NIKITA NATION

 

Innsbruck, Austria – Girls Are Awesome is going into the 2^nd edition of Slay Days, a snowboard and ski festival for girls only. And Nikita Clothing is again part of it.

Four days of pure action are waiting for you from February 27^th – March 1^st 2020 at the local snow park in Innsbruck Patscherkofel. With this event we want to introduce more girls and women into the freestyle culture and try to help them progress in a fun way. But it´s not just an event about snow: It´s a great mix of freestyle coaching sessions, talks, yoga, art, skate and music.

Snowboarder and skier are invited to join daily coaching sessions, contests and a Veggie BBQ on the mountain. But there are various off-snow activities as well. You can start each morning with Ride Yoga Session presented by Nikita Clothing (us!) or hang out at an art show, be part of several workshops, meet like-minded girls during interesting talks or watch some movie screenings. The focus is on having fun together on and off the slopes whether if you´re a pro rider or beginner and mountain lover.

Highlights

Each Morning: Ride Yoga Session by Nikita Clothing with Paula Viidu

Saturday After Shred: Nikita Denim Upcycling Session at Blue Tomato Store

Sunday: G.W.R. Coaching Session hosted by the girls of Shred Unit and supported by Nikita Team Rider Katha Buchegger (snowboard), Lisa Filzmoser (snowboard) and Laura Wallner (freeski).

To get an impression of last year’s event, please find some images below: 

 

 

Tickets & Timetable

Don´t miss any of your favorite activities at Slay Days 2020, look up the schedule and get your ticket right here: https://slaydays.girlsareawesome.com/#tickets

With a ticket for the Slay Days you also get 50% discount on the liftticket. Bring your best friend and join us for Girls Are Awesome Slay Days in Innsbruck! We´re looking forward to seeing you there!

One skier, one snowboarder – one amazing girl's trip!

Gwen and Ana from France were in Siberia for a girls trip in November and December. Lucky for us, they checked out the snowboarding conditions and reported back! 

How did you choose your destination Siberia?
The idea was born in Summer 2018 when Ana was travelling through Russia and Siberia for 2 months. She absolutely fell in love with the culture, the vibes and the landscapes, especially with the place, Lake Baikal. Looking at the other side of the lake, she got the idea that those mountains cloud be skiable. She called me and said "Gwen we need to come back here for skiing" and after doing some research, I found a magic valley and my answer was “YES”.

What makes Siberia special?
Siberia is something indescribable, you really have to experience it and feel it yourself. This part of Russia around Lake Baikal has nothing to do with the occidental part of the country, it's totally different from Moscow. The people there are not so cold as we got to know them. They are always ready to help. Kind is a weak word to describe people over there. But most of them took us for crazy girls, travelling alone with backpacks and ski bags just to reach the inland sea.

The landscapes were amazing: Long roads, endless steppes, listening to the music of the wind through the prayer ribbons. The smell of the fireplaces and the silence impressed us. Sometimes it felt like time stopped.

How was the snow and riding powder in Siberia?
The locals explained to us that the snow is always very fresh because the lake makes a special climate. During our trip, we met a few people who ski around the globe and everyone told us that the snow is comparable with Japanese powder - but please keep it as our little secret! 

Your best day was….
When we finally got to our secret valley after a long trip, negotiation and adventures. Special thanks to the locals there who let us use a Hut for free during our journey.

 

Your next destination is….
If we had to choose a new destination, I would actually choose the same place. My dream was to ski with a sea view - and around Baikal, you can make some powder turns while looking at the deepest lake in the world.

3 tips going to Siberia...
1) take a train, that is probably the best local Russian experience you can have
2) take some patience in your bags
3) travel with your best buddy and a dictionary

Kids these days - they have everything easy! From getting a smartphone before they can walk, to never knowing what it was like to trudge home uphill both ways in a blizzard - life as a little kid is plush.

And speaking of living the good life, we at Nikita are doing our part to keep these kiddos wrapped in the lap of luxury. Our signature Nikita Chikitas collection is made specifically for the tiniest girls who ride, for those little rippers close to your heart and closest to the ground (their falls are so much softer than us big kids' 😂).

