My Spot With Dave Watson, Pro Freerider

* CLOWN SHOES This is a pretty technical trail, even for
world-class pros. We call it Ewok Village because it's very
woodsy, with lots of fallen trees. The skinny bridges are made of
cedar trestles. Going over them is like riding a roller coaster.
Down the trail there is a tight section with a teeter-totter in
the middle. You have to time it just right because there's a
six-foot drop right after.

* DIRT MERCHANT I compare this trail to a NASCAR track. It's a
high-speed, flowing run. The berms are really high and wide so
you don't slide out on the corners. It's so smooth coming down
the hill that you don't realize you're going 40 mph.

* NO JOKE This is a new trail this year. It's similar to Dirt
Merchant but way longer. The new Garbanzo [quad lift] triples the
vertical of the terrain park. I got to help cut and test the new
trail last summer. The sky's the limit up there.

COLOR PHOTO: WWW.GIBSONPICTURES.COM (2) The North Vancouver native's top three trails at Whistler