Q & A with Dion Newport

The Freeride World Tour moves to Austria this weekend for stop three at Fieberbrun Kitzbuheler Alpen. We thought this was a good time for a quick Q&A with the fifth Kiwi on Tour – Judge Dion Newport.

Dion’s got a few years’ experience as a judge under his belt these days – five years on the FWT and seven years with FIS (the International Ski Federation). For Dion it’s a dream job which enables him to travel the world. Once the FWT wraps up in Austria he’ll be hopping on a plane and travelling to Sochi, Russia to take his place on the judging panel at the Olympic Winter Games. With freeski slopestyle and halfpipe featuring on the Olympic schedule for the first time he’ll be sharing an exciting moment in our sports’ history.

Here’s Dion’s take on things:

1) What do you love about your job?

-I love hanging and skiing with all the amazing people I get the pleasure of meeting.

2) How do you get a job like that?!

-Right place at the right time in the industry, sponsorship from Mum and Dad for a credit card and quite a few years of following the competition scene.

3) From the FWT to Sochi, are you expecting two completely different experiences?

-I am expecting a completely different experience. I'm going in with an open mind and want to enjoy the chance of celebrating making history in skiing.

4) As a seasoned world traveller how are your foreign language skills these days?

-My foreign language skills are actually terrible! Most people in the ski industry speak English but hand gestures and a smile go a long way.

5) Favourite place in the world to ski and work?

-It depends what kind of riding you want but close to my heart is Verbier in Switzerland. It has crazy lift access to mind-blowing peaks and the lifestyle to match.

Thanks Dion, great talking to you!