Tom Bond

Born in Los Angeles, raised in Denver, and currently living in Brooklyn, Tom Bond has worked at our downtown store for the past year. He earned a Studio Art degree from the University of Colorado and spent time in London honing his fine art skills before moving to New York City in 2010. A passionate snowboarder with a collaborative spirit and mellow demeanor, Tom’s artwork and general aesthetic draw strong influence from growing up with easy access to both untouched natural environments and the rigors of city life.

Q: What do you like most about working at Blades?
Working with so many fun/interesting/supportive people at Blades, and those connected to Blades in one way or another. The last thing I thought I’d be doing when I came to New York was working at a snowboard shop; but I’ve been on the mountain since I was three, riding since I was nine, and Blades worked out perfectly. Being around snowboarding in particular has helped me stay connected to what I know and love from home.

Q: Who or what inspires you, and why?
So many things inspire me in some way… art, music, literature, nature, travel, exploration, history, humor, friends, family, strangers, conflicts, collaboration, conversation, new experiences and new adventures.

Q: What professional accomplishments are you most proud of, and why?
Just being able to find outlets for showing my artwork when I can, and getting generally positive responses from friends and strangers alike. I don’t know that I’ve accomplished a great deal “professionally” as of yet. I’m not quite sure what exactly designates someone as a “professional” anyway.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of work?
Making things and going places.

Q: What are your 3 favorite things about living/working in NYC?
I’ve met a lot of amazing people in New York. There’s always something interesting to do or see. Everyone is super driven and motivated, which is a good opponent for my natural inclination toward slacking off and general laziness.

Q: What does success mean to you?
Success for me would be whatever could allow me the freedom and funds to take off on haphazard adventures at any time, and the flexibility to create and accomplish things from anywhere.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t have a clue. Hopefully achieving some degree of the success as I’ve outlined above.

Q: If you could have dinner with 3 famous people (living or dead), who would you choose to dine with and why?
I didn’t have the best answer for this question, so I asked it to my girlfriend. She replied, without hesitation, “Abe Lincoln, OJ Simpson, and Rosa Parks just to give her a high five and say, ‘you go girl!’” OK, I’d go to that party. She later tried to extract OJ Simpson from her answer. After dinner maybe I’d have a drink with Tom Waits, Charles Bukowski, and Kerouac.

Q: If you could only be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
Everyone will have different memories of me, I’m sure. Hopefully they’re mostly good memories.

To learn more about Tom, please visit his website.