Friends On A Pow Day | Whitelines Snowboarding Magazine
"In pursuit of a more welcoming and diverse snowboard community, Weston supports the efforts of over 175 ambassadors who share their vision for building community, spreading backcountry safety, and fostering inclusivity."
Leo Tsuo setting up the Backwoods Fellowship Snowboard (Photo: Andrew Maguire)
Whitelines Snowboarding Magazine just dropped an awesome article about what we're doing here at Weston to help pave the way for inclusivity in the ski and snowboard industry. Fueled by strong leadership from our fearless leader, Leo Tsuo, and activations by Weston ambassadors like Caitlin Yong (@sk8powder) of Backcountry Together to help encourage more BIPOC folks to get out in the backcountry, we hope to help build a brighter future for a more inclusive backcountry community. Plus, with the 2022/23 debut of the new artist-driven "Mission Series" lineup of boards and skis, our goal is to amplify the diverse voices of the backcountry community through partnerships and genuinely reciprocated relationships rather than culturally appropriated graphics. Give it a read!
"In 2016, when Leo Tsuo took the reins at @westonbackcountry , a brand dedicated to that soulful side of snowboarding, he realized that even freeriding wasn’t free from judgment. Anyone who didn’t fit the stereotypical mould—upper-middle-class, straight, white, male—faced severe barriers to entry. #WestonBackcountry
In pursuit of a more welcoming and diverse snowboard community, Weston doesn’t subscribe to the typical snowboard marketing model—there’s no traditional team of marquee pros who promote the brand in contests and video parts. Instead, Weston supports the efforts of over 175 ambassadors who share Tsuo’s vision for building community, spreading backcountry safety, and fostering inclusivity."
Read the Full Article HERE
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Diné Navajo graphic artist Vernan Kee and the all-new Mission Series 22/23 Ridgeline Splitboard followed by the Ridgeline x Vernan Kee Snowboard (Photo: 1. Steve Yazzie, 2. Carly Finke).
1 comment
I think Weston’s desire to make snowboarding and skiing a more inclusive community is awesome and we need more companies taking a similar approach!
I’m an elementary P.E. teacher in Denver Public schools and I try to open the eyes of my students to the many possibilities that are out there to be life long movers, including snowboarding. I’d love to talk with someone about creating a partnership with my school, or even DPS, to get more BIPOC kids involved in skiing and snowboarding.