Others might even become ‘your favorite’ for a while.
But deep down you know there’s that one band, whose music is printed on your very soul.
For me and countless others, the skiing equivalent of that band is Eric Pollard.
What do you think of the path skiing has taken and is on now?
I grew up ski racing, and I loved it.
More than anything, I wanted to ski backwards without catching my tails.
But even though I wanted them, twin tips didn’t exist.
It was an industry entirely controlled by individuals from other genres of skiing.
I do believe that has changed.
Today, kids have their choice of many different kinds of twin and powder skis.
Ive been asked many times if I knew I wanted to be a professional skier growing up.
Skiing has changed A LOT.
What does skiing mean to you and what inspires you to ski your way?
To me skiing is fun.
Growing up, snowboarding and surfing were at the heart of what inspired me to ski a different way.
A couple of skiers named Griffin and Josh were massive inspirations.
You have to be patient, and motivated to want to have a go at film skiing.
A normal day riding you might get something like eight laps, while filming you would only get two.
Then I wait for light, and I hit it.
To be a professional skier, you have to be on the move near constantly.
Youre also constantly taking risks.
How hard is it to keep up that lifestyle when you have a wife and a child back home?
I gauge risk differently to how I once did.
How hard was the road back from that injury?
Are you 100% recovered?
I use a brace to walk, or do anything for that matter.
That injury was life changing.
I had so many medical tests done, so many visits to specialists, its been terrible.
I dont wish it on anyone, and yet, its a part of skiing.
And putting your foot back into a boot with paralyzed toes is very difficult.
Thats insane, nobody would guess youre going through that from watching After The Sky Falls.
Its clear that you put just as much focus on creativity outside your skiing as you do in it.
Have you always been into art, or did that come around as a result of designing ski graphics?
Ive always had an interest in art.
I grew up surrounded by it, and my family always exposed me to different kinds.
But for me, most everything I have created was out of some kind of necessity.
I loved skiing, actually I was totally obsessed with skiing, not art, but skiing.
I never considered myself particularly gifted when it came to drawing.
I just wanted to make skis look better, so I began doing it myself.
When I was in high school, I made the first ski graphic that spanned from ski to ski.
Ive been diving into more and more graphic projects ever since.
I love it, its super rewarding.
I love trying different mediums.
I recently finished creating an entire 200 page book for our movie, After The Sky Falls.
I plan to work with ceramics next.
How much time do you spend in the studio painting?
Ive just never had much time to dedicate to painting, and painting really requires time.
I think I average 2 to 3 weeks a year to put together a series.
How did you get into that and what do you think is next?
Jason Levinthal is a visionary, hes absolutely incredible.
Those kinds of moves just were not possible once upon a time.
The skis were very limiting.
That was my jump off into ski design.
It was very different, and took a lot of convincing, but it worked.
He glued two park cores together and pressed the very first 130 waist.
It was like night and day.
Skiing powder on a ski wider than your boot changed what was possible.
I got a lot of shit from other skiers like Seth Morrison and other established skiers of the day.
They thought it was ridiculous, and talked a lot of shit.
What is next depends on who you ask, and who it is for.
Personally I want to continue to create skis that allow skiers to do whatever they dream up.
Clearly you are constantly prototyping.
How often do you actually get to ride the stock models of your skis?
Stock Magnum Opus, Mordecai and Sir Francis Bacons all year this year.
Today, its different.
How long does a feature-length piece like that take to put together?
Quite a long time.
I havent kept track of the hours or days or weeks or even months.
It was something in the ballpark of 10 months post production for me.
Thats incredible to hear you say.
I had worked with Iberg before, and he approached Andy Mahre about making a film.
Iberg was the best person I could have worked with at that time.
I like to think of Idea as Pep, Andy, Chris and my first album.
I had put so many years of notes and concepts into that film.
What happened to allow you to explore almost an entirely new perspective?
Each of us had just grown up as different skiers.
We had a very contrasting style of skiing.
It was just a matter of working together to create an entire direction that showcased our approach to skiing.
Was the success of Idea the catalyst for your own film making, and the growth of Nimbus Independent?
We had a super good thing going, just doing our own thing, contributing to other ski films.
But we wanted more creative freedom.
Any ideas on what comes next for Nimbus?
Will you be shooting a new feature length over the coming season/seasons?
Like music, Its difficult to keep a band together, people evolve and want to make different music.
Its been a labor of love.
True to the kind of skiing we do.
They dont make race skis, they are more authentic and genuine than any other brand in the sport.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/773312/Eric-Pollard-Timberline-Park-Laps
Ive got to ask purely because I loved it.
Your park laps clip from a couple of years back (above) was a massive hit.
How often do you still take a few laps through the park?
Will we ever see park shots of you again?
I havent skied park very often the last decade.
I became pretty much obsessed with natural terrain.
I feel kind of like Im turning around gates in some ways when I ride park.
All one can do to define their creativity is based on style and spins.
I guess I just feel a little restricted in the park.
However, that doesnt mean that I dont still love SKIING park.
Its too much fun, and I encourage everyone to get in the park a bit.
The last healthy park skiing I did was actually probably the laps you watched.
My nerves just go crazy, and it doesnt feel right.
I loved that aspect of building features and hitting them.
Its too much fun to rally with your friends, I love it.
In more general terms, whats next for Eric Pollard?
I dont know yet.
