ON Thursday August 8 and Friday August 9 Chicks Who Shred delivered two free sessions on Mount Buller.
For 14 years, Chicks Who Shred sessions at Buller have brought women together who are passionate about improving their skiing and snowboarding skills in a social and inclusive environment.
Ninety women participated across both days with the guidance of experienced mentors including co-founder of Chicks Who Shred Zoe Jaboor.
Zoe competed in moguls skiing at a national level in Australia, Canada and the United States until she was 17 and was a winter Olympic moguls judge in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
The other leaders taking out groups this year include Abi Harrigan a slopestyle athlete who competed at the 2022 Olympics and is now on the World Cup Circuit alongside Kat Paul the top XC sprinter in Australia.
Kat is the current Australia and New Zealand continental cup winner.
The grassroots organisation Chicks Who Shred originally named Chicks With Sticks was founded in 2010.
Chicks who Shred president Hana Williamson has been involved in the organisation for seven years.
“I originally started as a participant ten years ago, jumping in a session with my mum whilst I was working as a ski instructor in Perisher, I loved it and kept coming back to every session,” Hana said.
“At the time, I was also studying marketing and began helping out with the socials and photography, after a couple of years I then stepped into an event organizer role and leader before eventually taking over as president four years ago.”
Hana started skiing and snowboarding when she was four years old.
“My mum had learnt to ski later in life and wanted to make sure my brother and I learnt early,” she said.
“We would go every year on a family holiday for a week to get our skills up, but it wasn't until I was 15 and went to Canada with my mum and some family friends.
“I had always been an okay skier, but it had never clicked until I had a female ski instructor that taught me a few things, skiing amongst the trees of Canada, that I fell in love with skiing.”
Hana said the sessions were designed to help women develop their skills and confidence on the snow.
“Women are built differently to men - both physically and mentally, in particular we overanalyse, we worry about what others watching on may think and that can be a big reason that many women don't get into the park or push themselves harder on the hill,” she said.
“These sessions try to provide a fun and supportive environment where you get some tips on how to nail the trick, or the encouragement to even try the trick - you feel a lot less silly trying to learn to ski backwards as an adult when there are five other women around you trying.”
Hana said these sessions bring women together fostering new relationships.
“A lot of the women we meet have been skiing with men or their families for years, I love seeing them meet other like-minded women and build friendships that result in them coming back year after year to the sessions together,” she said.
“The excitement from the women as they land a trick, try something new and see it work, and the support from everyone else always makes my day.”
Chicks who Shred will also be holding other sessions at Falls Creek on August 17 and 18, Thredbo on the August 31, Perisher on the August 1 and Hotham on September 7 and 8.
For more details go to the Chicks Who Shred website.
