Breaking Barriers: Victoria Gaither on Skiing, Broadcasting, and Belonging

In this episode the Ski Moms are joined by Emmy-winning broadcaster and writer Victoria Gaither who shares her powerful skiing journey from a tearful first experience at Liberty Mountain through D.C. public schools to becoming a passionate advocate for diversity in winter sports. Starting her career with legendary Ted Koppel, Victoria now writes for Mountain Times and Vermont Ski and Snowboard magazine, focusing on positive stories that move the needle forward. 

Her viral article "The Myth of the Black Skier" challenges narratives about diversity in skiing, emphasizing that Black skiers have always been part of the community. Victoria discusses the historic National Brotherhood of Skiers organization, founded in the 1960s to combat resort discrimination, and shares how skiing builds confidence both on and off the mountain. She advocates that "if you ski, you are a skier" regardless of ability level, promoting an inclusive vision where skiing is about personal joy, views, and community rather than speed or technical prowess.

Keep up with the latest from Victoria:

Website: https://victoriagaither.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/were2nextvic

"I never gave myself the title as a skier. I only did that probably about two years ago. So I went through my whole life always saying I'm not a skier."

"I really think that we in the media and in general, we need to change the narrative when it comes to black people skiing... let's acknowledge the already thriving ski community of black people out there doing this, and let's just start there, as opposed to making it seem like that this is something new that we haven't been doing."

Junior Lease appointments at Ski Haus are open! Book for each child 16 or under to get skis or a snowboard, boots, and bindings—plus a free Tenney season pass, Cranmore ticket & more. skihaus.com

This autumn, Ulster County is the perfect place for a family-friendly getaway.  Learn more at  visitulstercountyny.com/

Join us at the Snowbound Expo in Boston at the Menino Convention & Exhibition Center from November 14-16, 2025. Get your $5 day passes or $10 weekend tickets with code MOMTRENDS10 here.

Shop the Diamant Weekend Warrior Bag 2.0 at www.diamantskiing.com and use code SKIMOMS to save 10%

Invest in your season with this TSA Approved carry-on boot bag, it's a game changer and built to last. 

Transcript

Nicole: Welcome back to the Ski Moms Podcast. It's season five and we're hitting the slopes. We're sharing real unfiltered stories of motherhood on the snow. From conquering the bunny hill with toddlers to squeezing in your own powder days, this season celebrates every type of ski mom.

Thanks for joining us. We've got a great season lined up and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. The ski moms are so excited to welcome Victoria Gaither.

She is a writer and you can find her work at the Mountain Times and Vermont Ski and Snowboard. She's also an Emmy winning news broadcaster,

a world traveler. If you follow her on Instagram, you'll know this.

A photojournalist and an obsessed skier. So we're going to hear more about her story, her origin story, and her work now.

Victoria: Welcome, Victoria. Thank you. It is great to be here. I've been so looking forward to this interview and spending time with both of you today.

Nicole: Well, where are we finding you now?

Victoria: I.

Nicole: You, you are literally all over the map.

Victoria: Well, currently I am in upstate New York and I was at Killington, Vermont yesterday. I'll tell you more about that, but I'm either in the mountains or at the beach home.

Nicole: Do you consider Vermont or New York?

Victoria: I consider literally New York, Vermont and Maryland home.

Nicole: All right, we'll get more into that. Tell us a little bit more about your background and how skiing became a part of your life.

Victoria: So I actually started skiing through the D.C. public school system. I was born and raised and grew up in Washington, D.C.

and it was a field trip.

So they had connected with Liberty Mountain and us kids would get a chance to go and ski. So that was my avenue, that was my exposure into skiing.

And the teacher one day said, take this paperwork home. Have your parents fill it out.

And I remember thinking at that point, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this because somewhere in my brain, even as a kid, I was aware of the cost that was involved in doing something like that.

But you know what? I didn't know that in that packet of information there was a nonprofit organization that was going to pay for kids whose parents couldn't afford to send us to ski.

And I was one of those kids.

So I went skiing at Liberty. And, you know, by that time I'd seen the Olympics on television. You know, everything that you see growing up that has to deal with skiing.

And I thought, wow, this is fantastic. I can do this. I'm going to be like one of these skiers on television. I'm going to fly down the mountain.

