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 Skiin' with the Chicks

Story and Photos by Mitch Weber

From left, Jen, Gwen and Julie

Okay, I guess it's not exactly the most politically correct way to put it, but skiin' with the chicks rules. Oh and I don't mean skiing with the occasional girlfriend or wife, I mean skiing where you, the dude, are clearly the one tagging along.

A decade ago, industry analysts reported that 40% of telemark skiers were women. A few years later the situation had reversed: Currently women represent at least 60% of the total telemark skiing population in North America. So I guess if you haven't yet skied with the chicks, it's probably just a matter of time.

Recently I had the pleasure of tagging along one late spring morning here at Mammoth with a particularly interesting and fun group of telemark women. They were already on the mountain when I arrived, but it didn't take me long to find them. I just skied over to the bottom of the lift serving the steepest and most challenging terrain, and I waited. I knew that's where this group would be, and sure enough, within minutes we had hooked up.

Julie, Gwen and Jen, or as I like to think of them, the pilot/technician, the determined athlete, and the girl who just wants to have fun. Each has her own style and distinct approach to the sport, and perhaps best of all (sorry dudes, it has to be said), they aren't my boys. This day I would enjoy a different kind of camaraderie.

The Pilot/Technician

When she's not spiraling a C-130 down through a tiny strip of semi-secure airspace to a short-field landing at some remote outpost in war-torn Afghanistan, Julie can usually be found out on the hill, carving impossibly smooth tele turns and charging hard.

I've skied with Julie for years and I've always admired what I think of as her checklist-like, technical approach to the turn.

Truly a smooth mover, Julie has her telemark turn broken down into a sequence of moves that give her a strong, graceful style I've seen few folks able to match.

The Determined Athlete

In a sport where few take any lessons at all, Gwen stands apart as an expert skier who continues to seek out high-level instruction. She's determined to take her telemark turn as far as it can go… and as many of who have skied with her over the years know well, that's pretty darn far.

Gwen literally attacks every run she skies, it doesn't matter where on the hill she finds herself-- looking down a blue groomer or dropping into a steep, wind-packed chute-- it's all the same to Gwen. Another run to be conquered with speed, power, strength and precision.

She keeps a group moving and challenged.

The Girl Who Just Wants To Have FUN…

Years ago, back when we first met and skied together, Jen told me she's in it for the fun. Listening to her laugh and whoop with delight the other day reminded me of this, as did watching her ski with so much enthusiasm.

However, don't let the laughing and smiling fool you, this is a girl who takes her fun seriously. At the beginning of the season Jen set a goal to ski the backcountry 40 days, the area 40 days, and to get 40 days on cross-country gear. Interestingly, she was only working on the lift-served days when we got together earlier this month.

Dedicated to having fun… I like that!

Putting 'em all together…

You would think with all their various strivings that skiin' with the chicks might be kind of intense, and yet that never really seems to be the case at all… if there is an undercurrent of competition with these girls, as there so often is with us boys, I have yet to feel it. It's like skiing with your oldest of ski partners, the ones who have seen you flail and struggle and do well too, but who just don't really care that much anymore either way.

And then there are the lunchtime and après ski conversations. Guess what they like to talk about? Yeah dude, believe it or not they talk about gear, just like us. The difference is they don't seem to internalize their gear selections, especially their binding choices, to anywhere near the same extent as the boys. They've got their opinions and passions, but they seem to have a better grasp generally of the concept that just about everything in tele is still up for grabs, style, technique, gear, all of it. It's rather refreshing, actually.

Still, I wonder how much my presence affects how they relate to each other. After all, I am a dude, with all the stereotypical baggage, and that doesn't change no matter how much I try to stay in the background and just follow along. This was made humorously clear to me as the girls talked about possible things to do later that afternoon. "Well, let's see, what is there to do in Mammoth in the spring?" asked Gwen. Answering herself, she began to tick off the list, "hiking, biking, fishing, shopping…" There was the briefest of awkward moments before Gwen quickly added "for gear of course."

We all laughed but an interesting point had been (unintentionally) made. I'm pretty sure I won't be receiving an invite to go shopping anytime too soon, but I really do look forward to the next time I get to go skiin' with the chicks.

 

 

From left, Gwen, Jen, and Julie