//BREAKS// Snow must get dangerous?
//NV// Yeah, when you are riding in the back country or riding in powder, you know there’s like all different types of things, you have to be aware of constantly.
//BREAKS// So….
//NV//Are we doing the interview right now?
//BREAKS// Yeah we’re just talking.
//NV// Ahahaha
//BREAKS// This your first time in Venice?
//NV// No, I grew up in Northern California, so I’ve spent quite a bit of time down here. Ever since I’ve been working with Arbor, I definitely been spending more time down here in Venice. It’s rad because I’m a pretty eccentric soul. I love Venice, how individual everyone is. There’s not a set type of persona that everyone tries to emulate. Everyone’s kind of doing their thing and being independent and experiencing themselves on exactly who they are created to be. I think that’s rad, and you can connect with a lot of people based on that level. Oh, you might not enjoy the same things or not be the exact same person or be involved in the same activities, but because you guys are both genuine characters, you’re able to connect on a level of genuinety and I think that’s rad.
//BREAKS// Where did you grow up?
//NV// I grew up right outside of San Francisco and actually grew up skateboarding but my Dad was just a total snow bro and came from a ski bum lifestyle, but then started doing real estate in the Bay area.. So he would always take me up when I was 1 ½ years old. I was the youngest person at Kirkwood ever. I had found that same passion that my Dad had. I had the desire when I was sixteen to start driving up and do day trips to the snow because I lived three hours away from the snow, the mountains, the beauty, and just the way His glory fills the land, just really captivated me, and I was really able to connect to God in that type of environment, and it just inspired my kind of lifestyle, and before you know it, I’m riding professionally.
//BREAKS// Has it always been your dream to be pro?
//NV// I’ve been definitely blessed with a certain ability level and that carried over into board sports or in action sports. But honestly, I’ve just been doing it for the adrenaline rush, and so…oh I need to hit that bigger jump or I need to jump off that bigger cliff, and that’s not cutting it and until finally I’m able to make a career out of it. The goal was to be inspired by nature and fill my little adrenaline junkie spirit.
//BREAKS// When you say God, are you pretty religious?
//NV// Not religious at all! I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and when I open my eyes every morning, the heavens and creations screams His glory so I can’t deny God and so… JESUS man!
//BREAKS// Absolutely, in scary situations having God helps.
//NV// I think in any situation whether it be a complete blessing or in a dark spot, having God by your side definitely allows you to have hope and be thankful so it connects your spirit to what’s
happening around you.
//BREAKS// How do you cut out fear?
//NV// I think the possibility of failure drives everybody. You know, if you are an action sports athlete or if you’re a regular sports athlete, the possibility to lose or if you do lose, you want to get up and conquer. You want to re-develop and re-define the move you were trying or whatever trick it was or that feature. If it takes you down, I think we are built a little with a bit of cockiness that says “no fuckin’ way”. You know, there is something in us all to continue to rise above especially in action sports, to conquer. If you look at civilization and history, we are all the same. We want to explore and to create and conquer. So I guess that mind set applies to any lifestyle that you’re involved in and or sports that you participate in.
//BREAKS// Are you currently competing consistently?
//NV// I prefer not to compete too much. I think of snowboarding as an art form and a way to express who I am as a person. When you start competing, I think you start allowing people to look at you and judge you and score you, and I would just prefer to keep it as me just giving something to the world rather than people taking away something from me.
//BREAKS// It’s not so much about the trophy? It’s your lifestyle?
//NV// I think lifestyle is extremely important! We all choose one. The majority of the public chooses lifestyles for different reasons than individual stimulation so whether it is snowboarding that inspires me now or something else completely different at that point in my life. I want my lifestyle to resemble what I’m inspired and passionate about. Right now that happens to be snow and skate, and beautiful ladies!
//BREAKS// Hell yeah! Beautiful ladies!
//NV// Hell yeah!
//BREAKS// Who are your current sponsors?
//NV// ARBOR, VON ZIPPER, BOARDERS TAHOE, TAHOE DANGERZONE, and WINDELL’S
//BREAKS// Last shoot outs?
//NV// Def, wake up every morning and open my eyes, and I want to thank Jesus first and foremost and my family for presenting the opportunity to get me involved in snowboarding in the first place and my friends that continually keep inspiring me and keep me passionate about what I’m doing. Thank school for stimulating my mind so that I may use my brains to be expressive and creative in snowboarding. And thanks Savannah for getting me my deals and um.. yeah!