Well, of course, it didn't turn out that way at all for me.

You know, nothing about what I had envisioned in my brain that was going to happen at Liberty Mountain actually happened.

Instead, I ended up sitting on the side of the mountain crying,

saying, I can't do this.

And that was my introduction into skiing.

Sarah: And so did you go back after that when you were still in middle school or high school?

Victoria: Well, it's. It's a funny thing that happened because on that day,

there was an African American woman. I don't know where she came from, and I don't know who she is to this day,

but she skied over to me and she saw me crying. And I was saying, I can't do this. I don't belong here.

Now, I find that interesting because even back, you know, as a teenager sitting on that mountain and looking at other skiers, I felt like I didn't belong there.

And, again, where that came from, I have no idea. But I remember her in a very caring,

but kind of upset, you know, that I said that.

And she said to me, she says, don't you ever say that again. You belong here, and we're going to get you down this mountain. And she said, get up. Well, of course, I had a hard time getting up because at that point, I could.

I could barely get up on, you know, from the skis to get up.

And.

And she helped me get up, and she helped me get down the mountain.

But that story is always vivid to me because I still have moments,

even as an adult,

when I'm skiing and I'm on a mountain and I hear her voice to tell me to get up.

You know, get up. You can get down this mountain. You can do this. But I still skied after that. But it really wasn't until I got to college. And we all know when we're in college and we meet friends, there's always one person who says, let's go skiing.

There's always that one person. So of course I go skiing.

And it really wasn't until I was in college that I thought, you know what? Maybe I actually can do this.

And to sort of revisit the idea that not only I can do this, but maybe I do belong here, that this is a place for me.

Nicole: Let's jump into your career a little bit.

If anyone is listening to this and doesn't hear your broadcaster voice, I don't know what is wrong with them. You are such a clear enunciator and you are bringing me back to the days of listening to, like, the.

The news and watching news reporters. Who are they always so clear and succinct,

great,

accentless accent. You know, that's journalism. Did you know that's what you wanted to study when you were growing up?

Victoria: Actually, I wanted to be an air traffic controller. Growing up in D.C. i would see the airplanes fly by my house, so that was what I wanted to do. And also watching people, you know, bring airplanes in, guiding them,

I equated that with power, you know, the power that a human being could actually do that.

And that is what I wanted to do. Now, I've always had a voice like this ever since I was a kid. But I think what happened was I was so nosy, to be honest,

and. And just growing up in D.C. so it was very early on that I Knew Living in D.C. was a special place, that living in D.C. was a place where things happened.

It was sort of the center of the world.

And. And. And. And I understood that. And one day I was in class. I don't remember really remember when, but a teacher of mine said, hey, you have a really nice voice.

Maybe you should think about radio. And I thought, well, that's a bit strange. I've never really been interested in radio, but. But it was her planting that seed, you know, in my brain that I thought, maybe I can do something like this.

So I really attribute it to that and just being nosy. And my grandmother tells me, by the way, that I was always interested in watching the news.

Instead of watching cartoons, I would watch the news, and I could tell you every single thing that happened on the news.

So I was, you know, the type of kid that was interested at a very early age in information.

Sarah: So walk us through. Did you go to college for broadcasting and tell us a little bit about your career path?

Victoria: I did. So I went to college just for communications because I thought, you know, under communications, there's a lot of things, you know, that. That you can study.

And if I decided that I didn't want to do broadcasting, you know, maybe I was gonna be a phone operator. Back then, I didn't know what I was gonna do, but I went to the University of the District of Columbia, and.

But it was interesting because growing up in D.C. you're always around politics, and it's no different even today.

And I thought that I wanted to be a political reporter because my mom was very involved in the D.C. city Council and trying to make our communities and neighbors better, you know, for.

For the for all kids.

And I thought, you know, politics is what I want to do. Well, let me tell you, I did an internship at one of the local senators offices. And I thought, I can't do this for the rest of my life.

But that was valuable because what I did discover is a love for people.

And what I did discover is a love for human interest stories. And what I did discover is this sort of activist journalism, you know, to be able to go and cover a story and then, you know, there's going to be a positive outcome.

And that really sort of fit into my personality.

