David Griff grew up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. His passion for the sport came from his father Ben, who was an avid supporter of Alpine ski racing in Australia. His family skied at Thredbo regularly from the early ‘60s.

A Thredbo Ski Racing Club affiliate, Griff made his debut on the elite international scene at the 1974 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in St Moritz, Switzerland. Two years later he achieved Olympic selection with the Australian Alpine team and competed in the 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games. He placed 22nd in the Downhill and also competed in the Slalom.

Along with Kim Clifford and Rob McIntyre, his alpine skiing was greatly influenced by long-term coach Martin Kerscher, from Kitzbühel, Austria. David raced on the World Cup circuit up until 1981, achieving an 8th place in the 1977 Downhill event at Heavenly Valley, USA, as his best career result.

After his retirement from ski racing Griff lived and worked in Kitzbühel, occasionally working as a ski instructor in Thredbo. He then moved back to Australia and went on to have a landscape business in Sydney.