6 Athletes of Color Diversifying Snow Sports

The mountains offer solace to all – they do not discriminate. They are a space for anyone who honors and respects them. Furthermore, access to mountains and nature could even be seen as a fundamental right. Historically, Indigenous and racialized communities in North America and beyond have tended and cared for these lands. Yet, access to these same lands are gatekept and reserved for the wealthy and privileged. 

Today, marginalized and lower-income communities are often stereotypically associated with the term “urban,” with little access to the outdoors at all. This stereotype reflects a glaring lack of diversity in outdoor spaces, especially in costly and inaccessible activities like snow sports. Why? The full answer is complex, but some significant barriers include: the high cost of equipment and lessons; an elitist, exclusive culture; environmental factors like climate change impacting access to snow and beginner terrain; and a lack of diverse leadership within these sports.

The good news is, despite these barriers, a strong movement has emerged to reclaim this connection to the outdoors for everyone – especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. This progress is thanks to inspiring leaders who work tirelessly to create space for those historically excluded from the snow sports community. Their shared vision of a more diverse, equitable snow sports community is both motivating and transformative. Here are six snow sports community leaders you need to know.

1. Cal Smith (Climbers of Color) 

Cal enjoying fresh powder. Photo by Michael Hibbs (IG: hibbsunhinged)

Cal (he/him), Climbers of Color, Director of Winter Programming, comes from and recreates on the Lower-Cowlitz & Suquamish of the Salish Sea and the Yakama of the plateaus to the East of Takhoma. Self-described as Indigenous and Native American, skin tone as light brown. 

Climbers of Color is breaking down barriers that many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color face when getting their start in mountaineering. They accomplish this by offering courses, events, and resources to help people participate and skill progress. 

I spoke with Cal, the Director of Winter Programming, whose goal is to make outdoor sports more accessible. He pursues this by running courses on avalanche awareness and safety, as well as by leading winter backcountry tours. 

Cal explained, “A huge barrier to snow sports is a lack of mentorship.” His advice is to find a mentor and “keep bothering them until they say yes—you really need to bother them.” Once they do say yes, he emphasizes the importance of respecting their journey, profession, and time, and taking in all their advice. 

Cal believes this is one of the best ways to build a community of People of Color in snow sports, who can then go on to mentor others. “This will help us diversify snow sports,” He added. That’s why Cal mentors as many people as he can. He also teaches avalanche awareness courses with scholarships to make winter sports more accessible. 

“We are more powerful as one.”

— Cal Smith

Cal has an important message for other groups and individuals working to diversify the outdoors. “We are more powerful as one,” he says. I agree.

2. Mardi Fuller (Backpacker & Public Speaker)

Mardi in the White Mountain National Forest. Photo by Alexandra Roberts (IG: alexandraroberts).

Mardi Fuller, (she/her), lives in N’Dakinna, an area that roughly corresponds to “New England,” in Boston, which is the land of the Massa-adchu-es-set, the Pawtucket and the Wampanoag. She recreates in the Wobanadenok region, the “White Mountains” of NH. This is the land of the Abenaki, Wabanaki, and Pequawket. Self-described as Black with dark skin.

Mardi Fuller is a lover of nature and snow sports. She is also the Black person on record to hike all 48, 4,000-ft peaks in winter, which, in her words “is a peak bagging game with a cult status,” in her region. 

Mardi grew up on the East Coast and initially got into skiing through a few church-run trips. From there, she made friends who introduced her to winter hiking. After finishing her Winter 48, she had a moment of realization that she was the first known Black person to ever do this. 

Something needed to change, and this led Mardi to write and speak about her experiences, outdoor education, and racial equity gaps. Additionally, she volunteers with many organizations that introduce marginalized People of color to winter sports. It is her aim to empower BIPOC to choose and gain access to the outdoors. 

When I asked her about her work she explained that though there is a subtle difference, “I don’t want to diversify winter sports, more so, I want Black people to have free access to nature spaces and outdoor activities such that we can self-determine in that space rather than assimilating into existing structures.” 

