Real Women. Find Out Who Won!

REAL WOMEN.

The X-Games REAL Series started in 2010 with Real Street as a way to bring the worlds of professional skateboarding contests and video production together. Expanding each year, there are now a total of 6 disciplines in the series. Real Women, added this year, is an all female video contest combining 4 different sports, Surfing, Skiing, Snowboarding and Skateboarding, with some of the most talented female athletes in the world. Each athlete submitted a 75-second video edit showing off their skills and showcasing their personalities. Yesterday it was announced that Ingrid Backstrom won the Fan Favorite while Leticia Bufoni won the Gold Medal given by the judges at the X-Games in Barcelona.

Check out the rest of these ladies and their various skills. Who did you vote for?

Rad Ladies. Awesome Videos. 1 Kick-ass Prize!

Remember when I told y’all about SheJump’s video contest that is going to send 2 lucky ladies to Tailgate Alaska? Well today, Feb 28, is the LAST day to send in your video. Go to the link below and start voting on your favorite video! The entries are being judged both by a panel of experts and YOU! So all you have to do is follow the link below, watch some rad videos of awesome women showing off their skills in the backcountry, and vote for your favorite! There will be 2 Runners-up Awards, and a People’s Choice Award. Help make 2 ladies very happy, and send them on their way to only progress in the adventure that is skiing!

Good Luck to all of you badass ski-bumettes!

SheJumps to Alaska Videos

Powder Awards: Best Female Performance

Tonight the ski industry elite are gearing up for their chance to win at least one coveted Powder Award. Powder Magazine, known as “the skier’s magazine” nominates and votes on a number of categories based on the previous year’s ski movies. Best Line, Best Powder, Best Editing, etc. The one that I am focusing on though, big shocker here, is the Best Female Performance. All of these women kicked ass this year, and I am excited to see which lovely lady will take the prize home.

Watch tonight at 7:30 MST.

Nominated are:

Michelle Parker – Superheroes of Stoke – MSP Films

Ingrid Backstrom – Superheroes of Stoke – MSP Films

Angel Collinson – The Dream Factory – Teton Gravity Research

Elyse Saugstad – Kill Your Boredom – Voleurz

Good luck ladies!

New York Times: Snow Fall

Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek 

You probably read with horror about the avalanche that killed 3 out of 13 skiers near Steven’s Pass in Washington last year. The New York Times’s, John Branch, writes a complete account of the tragic incident through the eyes of those involved and loved ones left behind. It is beautifully pieced together, though the question looms-is it worth it? Whether you ski in the backcountry, have friends who do, or want to learn something about a very real event that affected many throughout the ski industry, please take a look.

Moving to a ski town from a world where backcountry skiing did not exist, the fear of avalanches is very new to me. I recently took an introductory class through SheJumps with Kelli Rohrig of White Room Adventures, which gave me a day’s worth of overview information. I learned the very basics of snow science, different causes of avalanches, different snow types, basic terminology, and the most efficient ways to use my gear. It was eye-opening and it scared me to death. Avalanches are a very real threat to those of us who venture out into the mountains that surround us, whether it is alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, or even snow-shoeing. No matter how great of a skier you are at the resort, take the time to learn about the terrain around you, your equipment, and what to do when the shit hits the fan. Knowledge, not ski ability, will save your own and your partners’ lives.

CB Ladies Join Forces with SheJumps!

I wouldn’t say I am a shy person. I do choose moments to speak publicly wisely though. I usually think my thoughts through and know what I am getting into before talking to a large group of strangers. Exactly a week ago on opening day here at Crested Butte, I had to throw every reservation in my head out the window and just go for it. KBUT, our local radio station handed me the mike and I looked down at the lift lines that were busting at the seams with people and told them all about what makes me tick these days. SheJumps! Luckily I had the support of some amazing ladies around me who were representing awesome women doing awesome things together. Dressed in our best, hot pink pants that came up to the boobs, blond disco afros, giant fur coats, TUTUS, ladies joined me at the tent CBMR graciously set up for us and introduced SheJumps to Gunnison Valley.

Check out the write up of Opening Day on SheJumps! 

Check out me as a featured “jumper” on SheJumps!

