​My name is Chris Magoon. I grew up in northern Connecticut and the woods of Vermont. I’m an engineer, artist, longboarder, and videographer... Really, I just love to make things, whether I’m working on a CNC lathe to make parts for a new camera rig, hand carving a custom longboard form, or editing a new video from footage of a day's adventure.

I like to understand how the things that I use work, and to figure out if I can make them better. I won’t stop designing, building, and testing until I’ve created something I’m truly proud of.

My work experience in mechanical engineering goes far beyond the realm of offices and CAD design - fabricating prototypes in machine shops, assembling and troubleshooting equipment on production floors, and testing biomedical devices in a laboratory. Since graduating Dartmouth, I’ve worked as an engineer to develop products in in robotics, biomedical and manufacturing fields. 

After moving to New Zealand in mid 2018, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying all that this amazing country has to offer. Based in Rotorua, I’ve been windsurfing on lakes and harbors, riding waves along the beautiful coastline, freediving in the clear rivers and lakes, and tramping through the rugged backcountry. 

Life Outdoors

I grew up roaming the woods, streams, and oceans of New England. Winter brings skiing, whether its on groomed nordic tracks or trekking through the backcountry on AT gear. In the summer I love to swim in cold clear streams, explore new swimming holes, and canoe around peaceful lakes and rivers. I am an avid longboarder, and love to explore new roads or relax for an afternoon session on a local hill. In my hikes and skis through the woods, I am always in search of new trees to climb, seeking out tall hemlocks, pines, and maples for a spectacular view. No matter the season, I'm always finding new places to explore outside.

Videography

I've been holding cameras on the end of a pole long before anyone called it a "selfie stick". I design, build, and use custom camera rigs to film all my outdoor adventures in new and exciting ways. I've filmed myself and my friends jumping into amazing swimming holes, longboarding on spectacular hills, skiing through trees, and swimming down rivers. My camera work has been featured by GoPro, shared by the Thayer School of Engineering for promotions, and used by student engineering teams. 
You can find all my videos on YouTube at:

Art

Art has always been a part of my life and has helped to balance and add to my engineering experience. I see my work in art and engineering as very much connected. ​At Dartmouth College, I took 7 studio art classes in drawing, sculpture, architecture and printmaking. In high school I worked extensively with ceramics and experimented with environmental installation art. An eye for form and design plays a huge role in my engineering and prototyping work, and my skills sketching and drawing are powerful tools in conveying design concepts and in ideation and brainstorming. 

Teaching

Teaching has been a huge part of my work at Thayer School. I've taught students how to use shop equipment, introduced classes to SolidWorks, HSM Works, and SketchUp, guided student groups through projects, and even taught students how to make longboards. As a Shop Instructor, I was an advisor to 8 student teams in 2 different design classes in addition to assisting students and TA's working in the Machine Shop. As Design Fellow, I worked with professors in Solid Mechanics and Product Design to develop and teach new and improved SolidWorks tutorials. I've worked as a Teaching Assistant for 7 terms and 4 different design classes.  I worked as project director for Thayer School's Design It Build It summer camp for two summers, and taught a dozen students how to build their own longboards.  I've also helped out at numerous STEM events for prospective engineering students. 

Longboards

I've been designing, building, and riding longboards for over 7 years. I've made dozens of boards, fine tuning design elements and pushing the limits of what is possible in longboard construction. I love to ride, whether its tackling technical freeride terrain, flying down big hills, or just cruising around campus. Longboarding brings together all of my passions, engineering and art in boards, filming riding with my custom camera gear, and enjoying life outside.