The skier and co-owner of sportswear brand Aztech Mountain shares his Golden State favorites
As told to ANDREW BARKER
What’s your neighborhood?
Coto de Caza, inland from Laguna Beach. Nearby, you have ocean, true forest, desert and Saddleback Mountain, which gets snow on it.
Favorite hike?
In the Holy Jim Canyon, there are steep valleys, rivers and waterfalls where you can swim. It’s only a 2-mile drive to the bottom of the trailhead. I take my kids and a tent.
Favorite restaurant?
Hanna’s in Rancho Santa Margarita. I go with my wife once a week. They have really good steaks and amazing burgers.
Favorite weekend away?
Our friend has a condo on Catalina Island. We take out our motorboat and we sleep on it. There’s crazy-good fishing and sharks.
What’s your style?
At heart I’m a New Hampshire hippie. I own [Aztech Mountain], so I live in the things I design. The new hybrid short has great pockets and a click belt.
Favorite formal brand?
I wear Prada suits and shirts. They were one of the early adopters of really good stretch fabric.
Favorite denim?
Levi’s is having a cool resurrection.
Where do you shop?
Irvine Spectrum Center is an easy hub for every luxury. My wife is really into Lululemon. The kids like walking around Fashion Island.
Where do you exercise?
Dove Canyon Golf Club. I try to shoehorn it in before picking up my younger son for lunch. I have four kids.
Best drive?
I used to do therapy in Ensenada. I would deviate from the 5 freeway in San Diego and cross the border. It’s cool and winds up over the mountains. No people, no houses. You see dudes ripping motorcycles and driving pretty hard in sports cars.
What do you drive?
Teslas. I got my wife an S as a push present. We also have an X, but with four kids a van is also a necessity at this point. Sadly, Tesla only has a prototype.
Best ski spots?
Mammoth has amazing terrain, snow pack and they get huge storms there. I grew up going to Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and Truckee. Plenty of challenging terrain and the cool, cultural, ski-bum lifestyle still exists there.
Favorite drink?
Juniper Mountain gin and tonic. My grandmother always drank it.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2019 Men’s Edition of C Magazine.