So when I got my first internship with Ted Koppel at ABC News,

I had a conversation and some of you may remember Ted Koppel. I mean, he was big back in the day, right? You guys remember him?

Nicole: Totally remember.

Victoria: So I had a chance to work with Ted Koppel, and I remember he said to me, do you have any questions? And I said, yes, I do.

I said, what happens if you have to pronounce a name?

And it's just really, really hard to say it. And I never forget what he said to me. He says, well, first off, it's probably gonna be someone that did something bad, and they probably want you to pronounce it bad anyway because their family doesn't really want you to say their name correct.

Because they don't want people to know,

you know, why the person is on the news. And I just thought, that's the funniest thing ever.

But he was wonderful because he really encouraged me. And I remember him saying to me, I've come across a lot of young people with voices, but I have never really heard a voice like yours.

And I remember him saying, you know, use your voice for good.

He says, you can do good in the world, you can do bad, and you can do nothing, he said, but always use your voice for good. And that basically, you know, was how I lived my life and also my career as well.

Nicole: And now you write about a lot of different things. You write some. Some local stories,

some Vermont based stories,

New York based stories, a lot of travel.

Have you carved out a niche for yourself? Are you always willing to write about different things?

Victoria: I am always willing to write about anything, especially if it's positive and it's. And if it's going to move the needle sort of forward in the world now in saying that, because, you guys know I ski,

so wintertime I get a chance to write a lot about skiing. But it's interesting though, you know, Sarah, Nicole, I would have never thought that most of the Writing that I would do about skiing actually is activism.

So, you know, there are all of these people within the ski community, as you know, that just do wonderful things.

So to be able to write about them, to support them through social media has been wonderful, because that really is kind of what I am. I am all about. And a lot of those programs, the Boston Ski Party, you know, try to do so much work to get kids of color on the mountain to be able to ski and snowboard.

Our very good friend, as you know, Nichelle Sanders. Nichelle has a event coming up that I know you ladies are going to be interested in. It's called the Snowball,

and that's going to be at a big snow in October.

So there are all of these, you know, people that are out here doing all these amazing things that I get a chance to support through writing. So whether that's the Mountain Times,

whether that is through Vermont Ski and Ride or through different organizations.

But basically, yeah, to answer your question, I'll write about anything as long as it is positive.

Sarah: Well, we'll definitely check out this snowball. We love big snow. Nicole and I went there one August when it was like, 110 degrees in New York City. And that was. That was an amazing day.

Tell us about the article that you wrote.

I think it was called the Myth of the Black Skier.

Victoria: Yes,

that was interesting, because that article came about through my boss, Lisa Lynn, and Lisa runs the magazine with her husband. And we were at World Cup. I mean, you guys have been to World cup at Killington.

So we were just in the press room having a conversation, and I just said to her, I said, you know, I really think that we in the media and in general, we need to change the narrative when it comes to black people skiing.

And so Lisa, by that time, had been wanting me to write an essay, but we really couldn't figure out what it was going to be about.

So she says, well, why don't you write about that? And so I did.

And, you know, that that really came from a place of me just moving through the world and moving through the ski industry and ski resorts and always feeling like that we were new to skiing,

when in actuality, we weren't new to skiing. We aren't new to skiing. You've always seen a person of color at a ski resort. But when I felt like the media would write stories about it, they would still stick with the name narrative.

Sort of like, oh, look, there's Victoria. She's black and she's a skier.

Well, we've been Skiing, since people have been skiing.

So, you know, so the idea of the article was, you know,

the issue of diversity and inclusion within the ski industry. That's a whole separate animal to talk about.

But my article is basically,

let's acknowledge the already thriving ski community of black people out there doing this,

and let's just start there, as opposed to making it seem like that this is something new that we haven't been doing.

And I first found out that the article was out of the magazine over at Snow Shed in Killington. And Glenn, who's one of the ski instructors, I walked by, he says, hey.

He goes, I just saw your article. I said, oh, it's out.

And he said, yeah. And he said, it's a really good article. And it made me think about a lot of things that me as a white man that I don't have to think about.

And.

And at that moment, I got chills because I thought that is exactly what the article was supposed to do. It wasn't an article about confrontation. It wasn't an article about this or that, but it was just rather an article to say,

just acknowledge us and see us for who we are and don't make such a big deal as to. That this is something that we don't do.

