagine when I turn up to school with this” my very own portable, music speaker back pack haha.

As part of that you were on the Osiris team when they were probably the biggest shoe brand around running huge tours and trips, that must have been pretty mental to be involved with? Do you have fond memories of those times?

Yeah those UK tours were awesome, Good times! It was pretty strange being on tour/ going to demos with the big American pros. Chilling with Jerry Hsu, Chris Dobstaff , Peter Smolik and Brandon Turner etc I loved the videos those guys were in around that time, so to be chilling with those guys on a tour bus/skating/having dinner etc was quite strange but good fun. The skating I witnessed was unreal too!

So what year did you start riding for DC and how did that come about?

I started riding for DC around 2006/2007, at the time Rob Selley was the team manager. There was a strong link between the Motive Skateboards riders and DC UK so it came about through riding for Motive and hanging out/skating with Rob.

How did it transpire that you ended up working for DC was it something you actively chased or did Leo put you up for it?

Leo Sharpe rang and asked me about it, he was about to move jobs to teach photography at Falmouth Uni and needed to find a suitable replacement. As I was familiar with the product, the brand, and I knew people who worked for the company already, it was a perfect opportunity. I’m really lucky that my position as a rider at DC evolved into a full time sales and marketing job.

Was it weird taking that next step where you actually had a proper job that was connected to skateboarding, did you find it difficult to adjust to?

I was so happy to have a job in the skate industry, talking and dealing with people I knew already from my background, learning about products and taking them out on the road was an ideal job for me. I did quite a lot of driving at my previous job so I was kind of used to the long miles, I guess the thing I needed to adjust to was being away from home a lot of the time.

I’m sure everyone outside looking in reckons that working in the skate industry is a total doss but in my experience it’s the actual opposite, how do you find it and do you struggle to find as much time to skate as you used you?

I spend a lot of time on the road so it’s hard to find as much time to skate but my board’s always in the boot & I’m definitely dedicated so will be out skating whenever I can really. I’m lucky enough to be dealing with skate shops for work though so quite often I can get a skate in which ever city I’m in after our sales appointments. I’ve skated a lot of different parks/spots due to being in the town/city for work so that’s definitely a perk. If I know a photographer/filmer in the area we might even try head out and shoot something. We’re currently filming for a new Bristol based video that James Harris is making ” Little Paradise” so that’s a good incentive to get out on the weekends and get stuff done.

How do you like all the travelling is it starting to wear thin yet?

I really like driving round to visit the shops, trade shows etc sometimes driving can get a bit tiring but I’m used to it. It’s cool hanging out/ meeting people in the different areas I visit.

What would you say are the best and worst things about your job?

It’s all positive, I’m stoked to be working in the skate industry & working with skateboarding product. It’s what I’ve been into for 1/2 my life and know most about, I find it can be very proactive as well. If I wasn’t on a mission over to Kent to see you guys for work I wouldn’t of shot this interview/10 tricks in the Surgery. I just have to manage my time carefully and I can get a lot done.

Thanks for your time Dave and thanks for coming to visit.