Andreas Wiig is pretty much at the top of the snowboarder heap. He wins contests, gets photos in the mags, and had 2 video parts (Follow Me Around and Lucid Dream) last year. Let's see how things are rolling for him this season

SR: You have reached the top of your game in contests, photos, everything, how do you achieve that? AW: I don't know, I was looking at the Exposure Meter (In Transworld Business) and I was number one. I just couldn't believe it, above all these guys I've been looking up to since I was younger. I guess if you're doing well in the contests and filming as well; you're getting more ads, I guess it all ads up. Doing both (contests and filming) it's hard, it's not as safe you know, you don't know if your going to get a video part next year. I've got one shot so far and the winter is almost over. It's definitely hard work but it seems like it pays off.

SR: There are the guys that are just contest guys and some that are just photo guys then some like you and Travis and so on the at seem to transcend being pigeonholed into either category. AW: Yea

 SR: You are a total machine, that slam last year in Austria AW: laughs

SR: Yesterday in practice AW: I have had some slams. I guess sometimes I feel like I am more on it than I am. In practice I had not ridden park for a month. I was just going at like I had been riding park regularly. I get pretty good about coming back. If I get hurt I just use it to get a little pissed, tell myself hey, I am going to do this even though I got hurt. Especially at the X Games I was just stoked, I did not even get any practice before the finals.

SR: but somehow AW: pulled it together, yea

SR: Do you train or anything to stay strong? AW: I surf a lot, which is the best training pretty much. Nowadays you gotta keep yourself in shape for sure. I don't lift any weights barely going to the gym but it's just core strength. Just like the same strength you need in surfing. Doing a bunch of skating a little trampoline, it all adds up

SR: Stay active AW: Yea, stay active. Usually when I am snowboarding I am focused especially when it comes to contests. I want to get it right, I think its key. If you don't land your trick right just go up there again and do it.

SR: Skating has to help. I have a theory that skating, slamming and stuff is hard on your body but if you don't totally fuck your self up, it's good for you and makes you stronger. AW: Yea, I think it the same way in snowboarding. I would not like to see normal people go up and go off these jumps

SR: uh, no (laughter) AW: I think your joints, your whole body gets used to taking all those beatings.

SR: Yea with skating and snowboarding, your body gets used to it AW: Yea, it's all about what you do. Jumping in the powder in the backcountry, you just roll down the mountain like 4 times. Sometimes I am just thinking about it and

 SR: cart weheeling? AW: Yea, thinking this isn't right. That's pretty cool humans are made to do that. I guess we are not made to do that but we are designed to take some beatings

SR: It's a lot better than what most people do for work AW: Yea, you have your down days, some pressure and a lot of travel but I just have to sit down and think about my life; I am stoked. This is what I was dreaming about when I was younger and here I am

SR: Where do you surf? AW: Newport

SR: You live down there? AW: In the fall. I stay home in the summer and try to surf there when it's good. The water is amazing

SR: Freezing? AW: It's not as cold as you think. The Gulf Stream comes from Mexico so it is pretty much as warm as California. I just try to surf as much as I can back there, Newport and I am going to Bali this summer. I went to Bali a couple of years ago so hopefully I will be on some amazing surf trips this summer

SR: What about a trip to Vancouver Island then heading to Whistler to ride? AW: I have wanted to go further north but I have heard about sharks

SR: Ahhh, its fine AW: Yea, that could be fun

SR: Not to change subjects but what made you switch from Omatic to Nitro? AW: It just took a long time we were all new to starting a company and things weren't really organized. I almost lost my focus on snowboarding, you know, it was taking away from snowboarding

SR: Cause you were running a business? AW: Yea, since I was part of running the company. At the time, things weren't falling into place. Everyone was actually an owner on the papers. I just felt like for Tara and for Todd, those guys run the company, that's awesome

SR: Those guys have a different career path right now? AW: They have had their years to just think about snowboarding. It really comes down to that you gotta focus on what you're doing. Even though to some degree I was doing that with Omatic as well. I don't know things just didn't really fall in place with me and Omatic and the season was around the corner and I had to make a decision. 

 SR: I have heard from a lot of pros that when they own a company they end up not snowboarding or skating as much AW: Yea

SR: and you are in the prime of your career you gotta be out there snowboarding all the time AW: Yea, but definitely no hard feelings towards Omatic and those guys over there who are a part of it. I was not running the business side of it. People wonder "why did he leave his own company?" It never came to that point where it was my own company

SR: Maybe in a couple years it would be better timing AW: Yea, I wanna stick with Nitro right now. They are doing an amazing job and I have seen how ell they take care of their riders. It is one of the good companies

SR: and you don't have to run it AW: and I don't have to run it (laughs) it's a little hard because people see everything from the outside they don't see how everything actually is with all the details and being involved. It's easy to stand on the outside and judge.

SR: That's why I was asking AW: That's cool to get my story out there and I want to be supportive of Tara, Todd and Louie Vito running that company. I hope they do well

We got interrupted at that point but he seemed glad to let people how he felt Here is the way to spin a 900, grab the board, poke the leg, throw some power and style into it. None of the spin to win shit, keep it cool. photo - Sharon West

Gap to board. Photo - Sharon West

Man, he packed in practice in the 2007 Tahoe Cup practice then came back to win it

A familiar place for Andreas - the top of the podium

hippy

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