So the feedback started coming immediately, and I think we're up to about last I looked on my. Checked, on my screen, about 7,000 people that actually read the article.

But that article, I really feel like at that moment in time that it moved the needle forward. It certainly moved the needle forward within the community of Killington because I'm so known in Killington and there were still so many people weeks after,

you know, the article came out that came up to me to say, hey, Vic, you know, I read your article, or I didn't know this, or I didn't think about that.

And then they gave me their ideas and perspective of what it's like for them being a white woman or a white man and seeing a person of color at the ski resort.

Some of them said, you know, I never thought about it at all, which is great, because that's what I want to hear. But then. But then there are some people who said, yes, every time I do see a person of color, I think, oh, that's nice.

You know, a person of color is skiing, you know, which to them that if that's what they thought, then that's what they thought. So at least them reading my article would have given them a different way of thinking about it.

So that was really where. Where that whole thing, you know, originated from.

Nicole: I thought the article was beautifully written. I also loved the perspective that it wasn't taking a let's help these kids out perspective. It was giving me some history and some background that I didn't have.

I've always known about the National Brotherhood of Skiers,

and I've known about some of the race history through the years, but it was so nicely putting it all together in one package. And yes, we're here and we're helping kids from areas that, you know, don't traditionally know about skiing, but that's helping all kids who don't traditionally know about skiing.

So I absolutely love the little history lesson in there as well. So for listeners who don't know about the Brotherhood, and I guess it should be called the Sisterhood, too, because there's plenty.

Victoria: Right, right. You've got a point there.

Nicole: Can you give a little recap about that? I mean, I want. We're going to link to the article, and we, of course, want everybody to read it as well.

Victoria: The, The. The. The. The National Brotherhood. They're a wonderful organization. There were two black men, and I don't have their names because I didn't write it down, but they started the organization.

You know, I think it would have been in, like, the. The 60s. And the reason why they started it was because there was so many ski resorts in America who said black people could not ski there.

And, and, and. And what these pioneers did, they went to some of these ski resorts and they say, listen, you know, we have a right to ski here. As do any white person as.

As does anyone have a right to ski here?

So they literally had to kind of knock on the doors of these ski resorts to ask if black people could ski there.

Some said yes and some said no. So of course you're gonna go with the ones that said yes. So in that, you know, they started this organization because by that time, you know, still you had people of color that were skiing all over the place.

So to bring a group together where you could get information, where you could say, you know, this ski resort, you know, is favoritable,

you know, for inclusion, for black people to ski there. Don't go to this ski resort, because the answer is gonna be no.

So, so they really sort of gathered a pool of information,

and in doing that, they created this organization.

And that organization,

you know, it's very strong. I think right now we have something like 35 or 38 chapters. And within those chapters, these are chapters sprinkled all over across America. I just Got a invite from the Telluride Rocky Mountain group.

They. They're already having their first event December 10th and 14th,

which is exciting because that means snow is coming right when you start getting all of this in your inbox. But, yeah, so basically that was where the. The organization started.

So every winter we do a really big event, and it's at a ski resort. It's been at Vail.

Big snow. I mean, it's. It's all over. So all the organizations and anyone who wants to come that's interested, you come and you spend four or five days and you ski together.

You, you know, spend time together, you connect, you tell stories,

and it's absolutely wonderful. They've been featured on NBC News, every single major news outlet, whether it's here in America or international.

But you know what? What those guys did was not only timely, but it was a way to bring people of color together in order to be able to ski and to have that information.

And it's still going strong. Membership is going great. I'm a part of the Washington, D.C. group.

But yeah, and like you said, I know you're gonna put a link to it, so I'm probably rambling a little bit, but, you know, make sure that you read about it, because they are wonderful.

Henry Rivers is the president of the organization right now, and he lives in. Upstate in New York, actually. I'm sorry. Jamaica, New York.

He's wonderful with all the work and time and effort that he puts in as our leader.

Supports every single thing. And in fact, his kids,

they will be their triplets,

two girls and a boy. And they are going to represent Jamaica and the Olympics, and this is the first time that this is going to happen. And they're kids of color, so all of us are really excited about that.

