Get Up, Get Out and Get On With It - A Tale of Survival and Triumph with Dave Cashen

When you are constantly surrounded by people who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of sport - be it snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing or otherwise - you can often find yourself beginning to feel like you and all your friends are invincible. All those things that happen to "other people" don't seem to affect you, until it all comes crashing down and something hits super close to home. For some that could be the death of a friend or a terrible accident. For Dave Cashen, and many who lived a parallel life, the news that he had a terrible stomach cancer that would require life-changing surgery was a terrible end-cap to a decade of living the good life, a professional snowboard career and years of pow turns in Whistler. 

In 2011, while living in Vancouver, Dave learned that he had stomach cancer, which would ultimately result in the removal of his stomach and drastically altering the way he had to live. Two years later he finds himself living in the small town of Rossland in the BC Interior and is the spanking-new owner of the local boardshop, Rossvegas. After following Dave's story for the past few years - he's been super open on social media about the whole voyage, something that I think many have learned a lot from along the way - and then hearing that he basically just bought the shop, I had to get in touch and get the whole story.

Personally, I never actually met Dave until a chance encounter in a Seattle jazz bar days before his big surgery (which ended with the worst Tequila induced hangover of my life!), but had always looked up to him for his abilities on and off snow. In addition to being a staple on the pages of Canadian and International snowboard mags for over a decade, as well as banger video parts in the Wildcat movies (amongst others), for years Dave produced his own snowboard movies under the Cashless moniker which featured as much partying and shenanigans as shredding and quickly became a key part of snowboarding infamy.

Dave was kind enough to open up and give me an open and honest accounting of the last few years - something I have basically no right to - and in the process I think we can all learn a lot from his story. There are some things in life you have no control over no matter how much you wish you did, but with a positive attitude and the strength and courage to never stop pushing forward, great things can happen if you allow them. 
 

Before we even get into the shop, how did you find yourself living in Rossland?

The short version is; I really love Vancouver, it has it all, but its changed a lot over the past twenty years that I've lived there and its just so busy and really expensive now. The city was cool when I was younger for skating and nightlife, but I always wanted to live out my years in the mountains eventually. I had been looking at options for some time, but back then there was two of us that had to agree on where we were going live. She and I had completely different desires, and so because of that and then some we decided to go in different directions.

I have been to some amazing places through my snowboard career, so when the relationship ended I had the option to go anywhere I wanted, and so the researching began. I formed a list of ten places, all over the world, with the majority being in BC, but I had Sapporo in Japan, Christchurch and Queenstown in NZ, Alps (little vague, but anywhere in the Alps would be pretty sweet), and I even had Corner Brook NL on the list. The Kootenay region seemed to have all that I was looking for though and it would be easiest to relocate to, especially after my battle with cancer and life after the surgeries.

Without getting too deep into it, how has dealing with your sickness changed your life? Do you think you'd be in Rossland otherwise?

As mentioned above, I was already looking at options to relocate, so I feel I would have relocated at some point, and quite possibly Rossland. However, once I was diagnosed with cancer I had to stick it out in Vancouver to deal with it and wasn't sure what was going to happen. The cancer itself was definitely a big deal on its own, but having to go ahead with a total gastrectomy (removal of my entire stomach) changed my life even more so. During that year and a half from when I was first diagnosed to being a year post-op it was definitely nice to be close to family and friends and would have been even harder somewhere I didn't know anyone. Even with all the support I had, you still feel isolated, and have lots of time to think. I feel most that have been through cancer would agree with that statement, and that you look at life in a bit of a different light during and afterwards. For myself, I've always been a believer in following ones passions and desires, life is too short, and going through this situation definitely confirmed that belief. I'm glad I wasn't hasty and moved right after the relationship ended though, or who knows how the operations, my recovery or even monitoring would have gone. However, while my life had forever changed due to no longer having a stomach, and life was difficult at the time, I still felt compelled to follow my heart to relocate. I wasn't totally sure if I was ready, but the only way I'd find out was by trying. It didn't make sense to relocate abroad any more or at least for the time being. Learning to adapt without a stomach in a foreign environment would have been crazy to say the least, and is going to take time, and since the Kootenays ticked off so many of the criteria on my list I thought I''d focus on that region.  

What was it like moving to a small town from Vancouver? Was it a big adjustment?

