Ask Steven Nyman about skiing, and he'll tell you about life.

That's Nyman being Nyman, a hippie at heart who readily admits he should've been born in the '60s. The U.S. downhill skier is perpetually searching for the "inner-peace vibe," and he's always ready with a quip, an intuitive musing.

Like this one, when asked what's in store for the 27-year-old from Provo, Utah, once his skiing days are done: "The future holds what the future holds. I'm a guy who kind of flies by the seat of his pants. I don't like making plans. I see something, and I go after it."

Right now, that's a spot on the team bound for the Vancouver Games. But it won't be easy: The U.S. downhill team is stacked, and Nyman is still working his way back from surgery in August on both knees.

In this case, his easygoing nature works in his favor. He's not stressing about the situation, fretting over knees that are still tender and taking time to round back into shape.

He had a disappointing performance at Beaver Creek last weekend, finishing 31st in the downhill. This on a course that's typically been good to him, taking third in '06 and second the following season.

"A bummer," he said after his run.

With a shrug, he transformed back into his forward-thinking self.

"It's all a confidence-building thing, it's all mileage, time on skis and just getting things rolling," said Nyman, who's currently in Lake Louise, Alberta, to squeeze in extra races on the NorAm circuit, before rejoining the World Cup in Europe next week. "The more miles under my feet, the better I feel."

Nyman likes to think of himself as water, constantly flowing along, molding and adapting to each situation. His skiing follows a similar pattern.

"Nyman is a tremendous freeskier, a feeler _ feels the mountain, feels the snow," U.S. Ski Team men's coach Sasha Rearick said. "He competes very well on big-event days."

His knee surgeries are just a tiny ripple in the stream, another challenge as he tries to make his second Olympic squad.

"You control what you can control and hope for the best," said Nyman, who tied for 19th in the downhill at the Turin Games in 2006. "That's kind of what I've learned and roll through in life with."

Welcome to "Planet Provo." Population: Nyman.

He was given that nickname by his teammates for sometimes orbiting in his own little universe. Nyman's always attempting to find harmony within _ an "inner-peace vibe," as he likes to describe it.

So, what exactly does that mean?

"You feel the balance, the need, and you go after it," he explained. "It's hard to describe the inner-peace vibe."

Want to see his eyes light up?