(snow crunching)
- [Instructor] Yeah, good, good, good.
(instructor laughing)
- [Skier] Nice.
- [Narrator] This group of people were mostly strangers
just a few hours ago, but you can't tell.
- [Destinie] There you go, nice.
- [Narrator] They've bonded quickly.
They're all people of color, new to skiing and snowboarding.
- [Mai Li] Nice.
How far? - Good job.
- I just thought a lot about how
I think so many BIPOC people feel like
in order to participate in certain activities,
especially ones that are in predominantly white spaces,
you feel like you have to showcase exceptionalism
to feel like you even have a seat at the table.
And I'm just going to look this way.
- [Narrator] Everyone is here because of Open Slopes PDX,
a grassroots group getting people of color
out on the mountain.
Mai Li O'Keefe helped organize the second event of the year.
- Just seeing, you know, as many as like 20 BIPOC people
just like all hanging out,
like whether it's in the parking lot.
Today we are like front and center as people
were walking into the resort.
It's just so cool and it's just like something
that I really haven't experienced before.
- Yeah, you'll get it. - Eventually.
- It'll come. - We have time.
- We're gonna stick our butts out a little bit.
Kinda get low.
- [Narrator] The day is starting with some nerves
from Muri Rodriguez.
- This is my very first time snowboarding.
In fact, my first time touching a snowboard.
Got it.
(snow crunching)
This is really happening.
I'm gonna put like put my gear on,
put the snowboard on my feet
and I'm gonna go down like a tiny hill, but still a hill.
I'm gonna try not to hit anybody on the way down.
- [Skier] We'll get out of your way.
- You're already an other and then if also, on top of that,
you're new to the outdoor sport you're trying,
then it just kinda adds an extra layer of discomfort
and just it'll be much harder to relax
and learn and ease into it.
- We've all fallen so far,
so we know it's no big deal, right?
So this time we're just gonna try it again.
- [Skier] Nice.
Nice.
- [Muri] We all have something in common.
Either we grew up with our parents, were not able,
or didn't even know about winter sports
or just culturally there's similarities there.
You just feel like you understand each other
on a different level.
- Oh yeah, we're having a great time.
- [Narrator] It's a special feeling of pride for Mai Li,
bringing this group of Black Indigenous and people of color,
commonly known as BIPOC people,
to a space they describe as largely white.
- The ski culture has predominantly relied
on white generational wealth
and I think that there is sometimes like a certain level
of like comfort and even like ownership
and I think that making more room
for these like BIPOC outdoor groups
and queer groups as well,
I think that it sort of disrupts that
and it makes it for like a richer experience.
- [Narrator] Putting this event on took a lot of work,
a lot of donations, and a lot of passion.
- We provide lift tickets, we provide all the rentals.
We can gift $100 credits.
That way participants can get their own gear ahead of time.
- They don't need to be super tight right now.
- [Skier] Definitely tighten them up.
- [Narrator] They're also providing free lessons
taught by people of color to people of color.
- If you jump and you land,
that landing is where you should be.
Nice, nice, nice.
- [Mai Li] The instructors are incredible.
Like they do such a good job
like meeting people where they're at.
Even if you don't quite get it, like you can still tell
that everyone's having such a great time.
Like it's been really, really special to see people
playing in the snow like this.
- Done, you did it.
Good job, you did it.
Good job, and now we're gonna slide down.
(Destinie laughing)
There's a lot of opportunity for diversity,
but I would say that people need
to see themselves represented.
It's becoming more and more diverse,
which is awesome and amazing 'cause one of the things
that I want to be able to see is people who look like me,
not just skiing but also teaching and leading.
- [Narrator] With some patience,
Destinie has the skiers ready to go on their own
to take on the bunny hoop.
- [Skier] There you go.
Yeah, girl!
I feel like we need like the "Rocky" music or something.
(Skier humming "Rocky" theme)
- Everyone is killing it.
I have been like just blown away
by how quickly everyone's picking up on things.
- [Narrator] Including me.
As a person of color myself,
skiing for just the second time in my life.
Okay.
- [Skier] We go that way now?
- Here we go.
I'm taking part in the stumbles.
- Point downhill. - And falls and laughs.
It's like the sliding.
The sliding gets,
everybody gets up and then they start sliding.
And smiles.
- [Skier] Woo hoo hoo hoo, good job.
Gufi's awesome.
Oh yeah, you're right for house, babe.
- This was so sketchy the first time I tried it.
I almost fell down.
- [Narrator] Jeremy Gomez is a little more experienced
than the other participants.
- I come up here here because I need a thrill.
Like I like to have fun, I like to go fast.
I like to learn something new
and I like that feeling of being scared sometimes
'cause when you try something new, it's scary.
- [Narrator] But the unique experience of skiing
with other people of color is fresh.
- I feel comfortable with people
who I can talk Spanish with.
Let's say like I'm from the Dominican Republic,
so if I can find somebody to talk Spanish with,
gives me a little bit more confidence
that someone has my back out here.
Oh yeah, that was so dope.
That's so fun.
(Jeremy speaking Spanish)
- Overall, people have just showed
an immense amount of gratitude.
They're so excited to even be given this opportunity
because again, I think that just the opportunity
to try it out even isn't really afforded to most people.
(group laughing)
- [Narrator] As for what's next,
Open Slopes hopes to have more of these events,
potentially for kids.
- [Skier] Vegan.
- And then I was like, okay I haven't heard from Jeremy,
so it's probably fine.
Like I would've heard from you.
Thinking about long term, like I don't really wanna see
a group like ours as an exception.
I wanna see communities already established
because we've always been here.
It's just making it more of a normal part
of the outdoor scene.
(skiers chatting)
- Great people just doing their thing
in their own Northwesty way.
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