A few ladies from elsewhere in Colorado, who have actual credentials with SJ, board member and regional directors, Liz, Mel, and El, came down for the day and gave me a ton of support for my first event. It was great to have their input with everything, and to talk to women who were passionate about other women getting out there. Their enthusiasm for SJ was contagious, and the excitement of what we, as women, can do this winter through such a strong organization was inspiring.

I love my little ski town. There are so many awesome women in this valley who dominate at whatever they do, and I would love to combine our passions and bring the ladies together. It’s going to be an exciting season here in CB!

 

 

Welcome to Town Ladies!

A force to reckon with!

The West Elk Project is a media website that covers everything in the sports and arts scenes going on in and around the West Elks of Colorado. It gives Gunnison Valley, where my stomping grounds of Mt. Crested Butte is located a voice. The West Elk project showcases local talent and products as well as keeping you updated on what is going on in the world-wide ski community. As the only female contributor for them, I hope to be able to bring a woman’s perspective to the table. I hope to showcase the amazing and talented women in our beautiful valley. Check us out and see what is happening in a very real ski town community. A place many refer to as Never Land because no one really stops being a kid here, you know, except for the whole trying to make a living part.

CB ladies taking it to Moab

Check out my 5 tips for the women who just moved to our special little ski town for the first time. It can be a bit of a transition, and not just because of the weather. Ski towns are known to be male-dominated, which is precisely why it is so important for us ski bumettes to stick together. It is imperative to be discrete, have ladies-only activities, to continue to feel beautiful, and to respect this magical place we all managed to find.

Not a Dude’s World Anymore

“Believe in the power of girls…”

croons Emily Haines, lead singer for the group Metric, whose beautiful voice becomes the background noise for yet another awesome, inspiring short-film by Lynsey Dyer.

SheJumps.org,founded by Lynsey Dyer herself, is a powerful non-profit organization that brings women across the country together to share experiences through activities in nature. Those behind this all-female project encourages women to take the “jump” that will bring each of us to our next level of our potential in whatever it is we want. SheJumps challenges women to take their dreams and make them a reality. It allows women to talk things through in online forums and organizes a way for women to connect with each other and plan events in towns close to them.

Ladies get involved! Do you want to teach a clinic on something you are passionate about? Do you want to get into a new outdoor activity and meet rad ladies in your area? Jump In! And if you are in the Crested Butte area, start the ski season off with a women’s ski day on opening day at CBMR, costumes encouraged! Check back for more details!

Watch as these fearless ladies send cliffs, jump into the air with nothing but a wing suit on, rip sick lines down a massive mountain, and train all year long for everything they love to do. Pretty Faces shows so many angles in which women are so powerful in what is simply not a dude’s world of extreme sports anymore.

Lindsey Vonn Wants to Ski with the Boys

Lindsey Vonn wins her 51st World Cup Downhill

The name Lindsey Vonn to any woman in the world-wide ski community means strength, determination and badass super woman. She has won four overall World Cup championships as of this year, not to mention a gold medal in the 2010 winter olympics in Vancouver. As far as World Cup victories, she is only nine short of breaking Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Proell’s record of 62 victories.

And now, Ms. Vonn would like a chance to race against the best male ski racers in the world at the World Cup season’s opener in Lake Louise, Alberta. She has written a letter to the International Ski Federation (FIS) asking permission to break new ground by skiing in the November 24 downhill race. Now the United States Ski & Snowboard Association must file a formal request to the FIS. There are a few hurdles to consider as well. If the request is accepted, Vonn will miss the opportunity to pick up points at the competition in Aspen that same weekend. The women’s first speed races of the season are being held at Lake Louise the week after the men’s races, which could be in violation of the World Cup rule Article 14.2: ‘No training shall be allowed on World Cup racecourses during the last five days prior to first training run or competition.’ According to the New York Times, Vonn has said she would be willing to forgo two of the practice runs before the women’s race. She also said she would not race in the men’s downhill, if she is prohibited from racing in the women’s as well.

I want to know what you think. Is she taking away from or adding to the image of women’s ski racing? And what are your next steps to push yourself to your personal next level? Follow Lindsey on Twitter @lindseyvonn  for updates on whether or not she gets to race with the boys this November.

