One Vermont group is cultivating an outdoor community for BIPOC Vermonters (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), one person, one mountain, and one story at a time.
“Our work is all about creating these joyful and inclusive spaces for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in mountain sports. Our mission is about breaking down barriers” and empowering communities of color to thrive on the ski slopes, says Unlikely Riders executive director Abby Crisostomo.
Crisostomo helped found Unlikely Riders in 2020. “We’ve all had those experiences of being the only one on the mountain.” Unlikely Riders’ work ensures “no one has to feel like they’re alone.”
Unlikely Riders spans disciplines and seasons to focus on skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, backcountry touring, and mountain biking through instruction and community days. The organization also stewards a robust gear closet to outfit community members who may not own equipment, but want to get out there. In its fifth season, the gear closet, based at the group’s Burlington headquarters, has passed along 2,500 pieces of gear.
Mostly donated, offerings range from gloves and hats to skis, snowboards, and backcountry setups, complete with art by local BIPOC artists.
A recent addition to the Unlikely Riders programming lineup is a storytelling day before the ski and ride season even starts. Members come together for a community dinner, a handful share stories about what mountain sports mean to them, and others write down their stories in a notebook passed from table to table.
At the heart of all these ventures is the mission to build community by creating affinity spaces for groups historically underrepresented on mountains.
“If you don’t see yourself in these spaces, how do you know that you’ll belong there?” Crisostomo said.
That’s where community ski and ride days come in. These events bring BIPOC skiers and riders together at a ski area to have fun, form connections, take lessons, and enjoy delicious local food from BIPOC vendors.
The day starts with a big group welcome, complete with lots of laughter and warm, friendly greetings. Then, skiers and riders separate for lessons with BIPOC instructors, while others take to the ski slopes to ski and ride together. Sometimes, groups break out for affinity space rides, including those for LGBTQIA+, Spanish-speaking, and Black group members. After lunch and more skiing, people ski or ride as part of a big group for a photo, with one member holding the flag.
Throughout the day, smiles abound.
“What does it feel like to be the only one on the mountain? This is what the opposite of that feels like,” said Crisostomo. “All sorts of identities are represented here. It’s really special.”
Vermont has historically been among the U.S. states with the highest percentage of white people in the population, but Unlikely Riders’ work makes the state more accessible for communities of color, Crisostomo said.
“I hear anecdotes from folks at almost every ski and ride day [that] ‘I wasn’t finding my community; I was going to leave [Vermont],’ but then they found our programming, and they found people they can connect with outdoors and on the snow. I think that makes all the difference, that overall sense of belonging.”
Unlikely Riders communications director Miguel Reda says being part of a community creates a space to thrive in Vermont.
“If you don’t find that community that really wants to support and uplift you, people do leave [the state],” Reda says, and because finding that community can take time, people can miss out on what Vermont has to offer.
Not uncommon to happen on the trail, “People of Color see other People of Color and have an exchange for a minute, then white friends ask if they know you.” Not necessarily, but “there’s that connection when you’re both BIPOC,” Reda said. Unlikely Riders makes it easier to find those connections and build community here in the Green Mountain State.
Unlikely Riders also offers leadership training opportunities in wilderness first aid through SOLO Schools, Instructor certification from Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors, and training through the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. Some Unlikely Riders members already work in outdoor recreation and want to hone their skills, while others are looking to volunteer or start down that career path. Still others take the training so they’re more prepared to help people on the mountain.
Up next for the group? Base Lodge. Unlikely Riders will undertake construction of a BIPOC-stewarded outdoor community center with cross-country ski trails, a rope tow, an event space, a gear closet, and more. A grant through the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative will fund the planning stage, which involves a new project manager, a steering committee, site visits, and lots of community conversations.
The project will “represent this transformation in Vermont’s outdoor landscape where people can come together, learn, and be in the outdoors, all while centering BIPOC outdoors leaders,” Crisostomo said. “A whole generation of BIPOC Vermonters will grow up seeing themselves reflected from Day One.”
Those interested in joining Unlikely Riders, taking part in a community day, or keeping up with the organization should sign up on their website.