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Andy Mahre
Perhaps one of the nicest guys in the ski biz, Andy Mahre is a ripper who’s smoother than Exlax and sports an unbelievable lineage (his father and uncle are both Olympic medalists). Just coming off a broken back, he’s as keen as ever and has been spending most of his recovery time riding mountain bikes, motocrossing and wakeboarding. The road to recovery sounds rough.
SKIER caught up with Mahre at the Toronto Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show and sat down for a grueling interrogation over—what else?—a couple Molson Canadians.
How are you getting over this injury?
I’m actually doing pretty well; I can go 100 per cent at mountain biking and wakeboarding, so it’s just a matter of skiing again, and seeing what feels good and what hurts. For the most part I’ll be ready to go.
When did you get the idea to start skiing poleless?
Not sure what year it was. A couple years ago at Parkasaurus, I was using 36-inch poles and switched down to 32-inch poles. I wasn’t using my poles anyway, so I might as well have the smallest ones. I was skiing with those, and it was like I had nothing in my hands. I went back home and got my first pair of Maidens and decided to ski every run on my mountain switch, and I was like, Well, poles aren’t going to do any good. So I dropped them for that and started just having a lot of fun.
Are people slagging you for it?
Not really. Nobody will ever come to me and say, “You need to use poles.” If they do, it’s usually jokingly. You know, they can’t be too serious about it. In the Back 9 I got third, and in six of the holes I didn’t use poles, so it’s kind of hard to argue that it’s not skiing.
Are you going to keep skiing without poles?
Yeah, I go both ways; I don’t have a preference. I’ll ski without them or with them; either way I’m going from the top to the bottom.
You’ve said before you’re a better all-around skier than your dad.
I’d like to believe so. Comparing just racing to everything there is in skiing, I’d say I’m a little bit more well rounded. I’m obviously better in the park stuff, big mountain. He won’t go up and do the stuff I do. I’m sure he could, but he can’t do it switch, so, you know, on a pair of skis, I’d say I’m more talented.
Would he agree with you?
Hard to say… I don’t think so.
Any ambition to follow the Olympic footsteps of your elders?
That one’s all up in the air. I don’t think either way. If it was put in front of me, the opportunity, I’d love to do it, but it’s not something I want to spend all my time focusing on.
Do you get sick of people asking questions about your father?
Not really. I didn’t like it when I was first trying to get into the industry, because it wasn’t about him, it was about what I was trying to do. But now it’s like, I’ve done what I’ve done. Before I felt like they let me in because of who he was, but it’s kind of got over that.
It must have helped you a lot with him knowing the industry.
Yeah, it did, because not only did I have this natural talent that he passed down, just seeing how he dealt with things, just what’s happened to him, as far as companies letting him go and then picking him back up, I’ve seen how things work. I don’t make as much as the top guys, but it’s about making a living for the rest of my life. That’s the ultimate goal: just ski to make money.
Future plans?
Keep on keepin’ on. This year we’re working on a movie project. We’re just getting working on that now. I’m gonna go exclusive on that movie, not do anyone else’s. We’re gonna film wherever the snow’s good. We’re just gonna play it by ear. No plans yet, really.
When was the last time you did a Daffy?
Oh, man, that’s hard to say. I need to, though. I know I’ve done some Spreads here and there, but a Daffy… that one has yet to be revealed.
If you had to ask SKIER a question, what would it be?
Will you ever run a picture without poles?
We already did [Volume 6, Issue 1, page 112].
Photo 1: Mahre gives his wrist a rest… between autograph sessions at the Toronto Ski, Snowboard &Travel Show. Field photo
Photo 2: Mahre goes both ways, top or bottom, pole or no pole. Photo courtesy of K2
