It’s a simple idea, said Dan Quinn, born out of the love of snowboarding and the love of comedy.
The Snowed In Comedy Tour hits the stage at the Barking Parrot, Feb. 6, and you can bet Quinn, Arj Barker, Craig Campbell and Pete Johansson will have spent the better part of the day snowboarding at Apex Mountain before they hit the stage.
“Apex is awesome, great crew over there with James Shalman,” Quinn said.
“It’s a cool well-run hill.”
The Snowed In Comedy Tour had a single objective, said Quinn who hatched the plan six years ago.
“To get free snowboarding,” he said with a laugh.
“The original plan was to play ski-hill bars, go on a snowboarding vacation for a couple of weeks.
“I would ask for a hotel room and a lift pass and in return I would do a show.”
If tickets were sold, Quinn collected a few dollars.
Quinn wasn’t sure if anyone would show up, but show up they did.
From a first season with about eight or nine stops on his snowboarding vacation, Quinn booked 15 shows the following year.
This year, the tour lasts just over a month and includes 31 shows from Prince Rupert to Vancouver Island.
“There’s 27 cities and 26 days of snowboarding,” said Quinn.
Spending more than a month with three other guys isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but Quinn said the four comedians manage to keep everything fun.
“We all have big personalities, we all have big egos and don’t always agree on everything, but at the same time there is a lot of respect.
“We have two SUVs so you’re not always in the same vehicle with the same person all the time.”
As for performing with three comedians in the wing waiting for their turn, Quinn said there is no added pressure, rather the pressure comes with being last in the order.
“It’s funny because we all have our own careers separate from this., headlining their own shows and doing theatre tours,” said Quinn.
“Normally we all want to go last because that is the biggest pay.
“But here, nobody wants to go last because someone before you can just spank it and then you have to follow thinking, ah man they’re going to hate me.”
The show at the Barking Parrot begins at 8:30 p.m.