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issue 1
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Objects in the mirror
SISU Pronounced see’-soo. A Finnish term embodying the spirit of grit, guts, and perseverance. Sisu represents a human being’s ability to face any adventure riddled with hardship, hopelessness, and impossibility, yet they still choose to stay the course. It’s not a temporary state of courage, it’s a way of life. SISU MAGAZINE A collection of uninterrupted stories, brilliant photographs, and stunning art that evokes the indomitable human spirit that exists in all of us. An exploration into the experiences and perspectives about the outdoors, told by our contributing writers, photographers, and artists who represent a collective voice that has been silenced for far too long.
CONTENTS 4 FROM THE EDITOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR 6 KINGPIN OF THE HILL 9 ALL IN
B NOW UT I ’M . I AN IT A CT S H UAL OUT-O IN IN F-D LY GE G S, OOR T FOR O O SO S G K YOU T DON THE HE IR R 'T KE L WO D Y. O SPA ODS, I’M BOTHE OR O FF I’M CE R FUC SHI L KI O O O TT N Y K TA NG OUR KI ING I ON S Y NG GE N TT OUR F IDEW UP IN ORE AL G K, S T SPL I AN IN FLOOR ’M O U I N DO TE TD AN RS OO O R G D . RS IR L PA ON T GE H 14 E
12 ASK JENNY
14 AN INDOOR GIRL ON THE 4 6 POETRY IN MOTION OUTDOORS 16 A WOMAN’S PLACE
ting
crea — k l a t l a e ob. It j r e d e i s s Becauice starts as an in ng look in
lo ust f king a a racial j t u o oursel y y h f t i o w s rt begins the pa l likely l a d t n a a ( r o e rr may b the mi u o y s blem. y o a r w p e e h h t E, and t J U STIC uating t e OCIAL S p r L U 0 e F 6 SO U L PAG E are) p
4 8 WHO’S IN CHARGE? 5 4 INFLUENCED 56 KIT LIST 60 SOULFUL SOCIAL JUSTICE 62 YA’AT’EEH 64
ENTANGLED
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LOST & FOUND
26 DON’T CALL ME A LADY
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UNPACKING WINTER CAMPING
28 BY THE NUMBERS
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GET IT TOGETHER
32 THE PITCH
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MARKETPLACE
34 MINDFULLY CRAFTED
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EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY
36 BEST FOOT FORWARD
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THAT’S WHAT HE SAID
38 NORTHERN ADVENTURE
“And be better. Don’t be
lazy. Be so damn good in your skill set they can’t ignore you. Just be the best.” WHO’S IN CHARGE?, PAGE 48 1
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KINGPIN OF THE HILL JENNIFER GURECKI | @yogurecki
THERE’S ONLY ONE THING
Andrea Katzeff hates more than a crap cup of coffee. It’s the old boy’s club that has dominated the sport of skating for far too long. This 25-year-old from Cape Town, South Africa is out to change the way women are perceived in the sport, and she’s not alone. Katzeff enlisted a diverse group of other up-and-coming skaters—Alicia Fillback, Carla Javier, Carmen Shaffer, Marina Emily Pross, Marina Alyssa, and Giulia Alfeo—to rally around intersectionality and make the first feminist longboarding film. It is inspired not only by their love of the sport, but their passion about tackling homophobia, racism, and sexism in skating. They’re calling the film Kingpin, for a good reason. “Like the kingpin of a board, women play a vital role in skating and society yet they are often overlooked. We wanted a name that would pay tribute to every women in
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"Like the kingpin of a board, women play a vital role in skating and society yet are often overlooked." our lives—to their importance, courage, and strength. Along with that, with an all female cast and the common gender association with a ‘king,” we felt it was an appropriate name that would, from the outset, start a conversation of equality,” said Katzeff. These heavy hitting issues are not normally associated with skating but they have been brewing inside of Katzeff for the past 20 years. As a 6-year-old girl, she saw a bunch of boys with old school skateboards and she was drawn to the idea of going down a hill. She was overwhelmed by it, actually. “I borrowed a board and held onto it and never let go. Skating consumed me,”she said. From that point on, she knew she wanted to be a professional skater. But at the time, skating in Cape Town was very much a new, rebellious, and dangerous sport. And these rebels were all men.
