He is nicknamed "Richie Rich," an allusion to the comic book character Richie Rich and by simple alliteration. He was most commonly called "The Avalanche". He received the moniker due to being so dominant during the 1980 season (on his way to winning his second consecutive amateur ABA No.1 title) that it was thought no one and nothing could stop him. He was also nicked-named "Mr. Smooth" for his effortless racing and huge natural ability, particularly in speed jumping over single "whoop-de-doos" which are similar to a mogul in skiing (effectively a very large speed bump) while still pedaling (many racers would get the "Mr. Smooth" moniker for their seemingly effortless riding skill particularly over speed jumps, including Eric Carter). Even most top pros stop pedaling over speed jumps to keep the chances of crashing to a minimum. However, doing so would be just coasting while a few racers like Richie Anderson kept applying the power, a great advantage. Indeed, his speed jumping skills were featured in a November 1980 article of "Bicycle Motocross Action" called "Method Speed Jumping" showcasing his abilities.