When creating the Chikitas line, our designer Natalie spent some time thinking about what, as a mother, was important to her in her kids' outerwear. The conclusion she came to was that longevity was key and that the best kind of kid's outerwear is the kind that lasts for more than one season. Something she knew was always frustrating was how unintuitive and single-use the current 'extendable' offerings were for kids outerwear. With that as her inspiration, Natalie came up with the Grow-With-Us system. A completely unique technology that lets you extend the life of your kid's garment literally and figuratively with its adjustable sleeve lengths and pant legs.

When you first buy a Chikita jacket or pant you can have it at the shortest setting, then when that tyke grows (and they will grow, fast!) - flip the garment inside out, extend the Grow-With-Us system tab in the sleeves and pant legs, then flip back in and let your kid do the riding. When they've finally outgrown the jacket, you can shorten the sleeves and pant legs again to use as a hand me down to a younger sibling or gift to a friend. 

The next thing to do? Follow them down the mountain and watch them progress! 

 

Last year, Summer Fenton took a trip to snowboard in a place that rarely comes to mind when you think of winter - India. With slopes (nearly) all to herself and her crew, Summer found new terrain both in bounds and out to ride and made time to connect with the local culture all around her.

Watch the full edit below and let us know what you think! Should you book your next winter getaway to India too?    

 

 

Also - in case you missed it, Summer sent us a recap of what the trip was like last season. To get more insight on this otherworldly adventure, go read it now!

 

 

From Snowboarder Mag - "Pennsylvania ripper, Ari Morrone headed into the streets last winter to apply her Big Boulder-honed finesse to urban metal.

Laps at Boulder have paid dividends in the city–expect to see more from this Ari this season. Edit by Avery Wrubleski Media. Filmed by Gabe Marzillier, Liam Doyle, Naima Antolin, and Joey and Maggie Leon."

We partnered with Staf Mag in Spain to sponsor their annual arts and culture festival, which aims to educate young students on alternative cultures.

Sustainability is important. You know this, we know this and here at Nikita we have made a commitment to sustainability and to increasing our efforts to help support a healthy planet and healthy life.

We aren't going to sit here and try and tell you that we're the best, or that we never make mistakes or that we know everything. We don't.

What we can do (and what we are doing) is trying - we're searching for more sustainable materials and rethinking our current practices and processes to see how we can improve on what we've been doing over the years. The goal is to be a part of making a difference in the world one step at a time.

So what have we been doing to make good on this? Nikita Clothing has begun integrating a new insulation into our outerwear. The insulation is a material from Thermore^® called Ecodown^®. Curious about what that is? Here's a little info from Thermore^® about this down-alternative insulation - 

"...the Ecodown^® product line is made of fully recycled content, derived exclusively from PET water bottles. The new Ecodown^® is the only synthetic product in the market to be made from 100%, post-consumer plastic bottles."

This insulation is made from recycled plastic bottles (keeping waste out of landfills), and through its careful creation its earned itself a bluesign approval. 

"BLUESIGN is a system that provides safer and more sustainable environments for people to work in and everyone to live in. Powered by a holistic approach, BLUESIGN traces each textile’s path along the manufacturing process, making improvements at every stage from factory floor to finished product. BLUESIGN changes the environmental impact of textiles for good. As a solution provider and knowledge broker, BLUESIGN acts as an independent verifier to secure trust and transparency. Corresponding to this approach, BLUESIGN encourages the industry to increase their efforts in sustainable processes step by step."

There are a lot of ways we can continue to improve and we love sharing what we do with you, our community, so you know what we're doing and what goes into your outerwear. We couldn't wait to tell you about this one and we STILL can't wait to tell you about what we have for our next streetwear collection coming up (hint: 'organic' ingredients aren't just for your food!)

Check out the pieces from this season that include the new Thermore^® Ecodown^® insulation and let us know which is your favorite!