They would make a wonderful interview. They've been getting a lot of press. And the reason why they're able to. To represent Jamaica is because their mother is from Jamaica and they have Jamaican citizenship,

so they're able to. To ski in the Olympics, you know, for Jamaica.

But no, Wonderful, wonderful organization. And quite frankly, if it wasn't for them, you know, I wouldn't be here as a skier. None of us would be here to. To the degree that we are as skiers today.

Sarah: Yeah, I was reading the article about the triplets, and Nicole and I will be at the Olympics. We will be cheering them on for sure.

And we would love to talk to them at some point if we can get connected. That is. That is an awesome story.

And my younger daughter races against the two girls. She's also a lot of the same races, so it's really fun.

So tell us about some other big projects that you're working on right now that are exciting you.

Victoria: Yes, always working on big projects. But one thing that I haven't mentioned publicly now, I don't know if this is going to happen or not, but I'm going to just put it out there.

I did a lot of work last year with Okemo, and as you guys know, Okemo, they have a wonderful women's ski and snowboard program. And I got a chance to cover that.

Well, in covering that. National Geographic. Yes, the National Geographic,

they are. One of their reporters is writing an article about women in travel and winter sports.

So the guys over there at Okemo and Vail, they asked me if I would be interested in being a part of that. So I got a chance to send a quote in and some pictures.

So I may be, you know, just a tiny, tiny mention in this article.

But that is exciting news. Even if I don't make it, it's just exciting that I can actually say that. But, you know, we're going to think positive. And the next time I talk to you ladies, I'm going to say I'm in National Geographic.

Nicole: And are you thinking far ahead now? Are you doing some coverage of what's happening at Killington this season? Do you have other things on your radar that you're planning for covering?

Because I know there's a lot going on at Killington right now.

Victoria: I do. In fact, I was just at Killington last night. I covered the Killington Chili cook,

and they had some really, really good chili there. And of course, you know, you guys know things are different this year because we're not having World Cup.

So what that actually did for me is that it allowed me to do a few other things.

There is a. An organization that I am really, really super interested in helping out. And Kenneth Rusko is his name. Kenneth was a ski instructor at Killington for, I think, like, over 10 years.

Many, many years.

And now he's put together a program called Experience, Confidence and Opportunity. And it's a program that really helps transform lives of young men. So he is going to be bringing some of these young men to Killington in the wintertime.

It will be their first time on skis and on snowboarding for many of them. And these are young men who have had, you know, difficult things happen in the past and are at risk.

So I'm going to be helping him sort of Write about that and help him get the word out about that. And I think that's what I talked about when we were discussing, discussing the stories that I write.

You know, this is perfect for me because this is somebody who's in the ski industry.

He's using skiing to give back. He's using skiing to teach and build confidence in other young men so that they can, you know, carry. That can carry them throughout their lives.

It's a Killington story. So that's a win, win for me.

And of course, like I said, Nichelle, you know, she's working on that, the snowball socializing drinks that's on October 24th at Big Snow. And actually that the proceeds for that will benefit Share Winter Foundation.

And we all know Share Winter foundation, they just do a wonderful job of helping, you know, all different organizations to get kids on ski and snow. They're fantastic.

Nicole: We want to talk to you, Victoria, about what skiing gives you, not just as story inspiration,

but what it gives you personally. You know, you did not. You were a little bit later in life, learner, as am I.

And when I see your images and your videos from you on snow,

I can almost tap into the joy that you're feeling. Can you put that into words a bit for us?

Victoria: I can skiing, actually,

even at my age, now my 50s, skiing gives me confidence.

It still gives me confidence because every single mountain,

every single trail, it's completely different. You know, sometimes you have a lot of snow, sometimes it's icy. You know, there, nothing is ever consistent when it comes to skiing, to me.

And in that,

I really find strength because I can look at a mountain, I can look at a trail, and I can say, oh, my goodness, there's no way.

I can't do that. You know, this is.

It's impossible. I can't do that. But what I've learned is that I do know if I make one turn,

then I can stop if I make another turn.

So I do know that turns are going to get me down that mountain.

And I guess if I had to sort of equate that to my life and what it gives me, it's those turns, right, that I go back and forth in my life that allow me to get through life.

