WL: Any plans to return to DCP cliff anytime soon?

DCP: I wish, actually I would really love to go back to Sonora Pass, California where it all went down back in my Kingpin Production days. I’m not saying I would jump it again, but the whole area had a lot of other cliffs and jumps. If there was 3ft of snow I would love to stand at the top and see… Good times up there with Auchu, Kramer and the crew. That whole time in my life was very fun. I felt very free.

“All those years I filmed with Brad Kramer and Simon Turcotte and the MDP-Kingpin crew were some of the best years of the life”

Filming all around the world with crews that read like a who’s who of snowboard royalty meant DCP got to hone his skills amongst the riders that inspired him growing up. The early 2000’s were a melting pot of different ideas and locations that ended up being one of the most iconic times in history for snowboarding.

Being a pro rider in the early 2000’s was like being a rockstar, especially when you were hanging with the crews DCP was. These were the days when sponsor money flowed freely, bar tabs were a given and destroying a hotel room was standard practice. The UnInc days were no doubt filled with debauchery and mayhem, what do you expect when a bunch of guys with overly inflated egos and little-to-no sense of self preservation get together and get boozy?

“Romain got picked up by the bowling pin machine after he ran down the lane and hit the pins head first”

WL: What’s your funniest party story about JP or Romain?  

DCP: Oh. There’s a lot. I’ve been partying with those cats for about 20 years. It’s always a good time with those two… until it’s not haha. I guess the one time that Romain got picked up by the bowling pin machine after he ran down the lane and hit the pins head first, that was a good one. When we used to go to Japan with Burton, we would party in 9 cities in 10 days. There were some wild nights there. JP brings the party, he’s the party.

DCP, JP, and Romain made one of the biggest transitions that you can make in this industry. One minute they were the golden boys of Burton with the UnInc crew, and the next minute they weren’t. Instead of rolling over and taking the loss, they set up YES. Snowboards which is now one of the most exciting and innovative brands in the game.

WL: You went from being a pro rider to a business owner, how was the transition and what were the challenges involved?

“I still try and go as much as possible but it’s not anymore at dawn every morning from the first meter of snow until it’s fully melted”

DCP: It all happened quite gradually to be honest, so we had time to adapt as we grew in sales. Now, the main challenge is that there’s a lot of computer and phone work to be done. It takes part of most days so the challenge is less time to ride. I still try and go as much as possible but it’s not anymore at dawn every morning from the first meter of snow until it’s fully melted.

WL: You spend a lot of time surfing; does this help your snowboarding?

DCP: That’s a double-edged sword type question haha. I guess it could be helpful to freeriding, as like in surfing when you ride a wave it always forms differently in front of you and you need to adapt like you do when freeriding, in steep trees or sloughing terrain for example. It keeps me stoked but I bet, over the years, if it wasn’t for surfing, I probably would have been snowboarding more and may have done better at contests and such. But I’m glad at how things worked out.

“Over the years, if it wasn’t for surfing, I probably would have been snowboarding more and may have done better at contests and such”

Surfing kept me in good shape and good spirits in the off season and through injury rehab sometimes. Surfing was also always associated with a tropical beach with my girlfriend, so it was easy to love every minute of it, then I just got hooked. As cheesy as it sounds, there really isn’t any turning back there. I love both surfing and snowboarding equally. Cold vs warm, both from a storm. So much energy.

The YES. crew have been busy filming ‘Path Finding’, a series following them on their travels and documenting their pursuit of adventure round the globe. If you weren’t jealous of these guys before, you certainly will be after watching it.

WL: Path Finding sees you travel the world, where was the coolest spot you filmed?

DCP: Japan is always on my winner list. Usually the crew you’re with also dictates a good trip. It’s also the snow quality and the vibe, last season’s trip was super rad in that way. We didn’t have a lot of expectations, so we made the best of it and truly lived what it is to travel to a powder location and go out, eat local food, drink sake, go to the onsen, ride powder every day, laugh. I love all my Japanese friends and connections, Arigato!

New Zealand was also really awesome, especially since we got the surf and snowboard on the same day. Also, the day after, we scored a sweet left point break with a couple out, pumping after we’ve had a sick sunset snowboarding session the night before. I loved those two days the best.

WL: What are you plans for the season?

DCP: I spent some time in Colorado and Austria and January and I might be headed to Jackson Hole for a bit. I’m actually moving with my family to Costa Rica for one school year in February. In March I’ll be back on snow for two weeks to ride in Revelstoke, Nelson area. I’m hoping to go ride in Chile or Argentina in August-September. I’ll be working on YES. stuff and working remotely for most of the season.

WL: What YES. boards do you find yourself riding? 

DCP: These days, my favourite board to ride in our line is the Hybrid 53 and 57. I like it because it’s a mix of my two other favourite boards. The Hybrid has the tail of the 420, it’s pretty wide, you can ride it shorter and it floats so well in pow. It also has the tapered underbite feature from the PYL which makes it super responsive on any type of terrain or conditions. I truly love that board. My favourite type of riding is definitely something I call ‘Onsight fall-line freestyle freeriding’.

There you have it folks, The King of Quebec- DCP.