Andrew “Andyman” Petersen is a lifetime resident of Fraser, Colorado. He likes long skis and Heavy Metal. His parents met teaching ski school at Winter Park in the late 60’s. His father Larry, who was also an Eskimo instructor, became an amputee when Andy was four. The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) at Winter Park got Larry back on the hill and definitely saved his life. Larry became a downhill racer in the early days of NSCD, winning multiple medals in the Handicapped Olympics.
Andy began Nordic skiing as soon as he was able to walk. His first set of skis were pine tarred Bonas with 3 pin bindings that he had to learn to wax. He learned alpine skiing at Ski Idlewild in Hideaway Park, CO on some rent-a-wreck Rossis. He graduated to the big hill, Winter Park, at the ripe age of 4. Andy raced Alpine and Nordic for East Grand and Middle Park in the early 80’s and dabbled in Nordic Jumping. He began skiing moguls on K2 215’s in 1985, and then extreme skiing when Blizzard of Ahhh’s came out his last year of high school. Andy stayed in Grand County after school to raise his own son on the slopes of Mary Jane, and became a powder aficionado, verified tree basher and cliff dropper. Andy’s favorite territory is The Cirque when it is open and his favorite run is Destiny to Waterfall. Favorite runs Janeside are Phantom Bridge to Boiler, or Awe Chute if it’s open. Favorite run Parkside is Hughes with fresh groom as the sun rises, no one on it and really REALLY fast skis.
Andy is diligent about testing out the entire Demo Fleet. Past favorites are the Fischer Ranger 92 Ti and the Armada Strangers. This year is favorite is the RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground) Apostle 97. When Andy is not tuning skis for Alpine Sun, he runs Fraser Ski Gardens with his lovely water colorist wife Elizabeth Kurtak in the Fraser Mercantile, where she also has her own gallery. Andy is an ordained minister, providing marriage services locally and performed the first wedding at Adolf’s event center! He is also known locally as Minister Pete, Mountain Man Maintenance, Andyman, inc, and the Rocky Mountain Thunder Chicken.