"You'd think that because you are put in the community of outsiders and rebels that you'd be accepted but often you're not. You experience homophobia from all ends of the spectrum. and it's highly discouraging." Even as a ‘90’s kid, she was still the only girl at the skate park, and the images of women in the media were less than encouraging. “When I was growing up you would open up a magazine and there would be no women or only images of hyper sexualized images. But it was like a knock on the chin. You just have to move on.” She wanted to see more women skating, and she felt like she had something to prove. So she pushed herself harder to make a point that women can skate. But at age 10, a devastating accident almost put an end to the sport she knew she was destined for. Katzeff’s hair was caught in the axle of a go-kart. Her scalp was almost completely ripped out, and she lost just over half of the blood in her body. After spending a month in the hospital, she only had 15 percent of her of scalp remaining; she had to accept that she would never grow hair again. “You either brew in the depths of your own sadness or you move on,” she said. The former was not an option for me.”
Thanks to skating icons like Lacey Baker, we now know that not everyone who skates is straight, but this is a relatively new narrative for the sport. “You would think that because you are put in the community of outsiders and rebels that you’d be accepted but often you’re not. You experience homophobia from all ends of the spectrum and it’s highly discouraging.” The Longboard Girls Crew has brought an incredible amount of awareness about sexism and homophobia in the skating community, she said, and opened up Katzeff to so many new friends who have an understanding and share similar struggles. Despite her focus on women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color, Katzeff hasn’t forgotten about men. She has a clear message for them: Just sit back and listen. “Everyone is entitled to their own position but just listen and hear us out…Don’t solve my fucking problem for me. It’s not that I’m incapable…I just need to you listen.”
Her parents were skeptical of allowing her to get back on a board, but she did. After watching the longboarding film Endless Roads, she knew that she wanted to create something that supported women in pursuing and overcome obstacles that have been set in place by societal norms. Katzeff is part of a new generation in Cape Town that is woke as fuck and not afraid to openly discuss the trauma of apartheid, their white privilege, and their vision for a more equitable world. “Growing up in South Africa has pushed me into incorporating this into the film. I am very aware of my privilege. If I can make other people aware and create an intersectionality that applies to all, then I am happy. I don’t want marginalize anyone.”
Get to know Andrea Katzeff at @andreakatzeff and back Kingpin at @kingpin_the_documentary and support their Kickstarter if you want to see more intersectionality in skating.
One element of intersectionality that is very personal to Katzeff is the representation of LGBTQ+ in skating.
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“
Feminism is not
simply a matter of getting a smattering of individual women into positions of power within existing social hierarchies. It is rather about overcoming those hierarchies, and challenging the structures of gender domination in capitalist society. “ Nancy Fraser AMERICAN CRITICAL THEORIST AND FEMINST 71-YEARS-OLD 8
COURTESY OF MICHELLE PARKER AND MATCHSTICK PRODUCTIONS
ALL ABOUT
ALL IN WITH MICHELLE PARKER
JENNIFER GURECKI | @yogurecki
ALL IN, THE LATEST SKI FLICK from Matchstick Productions, made headlines this
fall, but not in the traditional sense. Starring a stellar line-up of athletes from Michelle Parker to Cody Townsend, this was the first major production to showcase the skills of more women than men. The catch? Even though women garnered more screen time than men, it wasn’t billed as a women’s film; rather it was promoted as a film for everyone, from mountain dwellers to city slickers who all coalesce around their love of the mountains and skiing. At Sisu Magazine, we can get on board with that. But what sends flames and daggers flying through our Slack channels are the ways in which this film has been positioned as not a “chick flick” because it features an equal number of men and women. This narrative erases the significance of this film. For the first time, women have more screen time; it’s not equal, and that’s refreshing. It begs the question: Is there something inherently wrong or uninteresting about watching women on screen? If we actively acknowledge the substantial role women play will men be turned off, and then tune out? Our take on All In? This film has everything to do about women who are pushing their limits as athletes and progressing a sport that so many of us love. By choosing to include men in the film they literally flipped a script that requires women to beg for screen time and hope that a sponsor will pony up a fraction of the dollars they often hand to men on silver platters. They created an opportunity for us to explore what is possible when individuals of different gender identities come together to understand each other’s diverse perspectives while we celebrate our existence in the mountains. But enough from us. We asked professional skier and overall amazing human being Michelle Parker to chime in about her experience filming All In.
HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY. 9
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A ' WOMAN S PLACE working in the outdoor industry is harder for women than for men. after experiencing gender bias, a writer navigates the outdoor industry’s attempts to bring more women into the ranks. Words:
Art:
JULIE BROWN | @downtownjb
LAUREN BELLO OKERMAN | @folklaurstudio
WHEN TERESA BAKER WALKED THE FLOOR at Outdoor Retailer, the industry tradeshow, she was beside herself.
“That was a slap in the face, how white it is and how male dominated it is,” said Baker. “It’s shocking. I had to pause for a while just to take it all in. It’s amazing to see how much power there is in this outdoor industry, but it is white and it is male dominated, and we must do something to change the physical look of the outdoor industry. We must find a way to bring more women and people of color in.” The outdoor recreation economy is worth $887 billion in consumer spending. It is responsible for 7.6 million jobs. But Baker is right—this industry skews white and male, and straight and cis -gendered. “The demographics in this country are changing,” said Baker. “They’re shifting and if this industry does not change with the demographics, some will fall by the wayside.” Baker is a black woman who lives in California’s Bay Area. She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion across all outdoor spaces, organizations, and brands. Specifically, her work has focused on the National Parks. She grew up in Richmond and spent her childhood in the outdoors, playing sports, and visiting parks. Those early exposures to the outdoors led to her lifelong passion for natural places. But in 2013, after a trip to Yosemite and not seeing another person in five days that looked like her, she decided she needed to do something to bring more diversity to the outdoors. So she started the African American National Parks Day, which this year, encouraged thousands of people of color to visit the National Parks over the first weekend in June. 16
" be bold. I say that to all women be bold " Baker’s primary focus is diversity but she pivots to talk about gender. At Outdoor Retailer, she noticed the smattering of independent, small companies led by women to answer the demand for women. “Be bold. I say that to all women—be bold,” says Baker. “I wish I had the ability to instill in some of these women who feel intimidated the promise of a better tomorrow if they act today. We have to galvanize ourselves and send a clear message that we belong in these spaces, too. We are capable, too, and until we force that message on the industry as a whole, things will never change.” I pressed her on this. I am all for inspirational messages about getting involved and pushing for change. But after working in the outdoor industry for five years, this topic of gender and bias has become personal. And my own experience led me to believe that the more I pushed, the more I encountered resistance. 17
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THE PITCH
NOSO PATCHES FOUNDER KELLI JONES
Noso makes repair and embellishment patches for your gear GIVE US YOUR BEST ELEVATOR PITCH. You get an extra button when purchasing a new sweater, so why not offer a patch with a new garment such as a puffy jacket, sleeping bag, ski pants, backpack, or tent? By offering patches with their products, we help companies reduce their negative impact on the environment and strengthen the outdoor industry as a whole. In 2018 we launched our custom program and ArtFix patches. To extend the lifespan of your gear or express your individuality, check out our patches at our store NosoPatches.com.
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PATCHES SEEM…WELL, A BIT BOUGIE WHEN DUCT TAPE WORKS JUST FINE. HOW’D YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA? I was hunting and hopped a barbed wire fence and ripped my brand new Patagonia Fitz Roy that I just received as a gift from my sister-inlaw Alyssa. I said to myself, that’s it. I’m not repairing another piece of gear with tape. I didn’t like how tape gummed up on the sides and thought there had to be a patch out there. But there wasn’t so I decided to make my own. I researched fabrics and manufacturing and then did drawdowns with various adhesives until I found the perfect combination.
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT NOSO? Noso stands for no sewing. Noso patches have a patent-pending technology and are super easy to apply. Our patches are the most superior patches on the market and currently last up to 50 wash/dry cycles. Other tapes on the market fail anywhere between the second and fifth wash/dry cycle. Another fun fact about Noso: Many industry executives come to our booth at Outdoor Retailer (the largest outdoor trade show in North America) saying that this is the most innovative product they’ve seen in the industry in 20-plus years.
Shred the Patriarchy, Fix Your Gear
Get your Coalition Snow “Shred the P” Noso patch online at CoalitionSnow.com.
WHAT’S BEEN THE GREATEST REWARD SO FAR? Offering a solution to people before a snag, rip, or tear occurs. I love seeing how people use our patches and sometimes I still freak out when I see a stranger wearing a Noso. Forgive me if I ever freak out on you, but it’s just so awesome to have people like the art you’ve created. WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS? Ask for help. As a self-starting ‘Jill of all Trades’ I expect so much of myself. But to reach my 2019 goals, I have to ask for help. Find out what you like doing best in your business and delegate the rest. Hire the most talented people you can find and then let them work their magic.
