Girls in the ski industry.

Firstly let me start off......this isn't about in your face girl power. It's a recap of what I've read and discussed over the last few weeks. Simple my perspective. I'm 22, a girl, I've traveled since I was young, skied all my life and in some shape or form I am a part of the Australian and international ski industry. Take it, leave it but don't be a hater.

The last week or so there have been a few 'events' concerning ladies in snow that have definitely caught my eye and provoked a lot of thought; Rachael Oakes-Ash's controversial article 'Pornstars in powder: sexism and snow' (which if you haven't read, you have to), my friend, Vanessa Aaadland's wicked BN (butt naked) descent of Mt Superior, UT and the upcoming launch of the 2011 Chicks with Stix program. In each scenario the depiction of women in skiing is significant.

Let's start with Vanessa. Babe, born and bred in North America. I have definitely referred to her as crazy during the last season we spent together competing on the Freeskiing Word Tour and shredding at our local mountain, Snowbird, UT.

In a final goodbye to Utah and winter and in celebration of lost friends and heroes, Vanessa skied butt-naked down Mt Superior, standing 11,132 ft high, in Little Cottonwood Canyon. You can read the full story on Vanessa's website. In her blog post you'll notice that she wasn't skiing BN for praise but in order to honor what skiing meant to her. Other than gaining an amazing adrenaline rush, thousands of G.N.A.R points, a cold butt and a stoke that lasted the whole plane trip to NZ, her BN also caused a lot of attention.

vanessa aadland, enjoying the morning air

I was stoked and definitely envious of her creative feat but I was also fairly disappointed by a lot of the comments and feedback that were posted publicly that afternoon on UnofficialNetworks.com, a website that I and lots of other snow-crazed fiends look to for information and inspiration. It was awesome to see the post up there, Unofficial Snowbird representing the ladies, however some of the public weren't so supportive.

To read through comments of people having a dig at Vanessa was disgusting and having asked other people's opinion, I know that I'm not the only one who thinks this. Seeing comments that vindictively describe a perfectly healthy, athletic girl as having a "saggy burrito ass" and calling her other such names is infuriating, especially on a public forum dedicated to skiing and extreme sports. It is not 'hot or not'. At times the comments pretty much crossed over the line to sexual harassment. Some of the comments moved from degrading Vanessa to pretty much referring to most females in the ski industry as "having no desire or ability to do something that is even slightly outside standard convention".

Yes, Vanessa put herself out there, she skied Superior naked, she posted the photos on Facebook, therefore opening them up for public comment. But these comments show clearly how women are viewed in the ski industry; their butts are scrutinised before their amazing skills and feats are recognised. It's wrong on so many levels. That is not to say that for every horrible comment there wasn't a beautiful one- thanks everyone out there who supports Vanessa, chicks on skis and any lady getting out there and making an effort.

What about the guys? Dex Mils had a similar photo posted to UnofficalSnowbird earlier in the season of him back flipping BN in the Alta back country. Did anyone comment on his skiing prowess or his body. Did anyone refer to him as a sexual object before a skier? Nope.

dex mils taking some air in his birthday suit

This issue of sexism in skiing has been addressed in Rachael Oakes-Ash's recent article 'Pornstars in powder: sexism and snow' . She clearly maps out the way in which the ski industry objectifies women to sell products and how this image of women does not represent or benefit the contemporary female skier in any way. She points out that "women are no longer muzzled, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen? That we too, ride."

I've had my fair share of obstacles to ski over to prove to both myself and people around me that I shred hard and that I have the guts to get out there and try as hard as any guy. Whether or not you agree is irrelevant.



The point of the matter is that I am out there, I'm a consumer in this industry and I do not look up to marketing strategies such as the Lange girl posters. In this poster, this girl is great looking but I am pretty sure she can't ski the way the girls I look up to do. She is an unrealistic portrayal of a girl who lives and breathes skiing. I would not classify Vanessa Aadland's free-range hot ass and the photoshopped Lange girl to be in the same category..... One is real, the other is sugar-coated.

I'm not stupid, I understand how marketing works, sex sells. However, I agree with Rachael Oakes-Ash in that a portion of the skiing market, the female aspect, has been forgotten. What is worse, the ski industry is creating a stereo-type of what a girl on skis should be: shiny objects who are trivial to the progression of the sport and the market.

The Internet makes debates such as the these tiresome. Last time I checked Rachael's article had at least 100 comments. A lot of which seemed to be written by extreme misogynistic men who basked in the idea that women are not involved in sport and if they are, it is not as credible as the men's field. Unfortunately, most of these comments were probably written by people who didn't know the difference between alpine skiing and moguls.

I want the tides to change. No matter how much I insult fellow readers, I won't change their minds about women in snow sports. It's up to women and those companies, organisations and friends who support them to start the change. There is a lot of talent, passion and dedication out there, enough to fuel a women's skiing revolution and that is where Chicks with Stix comes in.

They're a grass-roots, non-profit organisation that is dedicated to encouraging girls to get involved in freeskiing and freeriding. It's not about getting our own back from the male-dominated ski industry who consistently misrepresent women in skiing. It's about women being recognised in the industry and respecting them.

To start off the season, Chicks with Stix is running a series of free skiing workshops around the Australian Alps. Check out the website for more details! It's a start and as this issue is discussed more and more, hopefully we'll start to see a change.

I just want to finish up with a huge thanks to the people who have motivated me, supported me and helped me to push through the barriers of being a girl in an industry that doesn't 100% recognise women. In Australia, I have found the majority of my peers and people in the ski industry that I have worked with are super stoked on women's skiing and it makes me proud.