Right now we're pretty stuck on the Poplar Jacket, but the Banyon seems to be calling our name too 🤔

The below pieces feature Thermore^® Ecodown^® -

Poplar Jacket

Sycamore Jacket

Banyon Jacket

Distortion Parka

We are so excited to announce the addition of Nora Beck to the growing Nikita Team! As a park powerhouse and streetstyle queen (emphasis on style), you've probably seen Nora's videos parts in films like Too Hard, Buddy Cam, or maybe you watched her compete (and win!) at rail jams and competitions like Hot Dawgs & Hand Rails, Dew Tour Streetstyle, Das Tables, or even SKOLF. If not, watch this real quick.  

She has the kind of effortless style that makes you think for a second that maybe you could try that back 180 she just did. And then you remember, it's Nora and she's not just sending it hard and fast but she's doing it with her own flair that's impossible to replicate.

Urban riding means Nora's no stranger to gnarly falls and you've probably seen a hard slam or two on her Instagram. Her uninhibited attitude about snowboarding carries into her humor, which means she's not afraid to laugh at herself and post videos of her slams and she's a hoot to hang out with on and off the slopes. 

Every season Nora's been getting more of the recognition she deserves and she just keeps on hucking it and honing her craft. We are beyond proud to have her on the team and stoked to see what she's cooking up this season. 

First of all, welcome to the team! Let’s start off with the basics. Where are you from and what was your home mountain growing up?
Thanks! Stoked to be a part :) I grew up in Virginia, and a little place called Wintergreen.

How did it influence your style and approach to snowboarding?
I feel like at those small resorts it’s so much easier to get bored so you really need to be able to entertain yourself. I can have so much fun on the flattest groomer sometimes it’s great.

You are known for your skills in the park, were there a lot of other girls riding park growing up?
Not really, the scene is especially small over there.

Who were/have been the biggest influences in your snowboarding career?
I’m not sure. I feel like everyone brings a little bit to the table and gives you a little click like “whoa I could do that!”

You recently competed in Hot Dawgs and HandRails at Big Bear and you got second place, congrats by the way! What’s your mentality going into rail jam competitions?
Thanks! I’m not very good at crowds and pressure like that so I try to distance
myself mentally as far away as I can. My mom always told me I had tunnel vision growing up so I try to tap into that lol.

HDHR is known as a pre-season invite-only rail jam. How do you feel an invitation to HDHR is different than an invitation to a competition like X Games?
Couldn’t compare the two, honestly. If I ever get an X Games invite I’ll let you know.

In general, do you feel like urban/streetstyle riding is gaining in popularity?
I hope so. It’d be sick to see all these girls killing it also filming parts.

Speaking of urban/streetstyle, you had a feature in the Too Hard movie last season, what was it like filming with the Too Hard girls?
Two years ago, yeah I spent some time with Kayli and Danyale and some other girls in the Midwest. It was a good time, definitely far from boring.

Can you (are you able to) tell us some of the events you’ll be at/projects you’ll be working on this season? Maybe more film parts?
Lips are sealed, but keep your eyes peeled.

Well we are stoked to have you on the team! Do you have a favorite piece from our line that you’ll be rocking this season?
SWEATPANTS.

If you want to keep up with Nora (and all her secret projects!) this season, follow her on Instagram: @snore.a!

STRAWBERRY (BERLIN) MEETS ALASKA – PHOTO EXHIBITION AND 25^TH SHOP ANNIVERSARY

Our friends over at Strawberry Shop Berlin are celebrating their 25th Anniversary of being in business with a photo exhibit of their most recent group snow trip - to Alaska! Read on to hear from Strawberry owner Juliane about how their trip went and where to find them to see the full photo exhibit in person.

My name is Juliane and I am the owner of Strawberry – a cool girl fashion store in the middle of Berlin which exists since 1995. I am organizing snowboard trips for girls only since the very beginning of the shop. We´re always trying to go to special spots like Hawaii Big Island, Sierra Nevada Spain, Saarisälkä Finnland, Oppdal Norway or Stryn,… so far, there was only missing Alaska!

