Some pearls of wisdom from the mag

If you’ve ever rag-dolled down the side of a mountain, you know from firsthand experience that snowboarding is a very physical activity.

As a woman myself, I often wonder, was I preconditioned to be less ‘good’ at the rough and tumble of life – while I arranged tea parties for my raggedy teddy bear Barnaby, my bothers were falling from trees, covered in cuts and bruises that they wore like badges of honour.

I never really learned how to fall properly, you know, that shoulder curved roll that men do effortlessly, saving themselves from any unnecessary injury. I just hadn’t fallen from enough trees/BMXs/insert-as-relevant, to pick up that invaluable gem.

The age-old debate about the differences between men and women has run for centuries, to the point of tedium, and I’m not about to shed any new light on the subject.

Women understand that we’re different (you fellows have the Y chromosome for a start. Why indeed), we get that men are, in general, physically stronger than us and that a man at the top of his game can throw down harder, for longer, and get more recognition. Snowboarding is a male dominated world. This is not a sexist comment, nor an outraged feminist accusation; it’s just a fact.

But what does this mean for the women who have dedicated their lives to snowboarding – does being in the minority make it more, or less, difficult to carve your niche? And are women less hardcore when it comes to the gnarly stuff?

So what’s my point? I want to celebrate those gnarly-as-hell, put-mostboys-on-their-ass, women who are throwing down the gauntlet, day in, day out, in the world of snowboarding. And, of course, to hear what they’ve got say on the subject of the man Vs woman debate.

“What debate… this is 2009!” Jess Venables, dismisses the question firmly. Freerider Jess is based in Chamonix, France, and joined the snowboarding brethren at the relatively old age of 21 after starting work as a chalet girl. Nine years on and she’s worked regularly with photographer Dan Milner, competed in prestigious competitions like the Freeride World Tour, and collected a plethora of sponsors such as O’Neill.

Does she think men and women approach snowboarding differently, though?

The answer is not a simple yes or no it seems. “I think everybody approaches snowboarding in a different way depending on their level, fitness, passion and the type of riding. If you want, I could say I think women are more sensible than men and they might think twice before throwing themselves down a gnarly mountain!” says Jess.

Jenny Jones, the UK’s most successful competitive snowboarder and gold medallist in this year’s X-Games Slopestyle category, echoes Jess’s sentiments that there is no simple answer. “I think there’s different types of personality in both men and women,” says Jenny. “Some get excited by snowboarding, some like the lifestyle it involves. For me, I get really excited about it and I like to push my ability – like can I clear that jump? And I know lots of men who approach snowboarding like that too.”

But, with fewer women in the sport as a whole, what about carving your own niche – is it easier for a woman to become successful because there are fewer women involved? Maybe.

UK pro Jo Chastney, renowned for her steezy style, reckons that will only take you so far. “I think for sponsorship and just being recognised, it’s easier being a woman, but then it is harder to progress from there. Getting sponsorship isn’t that hard – get a few results and you are known on the scene but progressing any further in different countries is a different story. Going to America and taking it to the next level, it is definitely harder, but I’m not sure how it is from a guy’s point of view. For me, picking up sponsors was fine, but then when I tried going out to America it was really difficult, I was stuck in the middle.”

Jess reckons it is easier for women because the ratio of men competing is a lot higher than for women but Jenny isn’t entirely convinced. She says, “I do wonder if it being easier for women to carve a niche is a valid point. Yes, there are less women and in some ways that makes it easier to climb the ladder – at the same time, at a high level there is still a lot of women and you do need to have real skill. And not all women have that bravery or balls, or whatever you want to call it, to do it. It could be that we’re preconditioned as children without realising it. I grew up with two older brothers and was always treated as one of the boys, maybe that improved certain aspects in me, or maybe it was already in me. Who knows?

But definitely it’s an issue. I’ve met loads of women on camps, women who have so much skill, but they can’t push themselves to do a jump they’re scared of.” Ah yes, that old ‘having balls without having balls’ chestnut. Do we girls have ‘em?

“There seems to be more crazy/courageous men because there are fewer girls in the sport but I definitely know a lot of crazy/ courageous girls out there,” says Jess, who adds that she has no preference in the sex of her riding buddies.

“At the end of the day, for me, I ride or climb with people who I feel comfortable with, trust and can have fun with, regardless of their X & Y chromosome count!”

Originally published in Document Snowboard Magazine, issue 59. Words by Rachel Devlin, photography by James Bryant