Blake Nyman is a fixture in the Nimbus videos and webisodes. He recently took some time away from filming all forms of slashes, nose butters, and pow turns with the homies to catch up on his roadbiking and sightseeing in the Big Apple. Twitter tells us he’s headed back to snowy Oregon with Banks Gilberti, but he still found time to recommend some books to expand your tiny minds.

Have you ever read on the ski lift?

Kinda sorta…does my phone count?  Associated Press, NPR, Twitter, etc.  I find myself perusing those types of quick fixes on the lift, but I don’t think I’ve ever consciously pursued a novel.  I think I’m too much of  a wuss to ski by myself most days, so maybe if I toughed it up I could get some solid multitasking in.  Or I could make a sweet little book holder to put on the front of my snowmobile.  I’ve always thought that someone could get a pretty solid education if they used the time on the lift for scholastic endeavors.  There are definitely some skiers that should take that suggestion seriously.

Do you own a Kindle, Nook, or e-reader of any sort?

No, played around with one the other day.  I think I’m on the fence.  As far as gettin’ your read on on the lift, I think they’ve got a ways to go before we’re a target demographic of the e-reader companies.  Can’t beat the ol’ page and ink though– the smell, the feel, the weight, the look.  Nothing against the wave of the future, but I’ve got a solid appreciation for the tried and true methods of the past: books, magazines, photos, paintings, etc.  All the mediums you actually look at and feel in person as opposed to through some digital screen.  But I’m not trying to have that debate about which is better, they all have their place.

Filming with Nimbus seems to involve lots of travel, what are your top 3 travel books, magazines, and/or blogs?

We spend a ton of time in our cars on the road, so I’m starting to stack up a nice collection of books on tape…or mp3, whatever you want to call it.  Went through a couple Malcolm Gladwell books this year; The Tipping Point and Outliers.  I’ve become a pretty big fan of his over the past bit.  His stuff reads like a text book, but that guy has crazy amounts of knowledge and different perspectives, so it keeps me interested.  Also recently finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy (a lot better than the movie) and my inner hipster always loves some Chuck Palahnuik.  A little nervous to start turning the pages on my next read, Paradise Lost, which was first published in 1667 by John Milton.  I hear it can be a doozy and make the head spin.  As for blogs, I’ve subscribed to too many to list.  I’ll gladly plug my own blog and then you can see a list of my time burglars and take a gander from there: www.blakenyman.com

Who is the resident literary scholar of the Nimbus crew?

I’d have to say Pep.  Don’t know if he quite hits bookworm status, but he’s up there.  Usually has some pretty good info to share from some books he’s read or reading.

I hear you’ve been holed up in New York City for a little while. Give us a top 5 books about New York, or just books you’re planning to read in NY.

Sex and the City!  Hands down.  Supplemented with Vogue and US Weekly.  Quality literature right there.  Jokes, definite jokes, have to clarify.  No, but there are some pretty rad novels that take place in New York– classics like Catcher in the Rye, The Alienist, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Great Gatsby, American Psycho, The Age of Innocence.  Can’t say I’ve read them all, but I’ve tackled a few and definitely plan on eventually making my way through all of them.  People are always reading on the subway, so you come across some pretty funny and interesting titles.  If I come across anymore solid suggestions I’ll definitely make note, but to end this, an all time favorite of mine is Jonathan Livingston Seagull.  A bit under the radar, but find it and read it if you haven’t already.  It only takes about 30 minutes, but it will be 30 minutes you’ll be pumped on.

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.

How did you see skiing change last season?

I’d say double corks are the most obvious change in skiing this last season. Seems like it’s the standard for either slope or pipe riders who want to be competitive.

How do you see skiing moving along this season?

Moving along, I guess I see skiing in natural terrain. After watching the Red Bull Linecatcher I’m sure this will be taken to whole new levels this year.

What’s going on in skiing right now that you are most excited about?

Max Hill

Good choice. Anything that you might wish was happening differently?

Not really. I think skiing is in a good place.

What are your plans for this winter?

Shooting with Nimbus, doing some backcountry contests. Really trying to focus on working with Nimbus.

Do you see yourself putting together another film with the Hot Lunch/Joystick crew?

Sure, I would love to. It just depends on a lot of logistics and variables, but it would be something I’m into.

What was the story behind the minivan you guys drove (in Hot Lunch)?

It was actually Blake’s parents van. That’s about it… We needed a van, and it worked out.

How did you find all those guys?  I had never heard of Jordan, Blake, or Paco before Hot Lunch.

Just friends, I wouldn’t really say I found them, just that we came together to do something…

Does Paco speak any English?

A little. More french than I speak.

What was your favorite ski movie that came out this year, and your favorite webisode series?

I liked Contrast, and I like Chug Life. I watch every episode.

Congratulations on the new Joystick site; I thought it came out really well.  How hard was it to teach yourself to make a web site?

It was really tedious. But something I’m glad I learned how to code. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. It took way longer than I expected.

How are things going with Joystick?

Good. I actually just sold the business to the owners of Surface Skis, so it’s an exciting time for Joystick. Big things in the future.

How does running Joystick fit in with your shred schedule?

It’s a lot of work. The hardest part is trying to find a balance, which is hard. Ultimately, it’s really hard to do both well.

Is there going to be much collaboration between Joystick and Surface?

I’d assume so. Both of the brands are in a similar position, and it would seem natural.

There is a lot of inter-boardsport dating going on in professional skiing right now.  Chris Benchetler is dating Kimmy Fasani, Eric Pollard’s wife Erin is a snowboarder, and you are dating Spencer O’Brien.  What’s it like being intimate with The Other Side?

It’s like any other relationship, except my girl has a great job and we understand what it takes to be a professional athlete.

What’s the Vancouver scene like these days?

Good. I’m not there so much but I think it’s good.

Are the Olympics getting in the way of the pro shred scene up at Whistler at all?

Yeah, it’s hard right now. A lot of snowmobile spots are shut down and the whole area is really busy. I’m not really planning on spending too much time in Whistler this year.

Matt Barber just started a series on BroBomb called Know Your Roots.  When you were on the up and up, who were your favorite skiers to watch?

JP Auclair and Julien Regnier.