Skiing and snowboarding can both be intimidating for young girls learning their way around a slope. 

“When I was younger, I would always look at the terrain park and I didn’t really want to try it because I’d be scared I was going to be made fun of or there’d be guys in the terrain park making fun of you for falling over or kind of just yelling at you that you’re a girl in the park,” said Chester Bowl instructor Lucy Sharpe. 

Located at Chester Bowl, the Girls Shred program provides girls, women, and those that identify as non-binary the opportunity to learn new skiing and snowboarding skills in a women-led environment. Participants must have passed a Level 2 lesson to be in the program. 

“I feel like it’s really important because if you see one girl in the terrain park, then just more and more people, more and more females just feel welcome and supported and heard,” said Chester Bowl instructor Mia Torch. “We just really want to make it comfortable and a really good community that’s not so isolated.”

The Girls Shred program began last year and is back up and running after weather-related delays this season. 

“It means a lot to me. I love Chester Bowl, and I think as I’ve been growing up here, it’s been fun to see more women in the terrain park, and it’s been fun to be a part of helping out in the terrain park,” said Sharpe. 

The next Girls Shred event will be Saturday, February 10 from noon to 2 pm. There are also Girls Shred lessons from 2 to 4 pm on the following Saturdays: January 20, January 27, and February 3.

You can register for Girls Shred through this Google form.

Questions about this program can be sent to: sam@chesterbowl.org

The Girls Shred staff also coach during Chester Bowl’s Freestyle Fridays and encourage participants to come to those events. More information about Freestyle Fridays can be found at this link.