Adventures in Shredding Paradigms

PART 2: What does 'adventure' mean to you?

It's the sort of question that gets the gears clinking in the brain and the blood pumping through the veins a wee bit. This question was also the raison d'etre of the SHE VENTURES event in New York last fall.

In part two of this series, in which I feature each speaker from SHE VENTURES NYC in a separate post, I shine the spotlight on Jen Gurecki, a positive driving force behind SHE VENTURES, and social change for women.

  

Gurecki, the recent founder of a women-run ski and snowboard company called Coalition Snow, got involved with SHE VENTURES when founder Georgina Miranda asked her to help coordinate the series.  "I think women are interested in hearing stories by other women that are perceived as doing things that are difficult, like starting a business or doing epic outdoor adventures," says Gurecki. Each SHE VENTURES program raises awareness about women's issues, while also raising funds for charitable organizations. The New York City event supported the International Medical Corps.  

Courtesy of Coalition Snow

"There is a level of camaraderie that women crave," Gurecki explains. "That might lead to helping to raise funds for a nonprofit or supporting women speakers and leaders. And maybe they'll make some good connections at the same time. It’s a recipe for success."

Making Fresh Tracks

One could argue that successful recipes have a variety of components that work together harmoniously to create something awesome. According to Gurecki, most current recipes for making women's skis are not successful. As she describes it, "Women’s skis have always been watered down and are sub-optimal in comparison to men’s. We didn’t make up the phrase “shrink it and pink it.” That was the go-to for women’s ski design."

So on a backcountry ski trip, Gurecki and friends were talking about the evolving state of women's involvement in the snow sports industry. "Professional female athletes were becoming more outspoken and publicly demanding more respect. That was fascinating to me," says Gurecki, who thought it would be an interesting time to shift the perspective of women skiers and snowboarders... and ski and snowboard makers.

The idea stuck. After doing some research and designing in 2013, Gurecki and shredding colleague Meghan Kelly toted ski and board prototypes to the Lewis Glacier, located some 16,355 feet up on Africa's Mt. Kenya. There, they cut fresh tracks, but not just in the snow. This trip broke new ground for women in snow sports.   

Courtesy of Coalition Snow

Breaking new ground seems to be something that Gurecki does. Through the Lewis Glacier trip, Gurecki aimed to raise awareness about how climate change is affecting water resources in rural Kenya.

The trip also raised $16,355 to support Zawadisha, a not-for-profit that Gurecki founded in 2013 to provide micro-loans to rural Kenyan women whose lives are directly affected by a changing climate. Zawadisha also provides educational programs and support groups among local villages to help improve women's daily lives and livelihoods. You might say that empowering women is Gurecki's thing. Check out her TED talk called, “Rethinking the Paradigm of Poverty.”

Coalition Building

Coalescing, according to Merriam-Webster, is the act of uniting or joining together into one body or product. Started in 2014, Coalition Snow is doing just that. After the Lewis Glacier trip, Gurecki gathered women skiers and boarders to work together to create products that are not watered-down versions of what are designed for men. As Coalition Snow advertises,

"We make women's skis and snowboards that don't suck."

Courtesy of Coalition Snow

Coalition Snow is a company run by female powderhounds, so there isn’t a gap between the design and the end users. While there are many emerging brands for women, it appears that those companies are run by men. "When we came up with the name Coalition, I had this image of women side by side, supporting and moving each other forward," says Gurecki. "When you support Coalition Snow, you are supporting women in business. You are supporting a company that is creating opportunities for women in a male-dominated industry."

More than a Hashtag

During her SHE VENTURES talk, Gurecki posed the following question: "Do we as women own and benefit from the exploding hashtags of the women phenomenon that is sweeping the outdoor industry?" 

As she rides the highs and lows of building a company, she challenged women to differentiate between "likes" and real change for women. Gurecki's "She" adventures are putting ideas into action on the ground in Kenya, on the slopes and in the boardroom (literally). She wrapped up her talk with a kick in the pants, saying,  "I want to be more than just a hashtag... do you?"