No sooner said than done, our last trip beginnings of the year was to Alaska. We´ve been together with a professional photographer team called Cameraworkers.

Alaskan people are very crazy, but super friendly at the same time. At 23 Fahrenheit, all of them are wearing shorts and flip flops. It´s kind of a hot day for them. They are always looking for party, but on the other hand due to their roots, they are very close to nature.

This is understandable since the nature and the views on the top of the mountains are just amazing. If the weather is good, you can see the ocean while boarding. And at our arrival we´ve seen two reindeers in front of a house. Unfortunately, we haven´t seen any bears, but they told us that there is a bunch out there – maybe next time.

Regarding the snow, I am actually speechless. It was just incredible. The snow feels different, I am pretty sure because it´s so close to the sea and the clouds are snowing immediately. Furthermore it was snowing the whole time giant snowflakes. Every morning between 7 and 10 am they had to blow up avalanches. The idea behind the trip was actually doing some shots while Heliskiing, but it was impossible due to the heavy snow falls. The helicopter couldn´t event start. Therefore we had to search our own slopes on the hills and we were riding a lot on the slopes. Riding in Alaska is at a high level – they have so many black slopes for advanced riders. We (and you) definitely have to go snowboarding or skiing in Alaska (once again).

Convince yourself and check out our upcoming event on December 7^th. We´re going to do a special photo exhibition and celebrate our 25^th anniversary. Please feel free to join us for some hot wine and cookies. Furthermore, there will be the option to buy some of the shots of Alaska – (Do you still need a Christmas present?) and a photo shooting to win from Cameraworkers. We´re looking forward to seeing you!

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/789738531471587/

 

Born and raised in San Francisco, Summer Fenton grew up as the ultimate weekend warrior, making trips up to Tahoe as much as she could from the time she was four years old. Love at first turn, she started competing two years later at the age of six and worked her way up the ranks in halfpipe competing in Olympic Qualifiers, Dew Tour, Grand Prix & World Cups. Most recently, she’s been coaching for the women’s snowboarding camp, Beyond the Boundaries, and filming video parts. 

You may recognize her by her Instagram handle @Badgirlsumsum but Summer’s been on the Nikita team for almost five years. An easygoing soul always armed with a positive energy and willingness to try anything and everything, Summer travels around the world chasing her passion for snowboarding. We had the opportunity to sit down with her (in between trips!) and chat with her about her history with Nikita, her thoughts on diversity in the industry, and how her parents kept her motivated.

Do you have a nickname or does everyone call you Summer?Everyone calls me Summer but I got a little secret for you… my full name is BrianaSummer Fenton. My parents made a bet before I was born. If I was born before the first day of summer my dad would win and my name would be Briana and if I was born after my mom would win and my name would be Summer. Well my dad won by a couple days but when I was 5 my mom asked if I wanted to be name Summer and I said sure and I've been going by it ever since.

How long have you been snowboarding?
I’ve been snowboarding for 20-21 years. I started when I was four and I’m 25 now.

Did your whole family ride?
Yup, the whole fam bam!

Do you remember who your first ever sponsor was?
SFO Snowboard shop on Haight St. in San Francisco. It was the only local shop in SF.

How did you go about finding sponsors?
I was so young like 6 so my dad would send “Sponsor Me” tapes in the mail to brands and then i rode for Burton and Roxy.

Did your dad film them?
Haha oh yea, dad cam all the way! And then my mom would pick the music and then their friend would edit the video

For up and coming young snowboarders looking to make it in the industry, do you have any advice for them?
I think the best advice is to just keep having fun. Do what’s best for you. There’s no rules in snowboarding so you can do whatever you want, be creative as you can be, and just don’t give up. Keep trying.

How long have you been riding for Nikita?
I’ve been riding for Nikita for about 4-5 years.

How did you end up riding for Nikita?
I was riding for Bonfire for about a year and then Jenna became the Team Manager of both Bonfire and Nikita and I called her up one day and said “ Hey, I feel like I’m more of a fit for Nikita” and she said “yea i think so too” and I was just like awesome while internally having a celebratory dance party. And the rest was history.

