From her formative days racing and shredding the Pacific Northwest to her hard-charging segments in MSP films, Ingrid Backstrom has been the big-mountain female to watch the past few seasons and she doesn’t show any signs of stopping. With her racing background, brothers to push her and the challenging terrain of both Crystal and her current home mountain, Squaw, Ingrid didn’t have the option of taking it easy on skis, a blessing when she started competing in freeskiing contests and getting phone calls from film companies.
WHAT TYPE OF CREW DO YOU SKI WITH? I like to ski with anyone who’s stoked to be out there and who wants to go pretty fast, or just not stop too much. Squaw is nice because you can just show up and ski with whomever for a few runs, then run into someone else. Good chairlift conversation is nice, too.
WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A FEMALE IN THE SCENE? Well, I think it’s pretty fun —but I wouldn’t know otherwise! The main thing is just being fired up to be out there, having a good time and loving skiing — regardless of your gender. There’s more competition between guys because there are more of them, but there’s also maybe more opportunities for guys, so it all evens out, I think. And girls are only getting better and better. It’s so awesome to see!
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE AFFECTED WOMEN’S SKIING? Honestly, I don’t know. I think in the past several years there has been a total explosion of freeskiing in general. Traveling around and seeing a mountain on a powder day now versus eight years ago is mind blowing. Everyone is getting after it so hard and hittingc razy lines. I just think it’s an awesome time to be a skier; tons of positive energy and a movement that’s about life in general with skiing as a vehicle for that. Choosing a lifestyle that has a meaning to us, getting outside and into the mountains and figuring out an alternative way to live as opposed to joining the suburban race. McConkey had a huge influence on us in that regard.
WHO DID YOU LOOK UP TO WHEN YOU WERE GETTING INTO THE SPORT? Always Wendy Fisher and Jamie Burge. Kristen Ulmer throwing huge flips and Kristen Kramer hitting 80-foot airs in Gaffney’s movies. Francine Moreillon was a skier from France who charged so hard. And my Mom, just because she loves skiing so much. She was a great example to have.
WHO DO YOU SEE AS BEING THE TORCH CARRIER FOR WOMEN’S SKIINGAFTER YOU? FROM WHOM DID YOU PICK IT UP?
I don’t know that there’s ever one person who’s a torch carrier — it’s more of a collective thing, spread across different disciplines, especially now. I feel like Sarah Burke is the best example of women’s skiing for the last few years and the next several: She works hard, charges hard, and has an amazing personality and attitude. She brings skiing and the best parts of our lifestyle to a larger audience.
WHAT MAKES SKIING THE SPORT YOU CHOSE? It’s the perfect combination of getting outside, challenging yourself, and a feeling of adrenaline. You can spend days outside in the winter, the people are awesome, and it’s a social sport, too, so it’s way more fun!
WHAT MAKES IT EMPOWERING? The feeling of floating super fast down a mountain or stomping an air… that gives you a fleeting moment of power, and it’s the good type of power because it’s an individual thing — not like you’re trying to have power over somebody or something.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT/FUTURE PROS? WHAT ABOUTGIRLS JUST LOOKING TO RIDE? Just ski as much as possible with people who are stoked on it and who want to be safe in the mountains. Be nice to people, especially other girls out there skiing; we can only help each other. And don’t be too hard on yourself, either. Skiing is about having fun, after all. Like Shane McConkey said, “We’re just skiers… it’s not like we’re saving the world or anything!â€
CLICK BELOW TO READ THE PROFILES
- Suzy Chaffee
- Kim Reichelm
- Kristen Ulmer
- Wendy Fisher
- Ingrid Backstrom
- Kristi Leskinen
- Sarah Burke
