MISSOULA — The mountains can be a cold and unforgiving place — especially when trying a snow sport.
“I think as an adult learning something new, it's good to kind of test yourself and fall on your face every once in a while,” shared Valarie Hamm Carlson, who is learning how to snowboard
To help make snow sports more inclusive, female instructors at Snowbowl started For Women Only (FWO).
“Getting more women on the mountain is super important to me," Snowbowl's Snowboarding Department Head Meaghan Leonardi told MTN. "We just get to support each other and I think women understand other women and how this is not always the most inclusive sport. So, I think it's important for us to build each other up,” she continued.
For Women Only welcomes women of any age or experience. The course takes place on Friday afternoons for six weeks. The first session happened on Friday, January 17.
During the lessons, instructors split up participants into groups by ability and they then help enhance skiing or riding skills and confidence.
“It gives me the opportunity to get people just like my mom who's always wanted to try snowboarding and never really given a chance and a comfortable space to do it,” Leonardi said.
FWO is a safe space to ask questions, try new things, and make new friends all while getting active and outdoors during the winter.
"I think the FWO program is a comfortable space because it's just women hanging out and getting to ask all those stupid questions that aren't stupid questions but they've never felt comfortable saying," stated Leonardi.
“Finding community in places where you can learn where everybody's either at the same level and falling at the same time or just meeting new people is kind of why I'm doing it," Hamm Carlson explained that being with a girl group helps her feel more comfortable.
She also wants to set an example for her son, "I also have a son and so he's learning to snowboard and I think it's good to model for him, you know, learning something new and not being good at it."
You don't have to be a beginner to join FWO. If you're looking to brush up on your tree skiing skills or want to ride better in deeper powder snow then this course is for you.
Sign-up for the spring session of FWO — which starts in March — is on Snowbowl’s website.