When asked about the various barriers to this, Mardi commented that winter sports tend to be racialized as white, so much so that People of color who are interested in the outdoors must fit themselves into white spaces, rather than being free to create their own. 

On another note, culturally, for many Black professionals, disposable income is devoted to family and community—not to themselves and not to personal recreation. This is an example of one of the many complex barriers; it’s systemic, and therefore access cannot be resolved simply. Mardi wants to encourage anyone out there who is just getting started in winter sports, “to find a local group, grab a friend, and if that is not possible, be inspired by the work of Melanin Base Camp! And know that you are meant to participate in, and help define, improve, and evolve winter sports.” 

3. Vasu Sojitra (Adaptive Backcountry Skier)

Photo by Robino O’Neill (IG: robinoneill)

Vasu Sojitra (he/him/his) lives and recreates as a non-Native visitor on the land of the Apsáalooke Nation, Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes, Northern Cheyenne Nation, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy), Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and many other Tribes, Nations, Bands, and Confederacies. Self-described as a lighter-skinned cis hetero Disabled man of color more specifically from South Asian ancestry. He also identifies as an Indian American with a right leg amputation from 9 months of age.

Vasu Sojitra may be best known for his motto, “#Ninjasticking through the woods to center intersectionality in the outdoors.” As a leader in the outdoor industry, Vasu works to promote diversity and new ways of being in snow sports. Ninjasticking, Vasu explains, “is a way to reclaim and reframe” the stigmas connected to being disabled; he emphasizes that "disabled" isn’t a bad word, while ableism is. Vasu’s perspective is to see the humanity in everyone, to celebrate and support each other's differences, and to use our similarities to unite. “These sports are something we have created to find joy, and they adapt to us—not the other way around—meaning we can make them into what we want. Rather than conform to societal standards that exclude people, why not transform sports and spaces into what works for us?”

As a racialized person with a disability who grew up near the poverty line, Vasu is no stranger to barriers in accessing the outdoors. “The micro-to-macro aggressions felt like they surrounded me, like the air we breathe.” Some prominent barriers he faced included people doubting his ability and creating their own narratives of who he was and who he could be, not having access to the equipment he needed to ski as someone with one leg, and, when the equipment was available, facing high costs that made access challenging. “I keep going back to this deeply toxic ideology in our world that our ability showcases worth.” Vasu challenges the notion that worth or value must be demonstrated through physical strength and ability. Instead, he believes “we find our successes when we come together and lift each other as we climb.”

Vasu is very explicit about holding the outdoor industry accountable for the culture of white supremacy deeply embedded in snow sports. He insists that action must be active, not passive; inclusivity and accessibility within the outdoor industry cannot be simply additional considerations, or worse, afterthoughts—they must be at the forefront of every organization’s mission. Vasu explains, “I’ve seen and taken part in so many conversations that only talk theory, but nothing gets done. These white-led companies HAVE to get their hands dirty.” He further notes that real change won’t come from a savior mentality; there must be a shift in power, a redistribution that benefits many people rather than just a few outliers. Vasu’s power comes from his boldness and his willingness to push boundaries. When I asked him for his final thoughts, he said, “All I say is, don’t stop. Rest when needed, but don’t stop. Our existence is a resistance.”

4. Annette Diggs (Edge Outdoors)

Photo by Jordan Curet (IG: jcuret)

Annette Diggs (she/her), Founder of Edge Outdoors, lives and recreate on the unceded, traditional lands of the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Suquamish, and Wenatchi, the original stewards of these lands, past and present. Self-described as a Black woman who is a descendant of Africans stolen from their traditional lands and forced into human chattel slavery within the United States, skin tone as deep brown skin. 