WHAT’S BEEN SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS? Scaling. We’ve quadrupled our revenue in the first three quarters of 2018 without adding resources. I joke sometimes when I tell people that we run this company on a busted shoe string. You know, like one of those dirt bag shoe strings that has a couple of knots in it? We’ve been in fifth gear this entire year, and I look forward to when we can set cruise control.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU? You can find me in the mountains. If you’re looking for Noso Patches, you can find them at NosoPatches.com and you can email us at info@nosopatches.com. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO TELL US? I love puns, riddles, and comic strips. If you ever come across a good one, please send it my way. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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NORTHERN ADVENTURE Photos :
TAYLOR ROADES | @taylorroades
THE YUKON TERRITORY is bigger than Japan and Germany, and it is south only of the Arctic Ocean. It is filled with mountains, wildlife, forests, and snow-covered passes. Photographer Taylor Roades spent a week in the Yukon documenting the connection between the land And the people.
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WHO 'S IN CHARGE? Photos:
LYNSEY DYER | @lynseydyer
WE SAT DOWN WITH LYNSEY DYER, THE CO-FOUNDER OF SHEJUMPS AND CREATIVE POWERHOUSE BEHIND THE ALLWOMEN’S SKI FILM PRETTY FACES, TO FIND OUT WHAT’S CHANGED FOR ATHLETES SINCE SHE BEGAN HER CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL BIG MOUNTAIN SKIER MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE ADVENT OF THE ACTION CAMERA, PAIRED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, MEANS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE, SHE IS IN CHARGE OF TELLING HER OWN STORY. WHAT’S CHANGED FOR ATHLETES SINCE THE INVENTION OF ACTION CAMERAS AND SELFIE STICKS? I got to own my narrative. And I got to begin seeding the mass market with the vision that girls belong in action sports and tech, too. This image that I shot of myself graced magazines and the television, reaching millions on YouTube. Through this means I could help show that women belonged here too, doing shit, not just looking pretty. We’re in the coldest temps and highest places with technical equipment and having a blast. Not just pretty and posing like we are so programmed. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO BE ABLE TO CREATE YOUR OWN NARRATIVE? Because for the first time in history I can. Women can. Our grandmothers did not have this luxury and I owe it to them to own the privilege they dreamed of and that they paved the way for us to tell a story that many never thought to imagine. There are important stories not being told that would help empower more humans to belong, find their community, and reach their highest potential. I want to help share them all.
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IONE’S KIT list
IONE GANGOITI PEREZ is a competitive athlete who originally hails from the Spanish Pyrenees and now calls Whistler, British Columbia home. Perez started skiing at the ripe old age of 2, shredding along side her grandpa, mum, aunties, and uncles, who were all ski instructors. She’s been competing her entire life in alpine racing, but a few years ago she took a break to pursue her European ISIA Level 3 (the maximum certification level in Europe). Why return to competitions? “I like to compete because I feel the adrenaline pushing my limits up, I love that feeling.” When she’s not competing in the Freeride World Qualifiers, she’s out in the backcountry staying safe, having fun, and posting pics to Instagram as a sponsored Coalition Snow athlete. Beyond fan girling her, we wanted to learn a thing or two, so we asked her what she keeps in her pack and how she got to where she is today.
WHAT’S IN YOUR PACK? My Scott airbag backpack (22 liters) and my Ortovox transceiver, probe, and shovel are mandatory if I am skiing in the backcountry. I always like to have some water, a lighter (to start a fire if necessary, obviously), hand warmers, an extra phone battery, and energy bars (just in case). I also like to bring extra neck warmers from Skida, extra lenses for my goggles, and sun glasses (so I can switch out from the hike up to the ski down). When I want to take photos and I’m not in the backcountry, I use my F-Stop Lotus pack from Spain. TALK TO US ABOUT SKIS. When I travel, I always bring two pairs of Coalition Snow skis (the Abyss and S.O.S) and skins. If I know that I’m going to ride hard that day, I take my 180 centimeter Abyss skis (my favorites), but I find them very demanding to use them every day. So sometimes I use my S.O.S. They are more playful than the Abyss. My competition ski depends on the type of venue, but usually I ride the Abyss. My S.O.S. are mounted with alpine bindings, but the Abyss are mounted with backcountry bindings to make sure I can go with them everywhere. And I always like to have extra poles on my car. WHAT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT? I never forget my helmet and mittens. I am always cold, so I wear electric feet warmers, even in the springtime. And I like to be warm, so I always wear good base layers under my Tobe Outerwear Fingo jacket. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR US? Go step by step and have fun at your level. A ski instructor is always a good option if you can afford it. If you are a pro or doing competition, go big or go home! FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PEREZ AT @ionegangoitiperez 56
Enter to win a 3+ Beacon from Ortovox! Take a photo of Issue One and use the hashtag #GritAndGuts on Instagram. Make sure you follow and tag @SisuMagazine and @Ortovox.
