Ruby Cieciuch grew up in Telluride Colorado, and has been skiing since she was one-and-a-half years old. As she grew older, skiing became not only a hobby, but her life passion. Initially a ski racer and now a competitive freeride skier, she understands the fulfillment, community, and joy skiing has brought to her life, and also realizes the continuous struggle for belonging she has endured in a male dominated sport. As one of three girls on her freeride team, she sees even fewer girls continuing with the sport in younger age groups. Freeride girls often feel demoralized in a sport that does not seem to value them.
“It is exhausting to fight for success in a sport not designed for you.” – Ruby Cieciuch
However, Ruby recognizes the extreme talent and value that women bring to the freeride community, and decided that she needed to create an inclusive space for freeride girls to discuss the hardships, setbacks, and also the beautiful moments of being a woman in freeride.
Ruby is implementing her project, by creating a seminar in which young female skiers can engage with the more experienced women in her community. She plans on reaching out to her current and former coaches, Telluride film skiers, and local legends to talk about the impact of identity within the sport. The seminar will consist of a moderated panel discussion, followed by a Q&A from the audience and the opportunity for the girls to have an open discussion about what it means to be a woman in freeride.
Ruby hopes that the project will have lasting results, allowing girls in Telluride’s ski community to feel confident in themselves and in their value as skiers. By connecting them to more experienced female skiers, she hopes the girls will gain inspiration while feeling seen and heard in their experience as members of this community. The goal is to create a voice for women in a male-dominated sport, and from a young age help girls stay in freeride by supporting them with an active community and opportunities to discuss the challenges, triumphs, and the integration of female identity into skiing.
“The goal of this project is to provide a space for girls in a sport where they thought there was none.” – Ruby Cieciuch
The goal is to host several seminars a year that dive deeper into specific topics such as professional skiing, how filming affects the ski community, finding joy in competition, and more. By utilizing her leadership skills in the community, Ruby hopes to inspire younger generations to stay active in voicing their identities, accomplishments, and value within the freeride community.
“Skiing is more than a sport; it is an outlet to explore ourselves, our community, and our individual and collective identities. By giving a space to talk about and engage in these ideas, we are catapulting the women of freeride into success within the sport and within their self discovery. This is only the beginning.” – Ruby Cieciuch
As one of two senior girls on Ruby’s freeride team next year, she hopes to further develop her leadership skills on the team and inspire as many young athletes as she can.
