Words by Kevin Brooker

MANY A TALENTED SKIER has dreamt of making a living at the sport he loves, but it’s a notoriously tough road to follow. That’s no different for Andy Mahre, of course, but in his case, genetic destiny played a huge role. Andy is the son of Steve Mahre, who along with his twin brother, Phil, put U.S. ski racing on the World Cup map with a combined 90 podium finishes. The twins’ crowning moment came at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, finishing one-two in slalom.

Six months later, Andy was born. On skis by the age of two, he grew up much like his famous father and uncle: ripping up the slopes of Washington’s White Pass Ski Area, where grandfather Dave, the patriarch, was General Manager for three decades. “I ski raced for a while, and did OK,” Andy recalls, “but it was way more fun to  go build a jump or drop a cliff.” By then, the early 90s, freeriding was already being seen as the future of the sport. “The walls in my bedroom were plastered with shots of Glen Plake, Doug Coombs, Mike Hattrup, all those great skiers. Little did I know I would eventually get to meet them all. That’s been a great bonus.”

From that point, Andy’s path to becoming a freeskiing professional was similar to that of many others. He went to Mammoth Mountain for a while in search of a longer season, working nights and skiing all day. Eventually, some local filmers put him onscreen,  and the dream was fully ignited. “At the time you were starting to see guys like Shane McConkey and, obviously, Seth Morrison, who were able to be full-time professional skiers who actually made a decent living.”

Andy credits his main sponsor, K2 skis—the same brand Steve and Phil rode to fame in the 1980s—as being the bedrock of his year-round ski life. “I’ve spent every summer since I was 15 up at Mt. Hood in Oregon, skiing on the glaciers and working out of the K2 Demonstration facility.”In winter, Andy spends a lot of time on skins exploring the sweet lines in what is still his home area, White Pass and the foothills of towering Mt. Rainier. But film assignments are increasingly taking up his time.

“This year I’ll wind up with about 15 days Heli-Skiing, which is pretty nice. I’m definitely a lucky guy. Sure, it can be tough work. You’re out there, the camera’s rolling, and you more or less just go for it in some pretty wild situations.” On the other hand, a pro skier can often find himself in the tame confines of a ski show, helping sell product, something Andy has no problem doing. “It’s all part of the game.”

Though he doesn’t want to brag, “I do tell my friends back home how killer it is up here at CMH. But my buddy called today and said, ‘Dude you missed out, it was epic pow all week.’ Really? So I just asked him, ‘How was the chair ride?’”