Romell Ward first learned to snowboard while he was in the Army, traveling to resorts around the world with a group of friends who were as diverse as the places they visited.

“Every color, every creed,” he said.

After moving to Colorado in 2018, Ward continued to enjoy winter sports and often went to the slopes solo. He’d connect with other – mostly white – skiers, who were largely welcoming. But a few unsavory encounters stick with him to this day.

Ward recalls how people, emboldened by a few beers, would comment about the lack of people of color who ski.

“The jokes start coming in. I’d get dirty looks sometimes walking through like I’m not supposed to be there. Sometimes just outright racial slurs shouted at me as people zip by the hill,” said Ward, who is African-American. “It happens a lot to us.”

Ward recognized a need for safe spaces in Colorado snow sports for people of color. So he decided to create one.

In 2021, Ward founded the BIPOC Mountain Collective with a mission to introduce more people from diverse backgrounds to skiing and snowboarding. The organization aims to lower the barriers to entry for snow sports and build a robust community of outdoor enthusiasts who recreate together.

One way it does that is by providing low-cost opportunities for individuals to learn the basics of snow sports and try them out before investing in pricy equipment and gear.

“One of the things that people believe is that people of color don’t ski because they can’t afford to. Because skiing’s just too expensive, it’s an elitist sport, and so on and so forth. That’s not necessarily the truth,” Ward said. “The narrative we’re trying to show, it’s not that it’s too expensive — it’s too expensive to try and see if you like it.”

In October, BIPOC Mountain Collective hosted more than 70 people for a beginner clinic at the Snöbahn indoor training facility. Semi-private lessons start at $60, but BIPOC Mountain Collective subsidized the price so its members paid $25 each.

Membership to the organization carries a $39.99 annual fee, which supports Ward’s administrative functions. Member perks include first access to sign up for events, plus other discounts and incentives. Folks can also sign up for the BIPOC Mountain Collective’s email list for free to keep up to date on local happenings.

On Dec. 2, the group travels to Eldora Mountain Ski Resort where members get a lift ticket, skiing or snowboarding lessons, and access to an après ski barbecue for $50. Tickets to the second annual event are sold out, but the barbecue is free and open to the public. Anyone who wants to purchase their own lift ticket is welcome to join in the fun. Ward expects about 100 people to attend.

Members can also borrow snow apparel, skis and snowboards from BIPOC Mountain Collective’s gear locker free of charge. That helps nascent skiers understand the utility and feel of certain equipment so they’re more prepared when they need to buy or rent their own, Ward said.

BIPOC Mountain Collective hosts monthly ski trips in the winter, during which its members carpool to a resort, enjoy the slopes and toast to the day with an après ski tailgate. Additionally, Ward plans to organize backcountry trips this season for adept skiers looking for a community to shred with.

These opportunities are already growing the community. Ward said about a third of people who come to the collective with little or no experience end up becoming regular riders within a year or two. That adds representation on the slopes, another key component to making the mountains more accessible.

According to the Lakewood-based National Ski Areas Association, the vast majority of people who participate in downhill snow sports identify as white. In its most recent demographic survey, conducted during the 2022-23 ski season, just 1.5% of respondents identified as Black or African-American compared to 88.1% who identified as white.

Skiing’s reputation as a white sport is hardly new. When it was first adopted as a recreational activity in the United States in the mid-20th century, skiing was marketed as an extension of European and Scandinavian culture. Against the backdrop of segregation and the Civil Rights movement, Black skiers faced discrimination, leading to the founding of several Black ski clubs that enabled recreators to travel in groups for added safety.

In 1973, the National Brotherhood of Skiers convened in Aspen for a first-of-its-kind summit that brought together more than 350 enthusiasts from Black ski clubs across the country. The organization just celebrated its 50th anniversary in Vail earlier this year and will return to celebrate its homecoming Dec. 13 to 17 at Copper Mountain, an apt opportunity for local skiers of color to find community.

“If you want to do this but don’t know where to start, homecoming is a great way to do that because you get discount on lift tickets, half off lessons and there’s a full gamut of entertainment that’s occurring at the same time,” Ward said.

While winter is BIPOC Mountain Collective’s busiest season, the group is part of the larger Vibe Tribe Adventures organization that plans excursions throughout the year to promote diversity and equity in outdoor recreation.

The BIPOC Mountain Collective’s tagline is “never ride alone” so people of color know they always have a place in the outdoors.

“There’s this feeling usually when you’re a person of color and you’re doing something not typically associated with us — you feel alone,” Ward said. “By joining us you’re not alone, you don’t ever have to ride alone.”

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