LEE CANYON (KTNV) — This Black History Month, Channel 13 wants to shine a light on a local group that's working to increase diversity and access in winter sports.
The Sierra Snow Gliderswere founded in 1991 as the Las Vegas chapter of the National Brotherhood of Snowsports. The Sierra Snow Gliders are a community of local Black skiers and snowboarders, and their mission is to increase representation on the slopes.
According to a 2023-2024 report from the National Ski Areas Association, which analyzed survey responses from resort guests at ski areas across the U.S., 88% of survey respondents identified as White, while only 1% identified as Black.
The Sierra Snow Gliders believe an effective way to improve representation and access in winter sports is by removing barriers to entry that may have historically shut out marginalized communities.
The club makes skiing and snowboarding, which are typically pricey pastimes, available to local children in the Las Vegas Valley who otherwise may not get the chance to try winter sports.
"Our main mission is to engage children in winter sports who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to experience this wonderful adventure," said Carolyn Reedom, who leads the club's youth programs. "We cover the cost of their lift tickets, their ski rentals, their transportation, ski instruction, lunch, so they can just have a wonderful day learning a new experience and enjoying it the way I have for 50 years."
I accompanied the club on its latest ski trip up to Lee Canyon, where members brought local youth for the day. Some of them had tried skiing and snowboarding before on previous trips with the Sierra Snow Gliders.
But for others, like fifth grader Samaria, it was their first time on the slopes. She was feeling a bit nervous, but also very excited to finally do something she'd long hoped to try.
"I've seen a lot of videos and I was like, 'Ooh, I want to go skiing,'" Samaria said. "I like everything about it."
Seeing the excitement on the kids' faces as they try something new is incredibly fulfilling for the club's leadership, who work year-round to raise money to provide these opportunities for local youth.
"It's a real joy, it really is to see them. They love it. It's just a wonderful thing to watch and see them grow into the sport," said Carolyn Haywood-Wright, the president of the Sierra Snow Gliders.
The Sierra Snow Gliders said they're already seeing the club's impact.
"We've been doing this for many years, and children that we did this with years ago, they're adults. They're skiing now and they're engaging their kids in skiing," Reedom said.
They also hope these kids they're helping now will pay it forward and keep the club going for generations to come.
"Our club right now is an aging club. We're trying to bring in young people so they can be involved and so they can get into running the club themselves," Haywood-Wright said.
If you'd like to support the Sierra Snow Gliders and their mission, click here to donate to the club and find out about future fundraisers.
If you have a young child who is interested in skiing, Lee Canyon does offer a Power Kids Ski Pass, which allows kids 12 and under to ski for free. Click here for more information.