What kind of changes have you seen from Nikita since you started riding for us?
Growing up Nikita was that “it” company filled with badass females (still is) and then it kind of disappeared for a little bit. And ever-since I’ve been on the team, its been only moving in one direction which is up. It’s only been getting better from fit wise to outerwear that is functional and super cute to the overall brand growing while still staying true to their values. They listen to their rider’s feedback and ideas which just makes all the outerwear #forgirlswhoride which is rad! I’m so excited for the future with Nikita.

Do you have a favorite piece in the 19/20 line?
I like everything! It’s so hard to choose… why does everything have to fit so well and look so cute. If i could switch kits everyday I would so that I could wear the whole collection haha. It’s a hard choice but my favorite is the Sycamore Jacket

You recently modeled for us in our 2020/21 winter catalog. What was that like for you?
It was super fun and honestly I was just so excited to see all the new putter and try everything on. I think everyone is going to be really stoked about it!

Being in the industry so long, what are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry as a whole?
I’ve noticed the industry goes through waves. Like right now I feel that the women snowboard community is growing yet, there are not many new younger girls getting into it. I’ve also noticed that they aren't as many contest anymore especially that include open qualifiers or free registration. I remember that those open qualifiers and free registration contests like Gatorade Free Flow or Burton Ams or Burton U.S. Open Qualifiers are the contest that got my foot in the door and gave me the opportunity to get where I wanted to be. Because of winning those contests I was able to compete on the professional circuit for many many years which included Dew Tour, Burton U.S. Open, World Championships,Grand Prix and World Cups.

Are there any changes you’d still like to see?
I’d like to see more opportunities for new comers and females and more of those free registration, fun contests that makes it accessible for all. I feel like the level of riding for girls is getting insane. The ladies are going full throttle and we want to inspire more young shredders to strap in on a board and throw down, so we need to give females more resources/opportunities to shine and show off their passion and skill. I feel very fortunate that my sponsors are very inclusive and supportive especially Nikita. I feel grateful to be a part of the team and that they give women the opportunities to be apart of the industry. I think things are getting slightly better and moving in the right direction so just keep killing it ladies!

So you are apart of something called Soy Sauce Nation, can you tell us a little bit about that?
Soy Sauce Nation is a group of Asian Snowboarders and its pretty cool because I grew up never seeing people like me on the mountain, I’m half-Filipino, half-white. Being apart of Soy Sauce Nation just means that I’m apart of this community where people of Asian Heritage can connect, support, and be proud of one another all while shredding the slopes

Have you seen more diversity in action sports?
Yes and no. I still think snowboarding is a white cultures sport. For instance, I travel to A LOT of places mostly mountains and people will think I’m super tan or exotic looking but actually I'm not that tan or exotic looking back home because I live in an extremely diverse community. I’m seeing a teeny tiny bit more diversity but thats only in mountains near a city or if I’m at a big contest like a world cup or something where it brings in riders from other countries. But honestly most the time I can still count on my fingers how many people of color are on the mountain or in the park.

Do you think there are things that the industry, or big companies, could be doing better to help with diversity?
Snowboarding is a very expensive sport and not accessible to all which is why it would be amazing if more companies made little foundations or non profits to get more people of all backgrounds involved. I think its cool that Nikita puts on G.W.R. events that are free and accessible to all ladies of all ages and that the Nikita Team riders are involved and help teach and stoke out the ladies on snowboarding. Growing up and following my snowboarding dreams was a struggle.I didn't come from money so my family would make sacrifices for me. We would sleep in the car, couches, motels or sleeping bags on someones floor on the weekends. It was tough but it all worked out for the best in the end. It’s a hard sport to succeed in if you don't have money.

