Participants during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – For 16-year-old Zyshawn Gibson, snowboarding at Big Snow American Dream’s indoor ski park in East Rutherford, New Jersey was a welcome change.
Gibson’s participation in the ski park was made possible by the Hoods to Woods Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in New York and New Jersey that “promotes nature awareness among inner-city children through snowboarding,” according to the organization’s website. Over its 15-year history, Hoods to Woods has helped hundreds of disadvantaged youth like Gibson develop a new interest and outlet through snowboarding, estimates co-founder Omar Diaz.
“It keeps me out of the house,” Gibson told CNBC from a lounge at the Big Snow complex. “It’s different than being out on the streets and being in danger and stuff like that.”
Hoods to Woods, the brainchild of Diaz and co-founder Brian Paupaw, aims to provide new opportunities for teenagers and young adults from similar backgrounds. The group hosts week-long programs in urban areas across the two states.
Participants during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
The organization is just one of several across the United States working to bring people of color to outdoor activities, including winter sports – places where they are often marginalized and underrepresented.
A 2019-2020 participation study released by Snowsports Industries America showed white American participation remained at 67.5%. In comparison, Asians made up 7.7% of participants, while blacks made up 9.2% and Hispanics made up 14%.
Similarly, a demographic study updated by the National Ski Areas Association in 2023 found that white attendees made up 88.1% of guests.
One factor contributing to this gap is the high barrier to entry for these winter sports, given the average cost of equipment and transportation. The same study by Snowsports Industries America found that more than half of snow sports athletes earned over $75,000 per year in 2019-20.
Break down barriers
But organizations like Hoods to Woods are committed to breaking down these walls.
The nonprofit was founded in 2009 by Paupaw and Diaz, two experienced snowboarders, to give back to their communities by introducing youth to the outdoors through snowboarding.
Co-founder Omar Diaz (right), his son Sebastian (center) and volunteer Veronica Vogelman pose for a photo during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods To Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
“Depicting people who looked like me and even from my area was important because you could be out on the mountain and hear people talking, but they don’t sound like you,” Diaz said. “You grow up in an urban environment and in the mountains everyone around you sounds completely different.”
The entire program – including snowboarding lessons, transportation and meals – is free for youth participants. Paupaw and Diaz raise money to cover travel and food.
The group also accepts donations of equipment or gifts, while Big Snow has donated its facilities to the nonprofit for free for years.
Curating Outdoor Communities
In addition to Hoods to Woods, there are other nonprofit organizations across the United States dedicated to similar causes.
Edge Outdoors in Washington State, for example, has the goal: “[address] “The invisibility of Black, Indigenous and women of color in snow sports,” founder Annette Diggs told CNBC. The group is also working to include women who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, including both trans and queer-identifying participants.
“One thing that’s unique about Edge is that we work with the community – many of our participants are taught by people from their community, so Black and brown people,” she said.
Ciera Young, who is Black and has multiple sclerosis, learned adaptive skiing through a scholarship from Edge.
“I was just so grateful that my instructors listened to me and said, ‘We want to make sure you can ski how you want and that you feel empowered,'” she said. “It was incredible to be in a room with other BIPOC people.”
Zyshawn Gibson (left) and Tah’gee Van Dunk during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Meanwhile, the Vermont-based nonprofit Improbable Riders, founded in 2020, plans to build an outdoor community center staffed by people of color that co-founder Abby Crisostomo envisions will one day be a “radically inclusive space.”
Crisostomo estimates that in the four years since its founding, Unlikely Riders has hosted more than 145 events, donated 2,500 pieces of winter gear and taught more than 570 community members free of charge. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, the group also introduces people of color and LGBTQ+ communities to mountain biking while maintaining a welcoming environment.
Small businesses like Skida and ToughCutie, which is owned by people of color, have been instrumental in supporting Unlikely Riders’ efforts by donating equipment and hosting events.
The circle closes
In addition to their mission of inclusion, Hoods to Woods co-founders also emphasized the importance of mentorship within the program, including consultation with their community participants and assistance with financial literacy, college applications, and job offers.
“I have seen children who had behavioral problems at school and at home do a 180-degree turn because they were in an environment where they could be themselves and think freely,” Paupaw said. “For me, this is one of the most powerful things I have experienced as a person, but also as a co-founder of this program.”
Through Hoods to Woods, Diaz, Paupaw and their volunteers have built many relationships with their participants. Some return as volunteers after completing their program.
Participants and volunteers during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024. More than half of the program’s volunteers are certified snowboard instructors, said co-founder Omar Diaz.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
“It’s the perfect combination,” Diaz told CNBC. “Giving back to the youth, changing their lives, doing it in a place I love – I’m happy. There’s no better way to give back.”
Miquan Chisholm, 27, was one of the program’s first participants 15 years ago. He now volunteers for the cause. His daughter is only three years old now, but he envisions a future in which she will one day join the community.
“It changed my life because it gave me a different perspective on life. I never thought I would snowboard as a black man… And I fell in love with it,” he said. “Hoods to Woods definitely gave me the confidence to try new things, just be open-minded about things in life and realize that there are so many opportunities out there for people.”
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2024-06-19 12:20:18
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