Because, you know, some sometimes I'm sorry,

you know, I still feel like I'm the girl sitting on the side of that mountain,

and I still feel like I can't do it.

But I do know that at the end of the day, if I just turn and if I just take my time, I can do It,

So, you know, even as you can see, at my age,

it, it's still a scheme.

It, it is very much a lifelong journey.

And I remember I used to think, you know, every winter this is going to be the winter. When I do it, this is gonna be the winter. This is my winter.

But I realized, actually two winters ago,

took me this long to realize it, that every winter is a good winter.

It doesn't matter,

you know, if I have a winter that I consider that's not a great winter. It was still a really good winter because I was out on snow and I still did it and I still got a chance to try to make it down the mountain.

It may not have been pretty, but I did it. And it's something about the doing of it and realizing that you can do it. And then when you do it, the gratitude, my goodness, the gratitude and the humbling of the experience that I did it is what skiing gives to me.

And I love that. Every winter I'm always so excited. I'm still excited and. Because I always believe and I guess really it's believing in yourself, you know.

Nicole: Well, we, we started the podcast because Sarah and I did not feel seen and heard, specifically in this industry. You know, we were doing long drives between mountains and we heard a lot of ski racing podcasts.

There's a lot of airtime about men talking about skiing fast and the equipment and we're just like, oh, just, we want to talk about people who love winter. You know, what they've got in their crock pot, what, you know, what layers they're wearing to stay warm and how much they love,

you know, when the snow falls, how much it just changes your mindset. And you know, how you, when you become friends with winter, like your, your whole world opens up.

And we always wanted to make space in our conversations for people who feel the same way and maybe who didn't feel like they were invited. So, you know, I'm a card carrying member of the slow skiers club and it may, you know, frustrate my family or other people, but I absolutely love it.

And I'm all about one, one turn at a time. I am just out there for the views and having a good time. And my friends are very patient. You know, they, they wait for me.

And I also love that it's just, it's a work in progress. You know, skiing is never done. Your skiing is never,

I mean, if you, I think if you're doing it right, it's never like done. There's always something a new trail to discover there is a new skill to acquire. And I hope that, you know, between our.

Because of our conversations, that more women who learned later in life, or who are coming back from injury or who are just slower, feel like there's. There's space for them out there.

Victoria: Yeah, you're right. I mean, especially for me, when you said about the views like that excited me on the inside because one of the reasons why I really love skiing, it's for the views, you know, and.

And I'm glad that you said that, because I guess there are some people who ski because, you know, they're interested in the mechanics of it,

the going fast or whatever it is. But for me,

it really is just being on snow, taking my time, enjoying the views, and I love winter anyway.

But you're right, you know, there.

And I've felt that, too, there really isn't this sort of space for someone like me. And I think of what I feel at my level in terms of conversation out there, because you're right.

It's generally for men. You know, this space is for men. And they kind of talk about.

About the equipment and talk at. And what trails they went down, and if they're, you know, blues or double diamonds or what's where. Where they've skied. Vale, this and that, the Alps and all this.

But for me, it has nothing to do with that, but rather,

you know, to take moments and time to myself, to enjoy myself, and I get to do it on snow and, you know, and. And to make my turns and to be happy that I made that turn, and if I didn't make this turn, then, then that was okay.

And it's interesting because Nichelle and I have this conversation all the time, what makes a skier? And I never gave myself the title as a skier. I only did that probably about two years ago.

So I went through my whole life always saying I'm not a skier. Now every winter I go to some mountain, and I'm always skiing. But I never felt like a skier because I looked at a skier.

The definition of what I felt a skier was, was what I saw on television was what I heard other people say.

And I remember Nichelle saying to me, that's rubbish. You are a skier. And I said, no, no, no, I'm not a skier.

I didn't feel good about myself and good enough for my capabilities to even put that in front of my name.

And it wasn't until we really, you know, we had this long,

crazy conversation, and I said, okay, okay, you win. You win. I'M now going to say that I am a skier. But I was thankful for that conversation because I thought I wasted so much time of my life denying that I am a skier.

So I would say to other women that. That's listening to this as far as I'm concerned. Listen, if you go ski on a mountain, you are a skier. Don't fall into the trap that I fell into by society's standards or the ski industry standards or whatever standards.

