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Ski Magazine: High-Country Heroes
BIG-MOUNTAIN freeskier and ski-film star Lynsey Dyer keeps a cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue tacked to a hallway wall in her house as a reminder of the way things are for women in sports: that is to say, largely ignored. “I want it to be a female athlete on the cover, not just models,” she says. “That doesn’t seem to be too much to ask.”
Dyer, with fellow skiers and friends Vanessa Pierce and Claire Smallwood (pictured, from top), founded SheJumps, a Salt Lake City–based nonprofit with an eye toward building a community of like-minded women: strong, active and sick of the status quo. “I’m tired of seeing Britney Spears and Paris Hilton as role models,” she says. “We want to be a part of changing that.”
The group is pushing adventure-based empowerment for three grades of women: the never-evers, the backcountry pros and the active types in need of a little help from talented friends with extra gear. (Their slogan: “What would you dare to accomplish if you knew the only possible outcome was
success?”) This winter, SheJumps is hosting a campaign to get more women avvy-educated and into the backcountry, with classes, discounts and networks of similarly inclined ladies. Last fall, they offered a free two-day career conference for professional female athletes, with seminars on everything from finding an agent to exploiting the media. (Hey, wait a minute....) Salt Lake City contains a growing immigrant population, including a recent wave of Sudanese; SheJumps is working with local social services to gather women who might never otherwise set foot—or snowshoe—in Salt Lake’s surrounding wilderness. “It’s an incredible opportunity to educate people about these open spaces,” says Smallwood, and hopefully instill a passion for preservation.
As a nonprofit, SheJumps is also creating a grant fund to finance women’s adventures. “We’re here to philosophically, logistically and physically support women’s dreams,” Smallwood says. “We want women to make that jump, to build their confidence, to do something they didn’t think they could.”
Photo by Alexa Miller
SheJumps honored in Las Vegas
SHEJUMPS FOUNDERS Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce were awarded the Outdoor Industry Women’s Coalition (OIWC) “Pioneering Woman Award” on Jan. 31, 2008, for their outstanding mentorship and leadership skills in the snowsports industry.
The award, which was presented at the SIA SnowSports Trade Show in Las Vegas, marks an important cornerstone in the brief and vibrant history of SheJumps. As an organization that platforms itself on the basis of “helping women achieve their dreams,” the award is affirmation that the “applied for” nonprofit is, indeed, helping women reach success. The SheJumps crew—including dear friend and SJ executive director Claire Smallwood—stood in front of a room full of inspiring women such as 2007 OIWC Pioneering Woman Award winner Ski Press Publisher Anne-Marie Boissonnault and ‘06 First Ascent Award recipient (for a woman new to the industry who demonstrates strong potential for leadership) pro snowboarder/film producer Amber Stackhouse. There was certainly a lot of motivation to be driven from a crowd such as this particular one, as ‘07 First Ascent Award winner Sarah Bennett reminded us in her acceptance speech. SheJumps is extremely honored to receive this award.
If you are new to SheJumps or perhaps an old friend, the award might not have your name engraved on it, but you are right there with us. It’s this sort of communal motivation that we seek and hope to share with everyone. All Jumpers are part of this honor. Thanks everyone!!
For more on OIWC, visit www.oiwc.org. PHOTOS: (Top) Friends and family from left to right: A.J. Cargill, Vanessa Pierce, Marcia Dyer, Lynsey Dyer, Sunny Fenton (kneeling), Claire Smallwood, and Silvie Cargill; (Bottom) Vanessa Pierce, left, and Lynsey Dyer