Anthony Boronowski doesn’t need much of an introduction. As one of the founding Armada shreds, Anthony laid it down to “Blue Collar Man” in Session 1242, and has had a cult following ever since. One of the first skiers to spin both ways and the first to take that diversity to the backcountry, Anthony has been pushing the sport from all angles throughout his career. Whether as a backcountry slayer, founder of skiing’s first arthouse brand, Joystick, a practiced painter, film producer, and aficionado of pictures of bicycles, Anthony has always redefined what it means to be a skier.

Thanks to the e-communication powers of the internet, we were able to sit down with Anthony to talk about the big moves he’s been making recently.

photo: Jason Eichorst

BroBomb: So you just made the move to Surface.  What prompted that?

Anthony: There were a lot of things which went into this move. I’ve always been a fan of Surface, and at this point everything seemed to fit. Surface is doing great things, what they were doing with their brand and how they approach skiing resonated with me and I wanted to be a part of that.

Was this something you’d been thinking about since the Hot Lunch days?

Not really, when we filmed Hot Lunch I was really content with Armada.

How did you leave it with Armada?

It’s good. I rode for Armada for a long time and we’re all friends. There’s no hard feelings.

What level of involvement are you going to have with Surface?

I’m doing 2 signature design skis for them. They’ll be released at SIA in the end of January, and on the shelves next September. Aside from skiing, I’ll be involved in ski design and direction. At this point I’m just starting with them, and since its a young brand who’s open to new ideas I’m sure I’ll be involved on many levels. I’m just not sure which ones yet.

Will we be seeing as much of your artwork on Surface product as we did at Armada?

I would say more.

Now that you’ve moved to Surface, where do you see them fitting in among the growing number of independent brands?

I don’t really see Surface as fitting in among the other young brands out there. I think they’re making better skis, with a better direction. They have the people to make the brand a major player in the industry, and are putting the pieces in place to do so.

Does the move to Surface feel like changing to a much smaller company after Armada?

Yes and no. Armada is really much smaller than many people envision, there’s a few core people who make things happen and that’s all there with Surface so that feels the same. In terms of recognition of the brand, like people on the hill and such, it feels much smaller. Surface is still gaining recognition with the common skier.

Outside of Surface and Joystick, who else are you skiing for this year?

Under Armour, Full Tilt Boots, Whistler/Blackcomb, Evo.

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