Ortovox 3+ Beacon Ortovox.com
Contest runs through January 15, 2019
Ortovox 24o Pro Alu Probe, Beast Shovel Ortovox.com
Coalition Snow SOS & Abyss Skis CoalitionSnow.com
F-Stop Lotus Pack FStopGear.com
Ione takes flight in competition.
Tobe Outerwear Fingo Jacket TobeOuterwear.com
Skida Headband & Alpine Hat Skida.com
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“WE ARE POWERFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE
SURVIVED.” — AUDRE LORDE American writer and intersectional feminist 1934-1992
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LOST AND FOUND & found material is a bountiful and sustainable foundation for creation. The found art making process begins with the act of gathering, and moves through repurposing, and ends in rebirth. THis found material also possesses, as part of it’s character, traces of its former life. this residual energy imbues the new project with an additional dimension of meaning that becomes another element, or layer, of the creative piece. this requires the artist to choose carefully, and be aware of the power of purpose, meaning and the past life of what was left.
LAUREN BELLO OKERMAN | @folklaurstudio 69
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MArketplace
shred the p patch CoalitionSnow.com Coalition Snow has partnered up with Noso Patches to bring you a technical patch that solves all of those campfire and barbed wire misfortunes. Pick one up today and ditch the duct tape.
FEAT.SOCK CO. SisuMagaizne.com
At Feat. Sock Co., their aim has always been to create socks that tell a story, taking wearers and viewers on a little adventure or at least giving you one reason to today. We’re proud to feature this female-founded business and offer their socks that are designed and manufactured in Cape Town, South Africa.
# boldturn s blend CoalitionSnow.com Making #boldturns is just something you do on the daily. Before you get to the mountain you’ve got shit to do. Take a conference call. Fall a tree. Keep your children alive. Maintain world domination. This sustainably sourced high altitude blend created for us by our friends at Drink Coffee Do Stuff is the magical fuel that keeps you making #boldturns morning, noon, and night.
E XT RE ME DE MO DAYS
extreme demo days CoalitionSnow.com You’re invited to the Extreme Demo Days with Coalition Snow, Rocky Mountain Underground, and Weston Snowboards at the RMU headquarters in Breckenridge, CO. Mark your calendars for January 18th, February 15th, and March 15th. Visit the Coalition Snow website and click
JA NUA RY 18T H • F E BR UA RY 15 T H • MA R CH 15 T H 76
on Demos for more details.
sisu apothecary SisuMagazine.com
We teamed up with Pantry Products to to create the perfect skin care blend to soothe your tired skin this winter. Choose from our Windburn Balm, Snow on Cedar Soak, Apres Ski Spray, or Aches & Pain Soreness Soother. Feel good inside and out knowing that you are supporting a woman-owned business that specializes in all natural, luxurious, small batch skin care.
Coalition snow CoalitionSnow.com Coalition Snow knows that the real secret to designing women’s equipment is to start with women first. Perhaps that’s why they’ve won Skier’s Choice two years in a row from Powder Magazine and made it to their Top 10 list of Best Women’s Skis. Oh yeah, and then there’s that “The Beyonce of the Ski World” thing. Get yourself on the best damn women’s skis and snowboards and join the #sisterhoodofshred.
EVO X COALITION SNOW evo.com
X
Join Coalition Snow and Evo for a weekend of inspiration and fun on the snow. They are gathering women to meet and ride with Coalition Snow’s CEO, Jen Gurecki, a pioneering entrepreneur in the ski industry for a weekend of learning, sharing and good times. Spring skiing never looked so fun.
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