You also skate and surf. Do you think doing other board sports have affected your style or approach to snowboarding?
Definitely, I grew up surfing and skateboarding with my Dad and siblings. We live a block away from Ocean Beach and we always had skate ramps or halfpipes in our backyard so we were always on some type of board growing up. When I ride pow, I def get a little surf-y with it. You could see it in my arms lol. I love being able to do these sports in the off season. It just keeps me calm and in the zone because I feel very antsy when I’m not snowboarding.

It sounds like your dad has had a pretty influence on your sports.
My dad is the man-haha. He’s the person that showed me all these board sports. Him and my mom and my siblings really supported me, they drove me 3 1/2hrs to Tahoe every weekend. It’s a good feeling when your parents believe in you, believe in your dreams and want the best for you. Even when it was a struggle and a sacrifice for them they still made it happen somehow. I owe everything to their support and love

Did your parents have any sayings or anything that helped motivate you?
Their only saying was “get straight A’s in school or you aren’t going snowboarding” haha. So that was the deal. I had to do really well in school to snowboard.

If you weren’t a pro snowboarder, what sport would you like to be a pro in and why?
Surfer. Change it up a bit. Go to tropical places instead of really cold places haha.

Anything you’d like to add?
Shout out to my family, everyone in Nikita, Zeal Optics, Arbor, Medterra, Le Bent and to all the homies.

If you want to keep up with Summer on all her adventures this winter, make sure to follow her on Instagram, 

Guest blog by Katie Blundell

Is it possible to tick every single snowboarding “box” in one week? To have a week of “work” where it actually just feels like riding with your girl mates every day? To have so much fun that you didn’t even miss your husband/children that much?!*

(*disclaimer: I did miss them sometimes)

Let me tell what went down on the girls-only Ticket To Ride Snowboard Camp in Meribel, France in April. Best week of “work” I think I’ve ever had. 

DAY 1- ARRIVAL DAY

I set off from the UK to host my first official girls-only snowboard camp in Meribel. I was actually meant to host the previous 2, but I ended up having babies instead. Leaving motherhood back in England, baby food and Lego a distant memory, I was raring to go.

I met half of the girls at the airport. You know when you instantly get a good vibe from people? Well as soon as I met them, I knew we were in for an epic week. The drive up to the mountains was amazing, felt like coming home. Funny how everything looks even more beautiful when you haven’t seen it in a while. I may have even cried a little, shhhh!!

The conversation in the van was buzzing, obviously centered around snowboarding. The girls seemed to have clicked already. We arrived at our PIMP chalet (did I mention it had a hot tub) and were greeted by our lovely chalet hosts. The sun was shining and it was impossible not to be happy. The remainder of the girls slowly arrived and the rest of the day is a haze of excited chatter, blissful mountain sunshine and possibly some champagne?! Last but not least, our world class snowboard instructor and GB coach Corinne Mayhew (aka Cozza) arrived. The group was complete. I must say, us “athletes” were very well behaved and tucked in for an early night in preparation for the first day. After opening our Nikita goody bags that were left on our beds of course. Sweet dreams.

DAY 2- FIRST DAY- LIKE RIDING A BIKE

Meribel delivered the goods. We awoke to the sun shining into our little chalet. Fueling our bellies with tea and croissants, we got ready for snowboarding. For many of us, particularly me, it had been a while. Once we had all decided on how many layers we should be wearing (always the problem on the first day), we began the short commute to the hill. The first chair lift is always funny. Everyone is trying to seem like they have their s*it together, but really everyone is thinking “oh my god, I hope I can remember how to get off!!” You’ll be relieved to know we all managed it. 

At the top of the lift, Cozza put our first day nerves at ease with some fun warm up games. Then we tackled snowboarding.

It IS like riding a bike. We did a few “remembering how to snowboard” runs to start. After the shakey first turns, it starts to come back to you. We were really lucky as all the group were at a similar level so we could all work on similar stuff and stick together. Cozza put us on the straight and narrow from the outset by concentrating on our technique, a good base for those Triple Corks later on in the week! 

It was a fun, non-serious day, rounded off with some Snowboard Tripods (google it) and group photos. Cozza has a way of making every one relax and creating a chilled mood. Together with the lack of testosterone, this created the perfect environment for progression.

