Josh Mills grew up in a place where most active youth turn into freestyle motocross riders, pro wakeboarders with really cool nicknames or bmx dirt jumpers. Somehow, thankfully, he found snowboarding. He honed his skills at nearby Bear Mountain and over time became one of the fixtures of The Park, a face you could always expect to see in the crowded lift lines. Some argue that Josh is the king of nosepresses, while others say we have yet to see the best from him. This is what he had to say.

Happy little camper filming for People

These days you don't really have a home, you live a very nomadic and almost reclusive lifestyle. How do you make that work?
Well, I have been blessed with some amazing friends who let me sleep on their couches. It gets old sometimes but for the most part it's a good time.

I know you filmed with Skeleton Crew and the People video this year. What can we expect to see out of your parts?

I wouldn't expect much, this year was not very good for me. Starting to sound like a broken record...

Mills presses one out something proper

Your clips in the teaser for "Nice Try" are pretty epic. How was your experience in the Life Flight heli? What's the story behind that?
Well, that was not a fun experience. I fell on a jump that was basically dust on crust, thought I had broken my back. I lost feeling in my body for a bit so we called Life Flight. It sucked.
Wham-o!

Besides the Life Flight you also blew your knee out this year. I heard you did it while helping a less experienced snowmobile rider get a broken sled out of the backcountry. Seems like some bad luck. How did it really happen, and how is the road to recovery?
We were in Montana and one of the new guys crashed his sled into a tree, breaking the right ski off. After riding all day and building a couple of jumps we went to get the sled out, and since I had more experience riding a sled I was on the broken one. You pretty much had to lean the sled to one side so the broken ski was totally off the ground. We might have been a 1/2 mile from the hotel when it took a quick turn, I stepped off, my knee hyperextended and I tore my ACL and MCL. Really awesome...
Mills sends it into the marshmallow fields, FS3 stale

Since so much of this season was spent on the sidelines, any plans on some redemption for next year?
I'm just going to snowboard.

Is your knee getting in the way of your summer fun? How are you staying busy this summer? Any surfing trips planned?
I have been surfing and biking a lot. I also did a trip to Wyoming to hang on a ranch and ride horses.

Lastly, I really need to know, what would your wakeboarder nickname be if you were a wakeboarder? And, do you hang out with the Metal Mulisha when you are back home?
I have no idea and no, I don't hang with the Metal Mulisha.
Free piggy back rides!

Thanks a lot for doing this buddy. We will have to make some plans to shoot this winter up in Tahoe, you're welcome at the house whenever your nomadic ways bring you to these parts. Oh, I almost forgot to add the required sponsor question, what companies are supporting you and who would you like to thank?
Nitro, L1, Raiden, Comune, Active ride shop, Ashbury, Volcano Cones and Cobra Dogs.

Interview by Andres Quintana

Portrait by Laura Austin

Video grabs from "Down With People" by People Creative