Crazy. That I had in my brain to make me think that I was not a skier.

If you ski, you are a skier.

Sarah: Absolutely. We could not. I'm, like, cheering right now because we. We just ski. We have different ways of skiing, right? Like Nicole said, maybe we're a little slower. Maybe we take more breaks.

Maybe we only want to ski for half the day. We're not trying to track hot laps like some people are. How many laps, how much vertical, how much speed?

Victoria: Like that.

Sarah: Those are not our metrics of success at all, right?

Ours are like,

did we have fun? Did we take in the views? Do I have a new cute outfit?

These are. These are the important metrics, right?

Victoria: And did we have fun?

Sarah: So do you like to ski with a few friends? Do you also ski alone? How do you enjoy just getting out there?

Victoria: I like doing both. I like skiing by myself. Now,

fortunately or unfortunately for me, all of my friends are ski instructors.

So, you know, most of the time, they're either trying to tell me what to do, and I have to say, just leave me alone.

I know what I'm supposed to do and just let me do it.

But I mostly ski by myself or I ski with my guy Michael.

But I, you know, so I've never skied with a big group. The only time that I skied with a group was a group of women last year at Okemo because I was writing a story about their program.

It was fantastic.

I mean, for all of us to come off the lift and we assembled, you know, before we went down the mountain and to be in the presence of all of these amazing women who I met that day.

All of us met that day. You know, all of us were at different levels. The camaraderie of that, it just. It blew me away. I thought, I like this.

I want more and more and more of this, you know, and some people, you know, skied all the way down, some stopped, and there was, you know, instructors ahead and behind just to make sure that we all stayed together.

And then the other fun thing about that was that because we were in a group. Everyone was looking at us like we were special. You know, we were, we. We were the women coming down the mountain.

And I just thought, like, hear me roar.

So that was just, that was fantastic experience that I will never, ever forget. And I want more, I need more of that in my ski life.

Nicole: One of the most read articles that we put together is our guide to women's camps and clinics. And we do it every year. And every year, thankfully, it's growing. It's. It's an list anywhere from a camp you can go to in Chile, to Okimo's, you know,

women and wine that they do,

to Sugarbush does ski weeks,

and so does Ulta. Some of them have instructions, some of them are just meetups. And it is wildly popular and we love seeing those grow. And that's one of the resources we can certainly share in our notes as well.

But because it is powerful to see this group of different abilities and they're all just having the very best time and living their best lives.

Victoria: Yes. And also,

you know, for me on that day, it was an opportunity to make friends. It was an opportunity that, you know, if I am in that area and I want someone to ski with, you know, I have resources, I have people that I can now call because, you know, I changed a few telephone numbers.

There was a woman there from Washington D.C. my home city.

And, you know, her family has a place, place there. So, so we sort of stay connected.

So it, although, you know, you're, you're on the snow, you know, it, it goes further than that. It goes, you know, to meeting new people and to making connections and building, you know, your own sort of community and relationships.

So, I mean, it's just. It's absolutely just, just wonderful.

And it was an opportunity. I felt like just to be me. I didn't have any of my friends or anybody else around.

You know, if, if I messed up, it was okay. No one was going to judge me. No one's going to say, you know, if you do this or do that, then this is the result that you're going to get.

It was just me with a bunch of women of all different, you know, ages, and we were together and it was a moment in time that just sticks with me forever.

Nicole: So this upcoming season, do you have any places that are on your, your list that you're trying to get to for the first time? Are you revisiting some of your,

your favorites?

Victoria: Well, of course, Killington is my home mountain, so big shout out to Killington. I would just say I'm Looking forward to Killington opening so I can do a cruise control and, you know, the, the trails that I like to do because actually Killington really gets me in shape for my,

for my ski season. I'll probably end up in Colorado.

So last ski season was pretty big because I skied seven ski resorts out in Colorado and I did some ski resorts that I didn't think that I was going to do.

Copper, Breckenridge, Winter Park,

Steamboat Vale, Beaver Creek. So I did a lot of skiing there and that was really important and significant for me because I, I broke my toe.

So I spent half of my ski season in a boot and I couldn't ski.