Alison Gannett: Badass Beauty on Planks and Wheels

Photo by Sarah Mah Rarick

Depending upon who you talk to, the name Alison Gannett can mean a lot of things. To a ski-bumette, she is a rad skier who holds her own as a professional world-champion big mountain free skier; to us green babes, she is an innovator in the eco-friendly way of life who actually “walks the talk;” to a bike chick, she is a kick ass mountain biker who manages to take her skills on the snow to the trails; and to a novice at almost any extreme sport, namely, skiing, mountain biking, or surfing, she is an amazing teacher who knows exactly how to ease women into their next personal level of fitness.

During this summer’s Bike Week, here in Crested Butte, I was lucky enough to be able to take one of her skills courses. A small group of women came together, most of us beginner bikers who were scared to go to that next scary and thrilling level. With the help of Alison’s excellent teaching strategies, we were all cruising over obstacles that had always been daunting on the trails. So, thank you, Alison, for the power you provided each of us in the saddle.

Ms Gannett was gracious enough to answer a few questions ranging from her skiing career, being a ski-bumette, her local Paonia farm, and why she loves our valley.

When did you start skiing and when did you decide to go pro in the sport?

I was full bore into my environmental career when a Warren Miller film crew saw me free skiing in Crested Butte and asked me to be in their movie. They talked me into competing, which was a tough but rewarding route into my new career as a professional skier. I was a teased traumatized chubby dorky math geek, always sucked at conventional sports, even kickball.

When you were/are unsure of a situation on skis or on a mountain bike, how do you get through it?

I now try to put aside the little voice in my head that tells me I can’t do something, think of some situation similar that went really well, and then talk myself into the fact that I am a strong powerful person that can do this, and then I try to stop overthinking and just go.

What made you want to start Rippin Chix, and what is you favorite part of teaching a clinic?

I started Rippin Chix in 2002 because I realized that sports had given me incredible confidence that spilled over into my everyday challenges in life. I also realized that not many programs were teaching women in baby steps, women were being turned off from sports forever because some guy’s only advice was “just go for it”.

As a respected female bad-ass, have you ever felt that being a woman has created more obstacles for you in your career advances?

Being a woman has been a bit tough, as my sports are very “dude” centric, with T and A for gals being more important than talent. I wanted to prove that gals could ski crazy lines and jump big cliffs. Sometimes it has paid off being a woman with perseverance, as some ski companies would hire me to do women’s designs as they only had men in the office.

How did skiing affect your outlook on environmental issues?

My favorite thing about skiing was not the championship titles or starring in ski films, it was creating my own women’s only ski expeditions to wild countries and places that had never been skied. Since I wanted to marry my career as an environmental scientist, I would photo document glacial recession. For my Global Cooling Tour, the most powerful part for most people is seeing that lines I skied just ten years ago are now gone.

What led to your decision to buy a farm, and what is your favorite part of running it?

I have been trying to walk the talk for over ten years now, especially after working with some people like Al Gore, who inspired me to not do what he was doing. I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint and see what worked and what did not – firstly starting with travel, then house, vehicle, and ultimately the biggest elephant in the living room – FOOD. My favorite part is bringing weeds to the pigs, and my least favorite part is letting the chickens out at 5:30am.  The cool part of this giant experiment, is that we have halved our carbon footprint with keeping an outdoor sport lifestyle!

and just for fun,

What is your favorite thing about the Gunnison Valley?

My favorite thing about the Gunnison Valley is all our trails and public lands! We often take for granted what many people don’t have!

Sarah Burke: A Beautiful Reminder

From this excerpt of The Ski Channel’s second documentary film project, Winter, to this touching tribute written by ESPN’s Eli Saslow, we see how much Sarah impacted those around her, as well as those of us who were never lucky enough to meet her.

She is still an inspiration to everyone in the world of skiing, but to women, Sarah is a hero. These snippets of her short but full life show us that even as a hero, an idol, a super star, and a bad-ass athlete, Sarah was one of us. A dreamer, a lover, a friend, a woman. She represents ski bumettes everywhere, and her story gives us the strength to know that we can do anything we believe we can. Even through her tragic death, she is able to serve as a beautiful reminder of what it is to live by our own standards of happiness, while being a light in others’ lives as well.

Thank you Sarah. From one ski bumette to another.