cold snap
andy
hetzel
Stats for Andy R. Hetzel, AKA Hetz:
Snowboarding: 13 years
Skateboarding: 15 years, mainly vert
and minis
Surfing: 8 summers and 2 winters
Snowboards: Squaw, Alpine, Snowbird,
Jackson, Baker
Skates: Encinitas YMCA vert and minis
with hips, pools
Teams: Lakers, Suns, Packers,
Red Wings
Sports: Surf, skate, golf, basketball,
rock climbing, moto
Sponsors: Lamar, Polo Sport, One Ball
Jay, NWS, Fishpaw, Vans
Skate Heroes: Chris Livingston, Tony
Hawk, Peter Hewitt, Staab, Miller, Joel
Ramo, Goodman, Dom
Shreddin' Buddies: TB, Tex, Romo, Farm,
Kerry Hill, Circe, KJ, Halapoff, Benny,
Ox, Brewer. I respect people for their
attitude, back country safety knowledge
and general wickedness on snow. All
my Tahoe friends: Rock, Ro, Nate,
Salaz, Chachi, Moran, Mike B, G-man,
Down the middle Dave, McKitter
Advice: I moved from AZ to CO with
my whole life in the back of my pick-
up, chasing a dream of snowboarding for a living, and it paid off. I encourage any-
body to follow your dreams; it may sound stupid, but whatever fool, go back to work.
I grew up in Tucson, AZ and panicked out as soon as I graduated high school. I learned
to skate in the "one hit" pool and then started skating vert and a little street, idol-
izing Steve Schneer. After high school I moved to Breckenridge, CO for 3 winters,
Salt Lake City for 3 winters, and then Encinitas for 2 winters, and I'd move to
San Diego every summer. Now I live in Tahoe City, CA full time. I have seen this
sport explode to the strange state it's at now. It's been fun.
What it all comes down to for me is riding powder with your friends. It's that sim-
ple. I love scaring myself doing sketchy lines and laughing out loud in the runout. It's not
about trade shows, ice, kicker contests with flat landings, boilerplate, people who
claim pow when it's dust on crust or traveling too much. It's about getting first chair
on a pow day at your home mountain, Scottie Pippen in the trees or secret pow stash-
es. In all my years freeriding and competing, the friends I have made along the way
are my greatest rewards. Hello, Circe! I love ya. -Andy Hetzel
114 THRASHER
J
Clockwise from left: Andy gets back to work with a backside blaster in the Squaw
snowcone. Balanced on the thin edge of an Andrecht, Hetzel ponders the rewards of
inversion. This stalefish at the Encinitas YMCA requires no refrigeration. If you take a
snowmobile up to the top and then snowboard down, getting killed by an avalanche
in the process, would the abandoned snowmobile eventually biodegrade? If you were
to try this line and fell, how many times would you tumble end over end till gravity
releases you from its pull or perhaps even from life itself? All photos Sedway.