Nicky Vee killed it last season, so we hunted the Tahoe mad dawg down and picked his brain about hitting gnarly rails, juggling studies, skating and snowboarding. This kid RIPS.

Hey Nick, what’s happening, how is your summer going?
My summer is in motion! What used to be the off-season has fully turned into the on-season. Snowboarding and winter has fully transformed into the time I can escape our modern “virtual” reality and just exist in my element.


How are you spending your summer months?
After I finished snowboarding at the end of May, I took off on a skate trip to San Francisco. That led straight into rediscovering my childhood with a family trip to Disneyland. Soon after, the magic of Disney’s Matterhorn Mountain quickly became the majestic reality of Switzerland’s Matterhorn Mountain. Curtis Woodman, Brent Oftedal and I were blessed with a trip to Les2Alpes for a week to support the Japan relief fundraiser contest KumiYama. Unfortunately that ended with way too many crepes, so we flew back to Windells to burn off those delectable treats. Snowboarding, skateboarding and a ThinkThank Ransack Rebellion sneak peak premiere were the highlights, but there was nothing better than poking fun at all the campers with “summer love” problems. But that too ended and a new adventure to Los Angeles emerged. Surfing and late-night beach conversations were infused with traffic and photo shoots. Alas, now I am back in Truckee preparing my thesis project to graduate college this fall. “How am I spending my summer months," you ask? Fully equipped with my HD mind-recorder and spending my summer in fast motion!

Are you itching to get back on the board?
Depends on what board you're speaking of... Skateboard? I never got off… I am doing this interview from my iPhone. Surfboard? I am still itching from the chest rash from rotten wax and the failed attempts of catching waves. Snowboard? No, I’m not itching; however I am very excited.
How was your last season?
Last season was raw. It was undoubtedly the gnarliest season of my life and I don’t say that lightly. Through the depths of a month and a half episode of meningitis, to the heights of the Sierra Nevada mountain peaks, this year was more black and white than Michael Jackson’s hit single. But nonetheless, God blessed me immensely. I rocked and rolled with Tim Eddy, Jason Robinson, Curtis Woodman and we shredded every nook, crannie and tranny in Tahoe: we ransacked the place.

How was it filming with the ThinkThank crew?
Filming with the ThinkThank crew is hard to describe. Let me say this short and sweet, in three words: Create. Pillage. Destroy.

Have you seen your part yet? If so, are you satisfied?
Yes, I have. It truly is the part I have been trying to film since I started snowboarding. I am very thankful for Jesse Burtner’s creative decisions with song choices and editing my part. The final product is not only a badass memoir of my season, but will hopefully inspire all snowboarders to believe that their imagination is tangible.

Your first sponsor me tape was pretty rad and helped you get hooked up, was this part of your master plan?
Haha, mine? No, pretty sure it was a part of God’s master plan.

You shred some gnarly shit, what do you mumble to yourself before dropping in?
It’s a strange combination between some club banger lyrics and a quick prayer.

How many beat downs do you take before you give up?
I’m sorry I don’t understand. What is, what was it you said… "giving up"?

Have you any unfinished business or demons to slay from the previous winter?
This is starting to sound like a script for a horror film. Let me play the part. On the eve, the demons have been slayed. But my time is being spent in the fire, forging a new set of armor and a double-edged sword because the full moon is almost upon us, again.

Are you a skateboarder that snowboards or a snowboarder that skates?
Neither. I’m just a boarder.

Describe Dangerzone.
Dangerzone is…
For the industry: a challenge to be true to the passion and roots of snowboarding.
For viewers: a thematic glimpse of snowboarding’s lost creativity and individuality.
For sponsors: an online marketing tool.
For me: a 20-episode platform to speak to snowboarders.

How do you manage to study, do your video series and film a full part, all in one season?
The main issue with the snowboard industry is it expects too little.

Do you think it’s important to have other interest besides snowboarding?
Snowboarding is something I do, it's not who I am. I think it’s extremely important to be saturated with all genres of life. Life is so beautiful and such a gift, why settle for only snowboarding?

Describe your style in a sentence?
Mine.

Do you think your snowboard pants restrict your riding?
Do Wranglers restrict cowboys?

What are the best three things about riding in tight Sessions jeans?
1. I don’t have to change after riding.
2. Snowboarding doesn’t feel like as much as a mission to do.
3. You can see the wet marks of previous falls. We don’t stomp everything first try.

Name five things that you love about Tahoe?
1. My family and friends are here.
2. It’s close to San Francisco for skateboarding.
3. You can snowboard in jeans.
4. It’s beautiful.
5. It’s home.

You are predominantly a rail rider or do you ever get out in the fluffy stuff?
I hope that’s not a sexual innuendo. Yea, watch ThinkThank's Ransack Rebellion, you will see.


What is the dirtiest shit that happened in your hot-tub?
My parents are going to read this and it’s their hot-tub.

Have you any ludicrous plans for next winter?
I just have ludicrous plans for life.