A little midweek reading courtesy of OvR crew lady shredder Abbi…
While we kicked off February with a glorious first Ladies Only Session of the season, we ended the most epic month of winter strong with the spirit of sisterhood growing stronger, reaching from shredette to shredette throughout the OvR community. From the urban jungle of NYC to the peaceful mountains of Vermont, women’s snowboarding grew a louder voice this past weekend.
It all started on an eerily warm Thursday, featuring an evening of beers, babes, and boards (and Lombardi’s pizza, yum!) graciously hosted by Burton Snowboards in SoHo. The ladies of OvR swarmed the store with three goals in mind: to take power and become educated consumers about hard-goods technology, to bring a sense of empowerment and community, and of course, to kick it with some booze and brick-oven bites of deliciousness.
As Libby and I shared some of our insight regarding board technology, it was a beautiful moment to see eager nods as we explained the differences in tech, such as shapes (rocker, camber, or both?!) and flexes (what will help me ride switch better?). Watching women trying to figure out where they want to go with their riding, while meeting others to swap stories of gear gone wrong, was one of the proudest moments I’ve had participating in snowboarding as a lady. We got down to business and left Burton feeling more educated and more stoked.
After wrapping up the week at work, Sunday brought the ladies of OvR to Mount Snow for our second Ladies Only Session. A more intimate trip brought us to the mountain swiftly, where we gathered tips for growing more confident in carves, riding switch, handling steeps with more control, or getting off the ground with spins. Lunchtime brought us to the bar, where we gathered round and got to know each other better, sharing about our mornings and thinking about what we wanted for the afternoon. Some beers (and wine, ladies love the wine) later, we embarked onto a sunny and warm journey to Carinthia Park. Although we split up to practice different skills, the ladies stuck together cheering each other on as everyone learned a little more, progressed a little more, and most of all, walked away feeling confident and stoked. Another successful girly shred day in the books, and we hit the road enjoying the best in film that Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow have to offer, with ciders and snacks galore. A few items of swag were raffled into the crowd and we made it back to the city, smiles and hugs upon departure, basking in the glow of what we created in the OvR lady shredding crew.
High fives to everyone who came out Thursday and Sunday, our friends at Burton SoHo, and of course, the women of OvR.
-Abbi
