Stevens Pass 'Women in Powder' event doubles impact in second year

SKYKOMISH – The second annual women’s weekend at Stevens Pass doubled in size and impact as it closed out International Women’s Month on March 29 and 30.

The ‘Women in Powder’ event brought in over 100 attendees on the first of the two-day event, compared to approximately 50 attendees during last year’s one-day celebration. The free weekend event brought together skiers and riders of all abilities to learn new tips and terrain with Stevens Pass ambassadors, explore the terrain park, and hear from industry experts.

“It's about just getting people out on all ability levels…And, yeah, it's all about celebrating women on the mountain and giving them the opportunity [and] access to be in community,” said Annette Diggs, one of the event’s panelists.

Diggs, a career scientist and Stevens Pass ski instructor, is also the founder and CEO of the nonprofit EDGE Outdoors, which aims to get more Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color participating in snow sports. 

On Sunday morning, she joined professional skier Ingrid Backstrom and K2 Skis design engineer Christie Burrow for a panel discussion. In a room of approximately 60 skiers and riders, the panelists discussed their challenges and achievements as they pioneered paths within the outdoor space.

“[Diggs] said she learned when she was 36. I learned when I was 31, and I'm still learning. So it's definitely nice to see somebody who looks like me, who kind of had the same journey as well, being out here on the mountain,” said Women in Powder attendee Shaquita Young.

During the panel, Diggs discussed the importance of changing the mountain culture “to feel more like home to everyone,” by having diverse representation on every aspect of the mountain. 

As the first woman product designer at K2, Burrow discussed finding ways to improve women’s performance gear, which was historically designed by men. Through her work, she discovered errors in the design process for scaling boot sizes, disproportionately affecting women in smaller sizes.

“It’s completely changed the way we’re designing boots…[We’re] designing the first ever truly women's specific ski boot that is completely separate from men,” said Burrow. “We deserve to have our voices heard when it comes to product design.”

Backstrom shared experiences of gender inequity in the professional athlete space, leaning on mentorship, and focusing on priorities over societal expectations.

“I think that [the panel] was just kind of validating. I'm in the military. So, you know, it definitely was resonating to hear someone say, ‘Yep, we are the first women in this space,’” said Young. “It just kind of gives you that little reminder, like, hey, we're all we're all fighting the same fight, just in different spaces.”

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media