FIS?
sn
BRIAN
SIZER
GOOD RIDING PARTNERS ARE HARD TO FIND.
They can dig you out of an avalanche or simply get you out of bed and
onto the mountain. You will definitely ride more and challenge yourself
more with someone pushing their own abilities alongside you day in and
day out. I rode with Brian Sizer for over 100 days this past season, so I'll
tell you a little about him. He has solid snowboarding and skateboard-
ing skills that come from more than
a decade of dedication to these
sports. From what I know of Sizer he
has never been concerned with
sponsors or the spotlight, because he
does what he does for the pure joy
and challenge of it.
I KNOW SNOWBOARDING AND SKATEBOARDING
GO HAND IN HAND WITH YOU. TELL ME A LITTLE
ABOUT YOUR ROOTS IN THESE TWO SPORTS.
Well, I started off in New Mexico, with lots
of good terrain for snowboarding and skating.
New Mexico pretty much ruled. Then I got
shipped out to the East Coast when I was 17.
There I hooked up with the surf and skate army
led by Sid Abbruzzi (owner of Water Bros Surf
& Skate). Newport, RI has deep roots in snow-
boarding; it was invented there by Steve.
Derrah. Unfortunately I had to move out West
every year to ride powder, so now that con-
crete parks have popped up all around Tahoe
I've become a permanent resident of Truckee.
The snow is pretty damn good too.
WHAT'S IT LIKE LIVING IN TAHOE FOR YOU, AND
HOW DO YOU FILL YOUR TIME?
The Tahoe/Truckee area is the best, and my
girlfriend, my dogs, and my neighbors make it even better. Time is spent skating, snurfing,
working in the yard, 4x4ing, BMXing, dog walking, chilling, shoveling snow, going to school,
and working as little as possible.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS AROUND THIS AREA?
The middle school, Yuba, Skeeno, South Lake, and Carson are some good areas to
skate. I ride at Squaw, Sugarbowl, the Summit, Sonora, and some other spots I can't
talk about.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE '98/'99 WINTER SEASON, AND WHERE WILL YOU BE?
My plans consist of finding as much steep powder as possible. It's going to be hard
to match the '97/'98 winter in Tahoe, so I'm going to be prepared to travel. A surf trip
to someplace warm with my girlfriend is also in order.
I KNOW THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO YOU, SO GO AHEAD.
What's up to: Carol, Tahoe, Bailey, Mom, Taff, Betty and Russ, the whole north-
woods compound, the Water Bros family, the Ernesto crew, my boys hanging tuff in
Summit County and Crested Butte, the Sandia Peak/Santa Fe OGs, and the Santa
Cruz WB branch. KB RIP. -Nathan Avila
ABOVE: Stinkbug hip-snapper in a park with
no lift lines. LEFT: Stand up 5-0 on the pool-
coping at Kevin Jones' new mini ramp in
Truckee. BELOW: Brian and his dogs moments
before being washed away by the Truckee river
flood of '98. OPPOSITE PAGE: Watch out
Icarus, that sun is hot! Castle Peak, Tahoe.
114 THRASHER