Moving to Nelson wasn't that different to tell you the truth. Mind you it was winter and I had a lot of friends pass through town, so it didn't feel like I moved really. Sure, its quite smaller than Vancouver, but you have your favorite pubs you go to with your usual crew, so its just in a smaller environment. Rossland on the otherhand is quite significantly smaller than Nelson and even more so than from Vancouver. I've only been in Rossland for a month and in that month I've been traveling a lot, so I haven't really had a chance to fully get settled and experience it, but theres definitely a few things you notice right off the bat that are quite different from Vancouver (and even Nelson). Its not very busy, its a small town, but thats the charm. Mind you winter is a different story, the town does swell a fair bit. The other main thing is your situated halfway up a mountain on a plateau of sorts. That might be part of the appeal for me I think, it kind of reminds me of the Alps in that sense. You have this super sweet town halfway to Red Mountain ski resort from Trail in the valley...its really rad. No big adjustments for me though, besides my life going from 0-100 in a month. During my recovery I was just focused on me and my health, and now I have a lot on my plate with the shop, but its a lot of fun too. 

 

What exactly do the locals think of "Ol' Dirty Cashen" showing up in their sleepy town? 

Haha, I have no idea...

Tell me how you got involved with RossVegas? At what point did taking over the shop enter into the picture?

I applied to a number of jobs in Rossland, Trail, Fernie, Golden and Revelstoke when I made up my mind the Interior was where I was heading, but with no success. I had a departure window of September through December, and if I had to I move without work lined up so be it. I figured I could find something once I got to know people, so I decided if nothing came up by then I was just going to head to Rossland. 

Thanks to social media, I saw that Karl Fuhre and Dave Bestwick from IS Eyewear were passing through Nelson visiting accounts. They posted a pic on Instagram of them hanging out with the crew from Ripping Giraffe Boardshop, so I texted him quick asking him to see if he could line me up a job. About a half hour passed, and Karl texted me back saying done! I got in touch with Dan Collins at RGB the next day and confirmed it was a done deal. I was so stoked! Although Nelson wasn't really on my radar, everyone kept saying how rad it was and that I'd love it. I also figured it was close enough to Rossland and after all, it is in the Kootenays as well.

 

After a chaotic move and relocation process, I finally got settled and was working at RGB for the past 8-9 months slanging goods. Dan who is part-owner and the manager at RGB, was also keeping an eye on RossVegas to help out his business partner who resides elsewhere and was the sole owner of RossVegas. I was heading off for a few weeks to visit family in July and Dan pulled me aside the day before I left asking me about possibly managing RossVegas Boardshop in Rossland when I got back. I only visited Rossland once during last winter, but I fell in love again, and so I told Dan I would get in touch with the owner and discuss options for RossVegas. The rest is history as they say, I've taken on ownership and the managerial responsibilities of RossVegas Boardshop. It is no longer associated with RGB which I felt was important in order for me to put my stamp on it and move forward with my plans. I'm super stoked on this opportunity and owe Dan a great deal for his support and what he has done for me, especially since we had never met prior to my first day of work at RGB...he's a super sweet dude. 

What are you hoping to get out of this new chapter in your life? 

Happiness, enjoyment of life...essentially surround myself with the things I love and people who have similar sentiments. I'm working harder than I probably ever have in my life, but I'm really enjoying it, and the community is amazing. I don't see myself going anywhere for some time, if ever! 

 

What are you hoping to be able to give?

I want to be a positive contributing member of society and help the culture of skateboarding and snowboarding grow, along with other businesses in the community, as well as the community itself. Red Mountain just completed a massive expansion and the town did itself last year with all new sidewalks and such. Its a growing community, and I want to give back as much as I can. The shop will also be a great tool in doing so as well, I've already got involved by making a few donations already. The shop has been here a long time and I have no plans on it going anywhere anytime soon, and giving back is key. The plans for a new outdoor skatepark in Rossland and Trail are positive things to come too, and should also help things move in a positive direction.

What is the general philosophy of the shop going to be? 

Community and customer service. I believe if you show people your passionate and positive about something, they feed off that. product knowledge is key too, and if all those things come together with great products, the business should grow and customers satisfied. 

All in all, I'm really happy to be living in Rossland and this opportunity. I got some ideas for things to come, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself just yet...check back in a year.

Thanks. 
Cashen

You can check out Rossvegas Boardshop on Facebook and the web and follow Dave's blog, Memoir of a Hollow Man, for more info!