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<\/a>\nAll photos courtesy of\u00a0Ski-bums.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
Thanks to androgynous snowboard gear and lots of layers, it can be hard to tell if someone is male or female on the hill, much less judge their sexual preference, not that it matters.\u00c2\u00a0 But we figured, if anyone knows how to pick out the gays and lesbians on the hill (not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that), it\u2019s Chris French, the owner of\u00a0Ski Bums.<\/a>\u00a0Chris\u2019s organization puts together trips for LGBT skiers and snowboarders to glamorous locations around the world, a chance for gay skier and snowboarders to unite and shred. So read on to learn what to look for and remember, acceptance is all the rage.<\/p>\n Where are most gay snowboarders who come on your trips from?<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve got more than 1,500 members from all fifty states \u2013 but we got our start in NYC, so we still have quite a few New Yorkers. That said, many of \u2018em are folks who grew up in mountain states like Colorado, Utah, Vermont and California.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the ability level of most gay snowboarders?<\/strong><\/p>\n About half are intermediates, but we\u2019ve got a lot of serious shredders! Thirty percent of the BUMS are expert riders.<\/p>\n They ride obscure snowboards.<\/em><\/p>\n What type of terrain do most of the gay snowboarders on your trips enjoy?<\/strong><\/p>\n It depends on where we are. When we host an East Coast trip, for example, we\u2019ll have a sizable group of people who are relatively new to the sport; they\u2019ll hang out all day on the groomers and set their own goals \u2013 they just might be praying to make it down their first black diamond without biting it. But when we take trips to major destinations \u2014 like Japan, Bariloche, Chamonix or our upcoming hell trip to Alaska \u2014 people will be riding the hardest terrain they can find. Only a handful of our riders are real tricksters who spend the day in the parks or pipes; on last year\u2019s trip to Jackson Hole, our advanced riders spent every day off-piste in the sidecountry<\/p>\n On the mountain? I hate to say this, but no, not really! The stereotype doesn\u2019t apply\u2026 the gay boarders I know aren\u2019t usually the ones in the huge oversized multi-colored outfits that grab your attention on the chair.<\/p>\n Really, there\u2019s no gay mountain fabulousness?<\/strong><\/p>\n Okay, fine, they may have chosen their lime-green goggle lens because it matches the accent color on their helmet, gloves, and bindings. But to tell the truth, gay snowboarders dress pretty much exactly the same as straight snowboarders.<\/p>\n How old are the gay snowboarders you\u2019ve met?<\/strong><\/p>\n A whole range. I know some awesome dudes who have been boarding since the early 80\u2019s and they\u2019re retired now \u2013 and last year, we got to do an amazing afternoon with high school kids from Park City High School\u2019s GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), where we met 14-year-old gay boarders. They had never met any gay grownups who loved the mountains as much as they do. That was an inspiring day.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s the best gay snowboarder you\u2019ve ever met?<\/strong><\/p>\n Best at being gay? Best at snowboarding? Or just \u201cThe Best!\u201d in all respects? Hmmm. There a few out gay snowboarding instructors at Jackson Hole who have incredible technical skills. There\u2019s also a group of young locals who ride just about every weekend at Whistler-Blackcomb, and some of those guys are gay. I got one of \u2018em to wear my helmet cam for a few runs last year, and the footage was insane. But like all of us, I\u2019ve met incredible snowboarders where the subject of who they love simply never came up, and I\u2019ve learned not to assume that just because a guy is masculine, or just because a girl is feminine, doesn\u2019t mean that they may not be gay.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDo gay snowboarders dress better than straight snowboarders?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>They ride the chairlifts!<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nBest at snowboarding.<\/strong><\/p>\n