Snow of tomorrow | Empowerment while shredding

In a way, skiing is a mirror of society. This is nothing new for us at POW, as we experience this in our daily lives as active winter sports enthusiasts and committed climate protectors. Every time we try to get to our ski tours or to the nearby ski resorts in an environmentally friendly way, we transfer parts of the social discourse on climate change into our personal lives. With our blog posts, we want to show how skiing and freeriding can be organised sustainably and thus inspire others. As skiers, we stand up for our values and are both participants and observers of social developments.

As we at POW also know how much climate protection has to do with gender inequality and the debate on gender equality is one of the most pressing issues of our time alongside climate change, it is natural for us to stand up for inclusive winter sports. Unfortunately, skiing, especially freeskiing, is still seen as a privileged men's sport. One person who is actively helping to change this is POW athlete Rosina Friedel. In 2023, she won the "Newschoolers Female Skier of the Year" award. However, as our interview makes clear, this is not the only reason to talk to her in detail about skiing and women.

Martin: When and by whom was the project launched?

Rosi: I was inspired by a similar project, the "Boobiebrettler", who have been successfully establishing the topic of gender equality in the skate scene for a long time, and that's why I started the "peanutbutter.club". At the moment, I'm still doing the organisational things on my own and my sponsors are supporting me. Of course, I'm always happy for help.

Martin: How do you think the project is being perceived? Do you have followers?

Rosi: I have the feeling it's going down well and our joint sessions are always well attended. In autumn, we also had a Repair&Care event at SpurArt. In their ski workshop in Innsbruck, we women were able to get our skis ready for winter together. We also offered an avalanche course in winter so that we could also be present away from the snow park. All these events were well attended. At the avalanche course, we realised that the topic of safety plays a major role for many girls when freeriding.

There is now a small regular crew, but we are always open to new faces! Especially when you have just started riding in the park, many people report how much the group helps to strengthen each other and clear their heads.

Martin: In addition to the "peanutbutter.club", you have also launched another girls-only project. What exactly is behind "Bucket Clips". How did the idea come about?

Rosi: Originally we had planned another film project in cooperation with "Newschoolers", but unfortunately something came up. We were inspired by the snowboard film "Uninvited", which only features women and was produced by women, so we came up with the idea of creating a similar project for female skiers. Unfortunately, there wasn't an independent girls-only ski film yet, so we collected clips of ourselves and those that were sent to us, and we edited them into a film in which every girl gets her own platform. In the end, I was really happy with the final result and thought the submissions were really cool!

Martin: Why do you think it's important to organise such projects in video format too?

Rosi: I think it's a good way to show the diversity of freeskiing. As an outsider, you might assume that women mainly take part in competitions like World Cups or the Olympics. In reality, however, competitions are only one part of the scene; there are also women in other areas, such as urban skiing or freeriding, who really have what it takes and this should definitely be shown. Video is the best way to do this.

Martin: How was it to collect the clips and find girls to take part?

Rosi: We wrote to girls this year and last year and asked them if they wanted to send something and have film footage of themselves. We also launched an open call last winter with the support of Newschoolers, which resulted in a second part.

Martin: Would you say your gender has an impact on the way you ski?

Rosi: I think it does have an effect on my skiing because I think a lot. It sometimes seems to me that men worry less about the consequences and that has consequences of course. Also, the female cycle definitely affects our emotions and how we feel, which plays a big part in skiing.

Martin: Do you think the time spent together and the successful encouragement among the girls also has an impact on their lives outside of skiing?

Rosi: I think it depends on the experiences you have in the group. Sharing great moments or daring to try something new definitely helps. A shared hobby strengthens togetherness and this can also boost your self-confidence. When you do something you enjoy, you are in a better mood and show this positive attitude to those around you. If you are doing well and having a good time, this has an effect on other people. I know from my own experience that success in sport definitely has an effect on my appearance as a person. Even if you have problems dealing with pressure or anxiety, for example, being together creates a framework in which you can share these worries and you emerge stronger from certain situations.

Martin: How do you think skiing would benefit from a more equal gender distribution?

Rosi: I do think that something like that would have a positive impact. It would certainly be easier for women to gain a foothold in such a male-dominated sport. I also notice that there's often a different atmosphere in women's groups because you motivate each other more and see what other women can do without being put off. That can inspire you. But I think men also have a positive influence on sport and I wouldn't attribute that to just one gender.