I came up with the idea of holding the event because there simply was no distinct community of female skiers at Red Mountain Resort. Like other girls I always scope out the twin tip riding females in the lift lines, we note each others existence but never venture into the realm of conversation. Girls day out gave girls from all over Rossland, Nelson and Whistler a chance to meet and an opportunity to share their passion for skiing.

Females from different levels and ski backgrounds where divided into 4 groups; each headed by a motivating and accomplished leader. These included; 2007 Biglines.com Freeride Scholarship winner MC Larivee (Nelson), Steff Gauvin (Rossland)- an accomplished artist, mother and big mountain freeskiing competitor, Michelle Rudelle a new Rossland resident, who recently graced the cover of Ski Press magazine and myself, Leah Evans a Canadian Big Mountain competitor and Biglines.com columnist.

Event photographer and only male in attendance Francoise Marseilles captured the fun, skiing and smiles of an array of attendees. Ladies from 14 to 49 railed turns and shared lift rides. On average, each girl came away with a new awareness of ten more ladies on the slopes. Constructive feedback was shared by peers and leaders, and different groups where provided to suite the goals of each individual, be it new skills or challenging terrain. Comments raged with positivity, as one female commented, “I should have gone in the skills group so that I could have told my husband that I learned to ski backwards”.

The day concluded within the walls of the TMP at the base of Red Mountain, with the girls divided into teams for a skiing trivia competition. Girls scrambled for ski factoids, some even started seeking out answers from the SKIER magazines splattered across the tables. Three ladies displayed the biggest smiles I’ve seen in awhile upon each winning a new pair of Cold As Ice snow pants… I even received an e-mail from one winner, personally thanking me for not having to wear here “duct tape knees, ripped crotch, non weather proof” snow pants anymore.

I can honestly say that I achieved more than I had hoped for from this event. These ladies created a community and a vibe that fueled me with inspiration and ideas. By strong request I look forward to expanding this event into something bigger and better next year…

Once again thank you to everyone and if you would like to obtain more information about this event e-mail l_e_a_h_evans@hotmail.com and for photographs of the day please contact Francoise Marseille at marseille@shaw.ca