A local organization that supports BIPOC skiers and snowboarders in Vermont says its membership has grown dramatically over its four seasons.
Unlikely Riders is a nonprofit that organizes community events at local ski mountains aimed at Black and Indigenous people and other people of color. They also offer classes and gear. Currently, they have 450 members.
Hana Saydek is the group's executive director and says it's about building relationships and working together.
"All these BIPOC folks sharing our stories and seeing what we've seen and like how we want to move forward in this space," Saydek said. "Folks are able and become ski and snowboard instructors.”
Ferene Paris is a member of the group. She says it wasn't until she joined Unlikely Riders that she felt able to reclaim the mountain and remind her that it was hers to have, too.
"Winter is so long here, and when people say you need a thing, I get it," Paris said. "Once I had access to skiing, there was a language now that I could speak and understand."
On Friday, Unlikely Riders will be at the Middlebury Snow Bowl.
Broadcast at noon Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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