We headed back down the mountain for an afternoon yoga session and a chance to warm down our bodies. Not forgetting indulging in cake for afternoon tea. We earned it!

DAY 3- FREESTYLE WAS THE NAME OF THE DAY

Wait, another sunny day in paradise?! Yes please. Beautiful sunshine and everyone in high spirits, we started off the day with a fun-Cozza-warm-up again. We professionally assessed the conditions (!) and decided that today felt like a Freestyle Day. 

We started off the session with some flat land jibbing. 180s and buttering. Next we introduced Ollies….then Ollie and 180s together, ooooo now we are getting technical! Once we felt like the girls had found their freestyle mojo, we upped the game and headed to the Terrain Park. We found the most perfect little jumps to start practicing on. Cozza gave me the lead in the park session, as back in the day (cave ages) I used to be a park rat!. Well, more like a park Hamster, but I loved it!

The girls were keen as mustard. Even when the coaching had finished, they carried on lapping the jumps. 

And what’s the best way to end an epic park session?? Après of course! We headed to the Folie Douce, danced on tables and used our gloves as twirling battons!

Then it was Quiz Night……what happens at Quiz Night, stays at Quiz Night. All I can say is that the Nikita prizes went down a treat. 



DAY- 4 DAY OFF- HOT TUB ANYONE?!

The word on the street was that the girls had an awesome day (without coaches) on the mountain. They put everything they had learnt so far into action and even took themselves to the park again.

I can also confirm that Cozza and I had an AMAZING day. Of course, we went to the park. We also hot tubbed…and napped. NEVER get to do that at home.

OU OUT in the evening for a very French meal. C’est Bon!!

DAY-5 POWDER DAY

“No friends on a powder day” was 100% NOT the theme here. We were all ready for action pretty sharpish once we realised it has been snowing all night and there was a huge amount of fresh powder to be had. Ridding powder is a totally different technique. Cozza gave us her expert instruction and got all the girls boosting through it in no time. I may have even seen some of them doing some slashes?! Visibility wasn’t great, so we headed to some trees and found a good line in-between them. 

Wow powder riding is hard work on your body, so what better way to recover than some hot tub-snow plunges??!! You need some guts (and chalet wine?) to do this, but oh my god you feel good after. Good for your body, and for Instagram!

After a pretty hardcore day, we opted for a chick flick evening. Pajamas were obligatory. 

DAY-6 TRANCEIVERS

BLUEBIRD!!! Blue skies and fresh snow=HEAVEN. To access more terrain and some untracked snow we got some transceivers. After testing that they all worked and giving the girls a brief run down, we hit some off piste. For me this was definitely a highlight of the week, and judging by the girls faces, I think they were pretty stoked too. We took it in turns and everyone was so encouraging to each other. The vibe was lush.

But all good things must come to an end. For me anyway. I had to leave the girls here as I had to go back to the UK to catch another flight to the Philippines (hard life). What a high to leave things on. 

DAY 7- LAST DAY

Gutted to not spend the girls last day with them, but reports were that they had another epic day. I have no doubt that Cozza made the final day one to remember.

THE END

Honestly it was the best week with the best crew of girls. Everything just seemed to work out, you know?! 

We were a group of ladies that had all come together from different backgrounds, with different stories and different shit going on. But we were all there for one thing….snowboarding, so that instantly made us friend. Everyone looked out for each other and we felt like a real team. All the girls 100% progressed their snowboarding, leaving with new tricks and steeze, and new friends. 

It wasn’t JUST the snowboarding either. There was the best banter from start to finish and an incredible atmosphere. For me, I never once felt it was “work”, I just felt like I was on holiday with my mates. Girl shred crews are hard to find, so when you do, you have to stick together. 

If you interested in next Ticket to Ride's Girls Snowboard Weekend, you can sign up online now! If you want to check out all of Ticket to Ride's snowboard and ski camps, head to their website. They offer camps in Canada, New Zealand, France and Japan!