Annette founded Edge Outdoors to help “undo a wrongful past and create a new generation of skiers and riders who can build an equitable and just future.” Edge Outdoors is an organization working to gain more access, and reduce barriers for people of color in snow sports. They accomplish this by “providing mountain access, rental gear, and multi-week lessons from certified instructors of color and allies. Additionally, we offer scholarships for avalanche education, introductions to backcountry, instructor training, and athlete development.” With regards to the barriers people of color face in snow sports, Annette points to the lack of funding directed toward Black, Indigenous and People of Color led organizations—only 2%. She explains that we must invest in and uplift BIPOC organizations working on the mountain in order to make real, material change that supports leaders in their own communities. “By investing in these organizations, the industry is not only uplifting and developing historically excluded communities but also dismantling the systemic denial of equity and wealth building for Black and Brown people in snow sports.”

Annette’s advice for those who want to support this mission: to focus on supporting the communities and organizations already doing the work and showing up. She encourages everyone “to dig deep and understand the history of oppression in the outdoors, the impacts of inequitable grant-giving, and how true equity and justice start…”

5. Vanessa Chavarriaga (Writer & Mountain Athlete)

Photo by Micheli Oliveri (IG:micoliver_films)

Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada (she/her) recreates the stolen lands of the Shoshone-Bannock, Eastern Shoshone, and Cheyenne peoples. She self-identifies as a mixed-race Colombian woman with brown skin.

Vanessa is a Colombian immigrant, environmental sociologist, and professional athlete. For her, the privilege of recreating in the outdoors, especially in the snow, means healing her inner child. While this process may look different for everyone, she believes the outdoors should be accessible to all. As an immigrant from a warm place without cold winters, Vanessa found the largest barriers to outdoor recreation were knowledge and cost. To address this, she says she “would like to see an industry-wide acknowledgment of this inequity in the form of sliding scale programs, scholarships, and more opportunities for mentorship.”

Vanessa also emphasizes a need to shift the perspective of viewing beginners as lacking, and rather viewing them as strong. ‘There is nothing wrong with trying something new, and shaming someone only perpetuates gatekeeping in the outdoors.’ Her advice is to use privilege as a tool; rather than feeling ashamed of privilege, honour it and “extend an invitation into snow sports to a friend or neighbor.” For those who are new to snow sports, she acknowledges that it can be an intimidating space to enter, but encourages them to try anyway. “Your past and future ancestors will thank you for being the first at something, and it will become a skill you can pass on to others.”

6. Brian Paupaw (Hoods to Woods)

Brian Paupau, pictured left. Photo byBrian Nevins (IG: nevinsphoto)

Brian Paupaw (he/him), Executive Director and Co-Founder of Hoods to Woods Foundation, identifies as African American with light skin.

Hoods to Woods Foundation aims to include all Americans living in underserved communities within the world of snow sports. The foundation accomplishes this by “forming partnerships with schools, community organizations, and using technology through social networks to build awareness within the winter sports community.” Their mission is to help diversify snow sports and support youth to build environmental awareness by connecting them with nature. When asked about barriers to the sport, Brian shared that while financial barriers remain, challenges also lie in representation and awareness. Many people, especially those from communities of color, aren’t involved in snow sports simply because they have never had a reason to be. Hoods to Woods envisions the industry doing “more outreach and partnerships that truly shape the future of winter sports, going beyond just giving lessons to creating jobs.” This, he believes, will help the next generation stay involved, rather than experiencing ski resorts once and never returning.

When advising people on how to help diversify snow sports, Brian’s message is genuine and inspiring. He says, “It’s best to do this from the realest place possible, which is your heart—the reason why we get up to get on the mountain and have fun. There’s a business side that isn’t as fun as snowboarding, but if you’re willing to sacrifice having fewer days on the mountain to yourself and share with others, I’d say go for it!” He adds that he does this work as he recognizes his privilege in being able to shred all over the world and wants to share this experience with others.

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The mountains and snow offer a place of solace that each of us deserves. Having the space to recreate, heal, and enjoy these environments should be accessible to all. Creating an inclusive, equitable, diverse, and accessible snow sports community is hard work, but the remarkable leaders highlighted above are turning this vision into a reality. It has been a privilege to learn more about who they are. As you read their stories, let yourself be inspired and motivated to help. Please consider supporting their organizations in any way you can, whether through donations or other means, as they work to make a tangible difference for generations to come. Together, we can ensure that everyone feels welcome in the outdoors.