After reading the West Elk Project article on #yesallwomen I couldn’t help but contemplate the many issues brought up in the article. Mainly I was wondering why this all hadn’t bothered me so much before. After all my whole life I have been just a girl in a “ski boy’s world.” I guess I avoid this topic because it’s not an easy one to talk about and the solution seems even more abstract and unattainable as the topic itself.
Words by Francesca Pavillard-Cain, Above Left Photo: Francesca in 2nd on the FWT podium last season
Growing up in Crested Butte skiing was as routine as walking and when I was really young; boys and girls alike skied all the time. Who was the best skier had nothing to do with gender. But then all of a sudden gender had everything to do with skiing talent. It was like a switch that abruptly turned off. All of a sudden I was the only girl in all of my skiing classes and later the only girl on the ski team. I don’t know if I consciously did so but at some point I resigned myself to “the fact” that I would never be the best in the class or the team. This was because “I was a girl and naturally I just didn’t have the same abilities or nerves.”
What changed? I can remember those splendid days when our parents dropped us off at the ski resort with our only supervision as a strictly enforced pick up time. Those days we were rowdy crew tearing around the mountain and the “dainty girls” were just as daring as the boys. Several Anthropological studies have attributed discrepancies in male and female sports to social reasons rather than biological reasons. This means that technically girls and boys should be capable of doing the same slopstyle tricks, race just as fast, or ski the same lines in a freeride competition. [1]
There is no doubt that there has been some cracking of the skiing glass ceiling but why do we still see inconsistencies?
Francesca just graduated from WSCU and is still competing on the Freeride World Tour. Photo: Trent Bona
I hate to admit the power of stereotypes and expectations like the “damsel in distress,” or “the stay-at-home moms.” But it’s pretty hard to deny these stereotypes haven’t infiltrated the extreme sport world when “having balls” is one of the sport’s most common sayings and praises. Working as a coach I see this all the time. Boys and girls of all ages embrace and elaborate on these stereotypes. I mean we have attributed having female genitalia as a reason for being a chicken (Ed’s note: “Come on, PUSSY“). These ideas are everywhere in our media, coaches, parent, and peers. When a girl is faced with the choice of being second rate on the ski team, excelling in the female-dominated dance world, or not continuing her athletic pursuits at all, for most it’s an easy choice.
I am not trying to hate on everyone associated with training girls, a lot of parents, coaches, and more do a great job and there are a lot of the influential factors that come from outside our control. However, it is necessary to acknowledge these stereotypes so that something can be done about it. The fact is with fewer incentives, fewer girls pursue a skiing lifestyle; this means fewer competitors and fewer pros. With fewer girls in training programs, fewer compete and with a smaller competitive field the sport does not progress as quickly. This explains some of the discrepancies we see today.
As frustrating as this situation may seem there’s hope that the end of the gender stereotype tunnel. We have the ability to be just as good as those boy if not better. What does it take?
My sophomore year of college my ski coach was probably the most intimidating skier on the mountain but he made me the skier I am. His common phrase to girls and boys alike was “hike up your skirt and just do it.” I remember how flattered I was when he told a friends of his, “Fran skis like a man.” It came down to the fact that Alex treated me like one of the boys. Yes ,he probably said the most offensive of all of the stereotypical phrases but he transcended gender inequality because he didn’t cater to my “fragile female weaknesses,” or coach me any differently because of my gender.
So lets transcend this gender trap we have fallen into. Lets be the sport that is above gender. For each of us this may be different: for coaches find that potential in all your athletes and push each one based on their skill not their gender, for ski organizations to give women the same chances as men, for parents explain stereotypes so that your kids can acknowledge and surpass them. Personally, I am avoiding any phrases or topics that categorize skiers into gender. Instead of a girl being so good they ski like a boy lets de-genderfy our sport. A good skier is simply a good skier regardless of gender.
Catch up on Francesca’s competition season with her run from Austria and check out her blog.
[1]Schmalz, D. L., and D. L. Kerstetter. “Girlie girls and manly men: children’s stigma consciousness of gender in sports and physical activities.” Journal of Leisure Research 38 (2006): 536-557.
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