So by the time I got out to Colorado, I have hadn't skied in five weeks and I was a bit nervous. I thought, oh, I don't know how this is going to go.

Well,

let me tell you, it was like riding a bicycle. And I would say it would have been the best skiing that I have done in years.

In years. Now, you guys know Colorado, they always get snow, so it was fresh powder pretty much every single day. And I was enjoying all of it.

Nicole: And where can our community find out more about what you have going on? What are the best places to stay? Stay up to date on, on your.

Victoria: Latest,

I would say social media. So Instagram and also Facebook. So both of those, although they're personal, they're very much work pages. So you'll see every single thing,

what I'm working on. Like I put that you guys are going to be interviewing me today on my Instagram and everyone says, can't wait until it's over so you can come back and tell us how it went.

So definitely social media, because I truly am, I am always working on something. You know, there's, there's nothing really a day that goes by that either someone is reaching out to me or there's a media advisory or just, you know,

any and everything. I'm always working on something. But I am really excited that ski season,

it's coming. I saw a post from Bromley and it said something like, we only have 16, 16 Saturdays until we're on snow. So I thought, oh, this is good, this is good.

So, you know, those little things really get you through summer.

Sarah: So tell us. We always love to end with, you've had a wonderful ski day, let's say Killington, since that's your home mountain.

You've had a wonderful ski day with some friends.

How do you like to apres ski.

Victoria: With rum and Coke at the K1 Lodge? I'm always in, in the K1 Lodge. That's sort of like my home. And if I'm not in the K1 Lodge, you can find me over in Snow Shed.

I'm always over there.

Yeah, but I thought about you ladies yesterday because I was at the K1 Lodge for the Killington Chili cook off. And I thought, yep, is where I like to hang out.

And the lodge, for me, it's nice because I like the open space.

It's. It's sort of a meetup, you know, and some people that you don't even think that you're going to see, you walk in and there they are and you're just so happy, you know, to see them.

And that space, for me feels like home. That's a space where,

you know, any and everybody who's going to come through Killington, you're going to kind of, you know, end up there. So it's sort of my friends, so to speak.

Nicole: That lodge got a huge upgrade a few years ago.

I remember seeing it in the early,

maybe the early 2010s. It was looking a little rough around the edges, you know, lots. Millions of skiers looked like they had tromped through there with their boots. It was,

it was, you know, when the mountains decide what to upgrade, it's a big deal for the community as well. And it really shows that, okay, we care about you and we want you to have a great space to be on and off the mountain and.

And I think Killington has done that. And it's exciting to see the new owners because Killington's did change hands recently,

but the new owners continuing to invest, you know, putting the new lift in. And from what I understand, they're very committed to keeping ski racing and doing the World cup events there alive and well.

Victoria: Yes. And, you know, I cover Killington and I'm sort of in the know and I have heard exactly the same thing. I mean, you know, obviously they had to do what they needed to do this year because of Superstar.

And if they're going to move the mountain forward as they are, you know, sometimes you've gotta. Not necessarily take a step back, but you have to pause with what you're doing in order to move forward, which is exactly what they've done.

But it is funny when I'm there in the summertime to see no snow.

It's, you know, it's absolutely beautiful and all the mountains are beautiful, but, you know, there's something special about snow. There's something special about, you know, when you're in the lodge and you're putting your ski boots on and you're sort of fussing over your boots and,

and, you know, pulling your, you know, your ski pants over your boots and. And you're getting a little bit hot, so you're anxious to get out and you're putting your ski clothes on and, and someone walks by, you know, and you see them and you say hi, or someone's coming in from skiing and.

And you know that feeling because you walk in the, in that same door after you've, you know, been out there skiing. It's just, it's something about being on snow and the cold that you know, for me, that it's good for my soul.

Nicole: Absolutely. Well, we are so grateful for your time today and we will be following all of your adventures. I hope that there are no broken toes this season.

Thank you for sharing your story and we look forward to following along.

Victoria: Thank you for inviting me today.

Nicole: Hey, ski moms.

Speaker D: We hope you enjoyed today's episode and got some great tips for your next family ski adventure. If you had as much fun listening as we did making this episode episode, we'd love for you to hit that subscribe button so you never miss out.

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