Free Latinx Ski Day a success
Local organizations team up to create more opportunities for community members
By Justin Criado, Telluride Daily Planet
Local Claudia Garcia Curzio likes to share a quote about inclusivity and equitability.
“There’s a difference between being equitable and diverse. To be diverse is to invite someone to the party. To be equitable is to ask them to dance,” she explained.
As the Wilkinson Public Library Latinx Outreach Specialist and a member of the Collaborative Action for Immigrants (CAFI), Garcia Curzio has been working on both aspects since moving to Telluride seven years ago, including creating more outdoor opportunities for Latinx community members.
The library, Sheep Mountain Alliance, Tri-County Health Network and Telski teamed up over the weekend to host a free Latinx Ski Day event for the first time since 2019. Upwards of 50 people participated, and everything went well, by all accounts.
“Over half of the people who came on Sunday were brand new to skiing or snowboarding. There was so much positivity and excitement all around,” said Ruthie Boyd, the alliance’s AmeriCorps VISTA community outreach coordinator. “We were really excited to partner with Telski, the library and Tri-County this year to make the event happen. We couldn't have done it without Telski's generous donation of passes and lessons, and Telluride Sport's donation of rental equipment, as well as Maria (Albañil-Rangel, Tri-County’s immigrant advocacy coordinator) and Claudia's outreach skills and dedication to getting the word out to Latinx folks in our community.”
Garcia Curzio shared a similar sentiment, including thanking Telski Ski & Snowboard School Director Noah Sheedy, and explained some parents told her the event was the first time they had an opportunity to ski with their child.
“It was a family event. They could really spend time with their kids,” she said. “That just kind of showed us how much this was needed.”
Local Lupe Hernandez also thanked everyone involved and enjoyed seeing so many Latinx community members hitting the slopes.
“For me it is very pleasing to see Latinos spend their day in a different way and have a fun day. Thank you, Telski, and I hope that these events continue in the future,” Hernandez said.
More people turned to the outdoors during the pandemic to take care of their mental health, Albañil-Rangel explained, which highlighted the disparity in access to outdoor activities.
“Thanks to the remarkable work by Sheep Mountain Alliance, in partnership with Telski, Tri-County Health Network, and the Wilkinson Public library, we have created economic and racial equity in outdoor recreation by offering free equipment, organized and culturally appropriate group activities, and outdoor education in Spanish,” she said. “For many Latinx community members this was their first time participating in these winter sports, and they have expressed their gratitude and desire to continue to explore the outdoors. The work that is being done is undeniably having a positive impact in our community and creates for more inclusive outdoor recreation.”
Albañil-Rangel, Garcia Curzio and Boyd all said they plan to host more events moving forward, including this summer.
“There is so much access to the outdoors in the Telluride region, yet there are so many barriers that exist to participating in sports like downhill skiing. We want to make sure that everyone can take advantage of our public lands and the sense of community that activities like skiing with family and friends creates,” Boyd said. “Public lands belong to everyone, and our entire community should be able to access these opportunities.”
Garcia Curzio, who explained she didn’t have much experience with the outdoors whenever she first found a home in the San Juans, said most of the time it’s just a matter of asking if someone wants to join the fun.
“First of all, never assume. Nine out of 10, everyone wants to do these activities. They may not know because they didn’t have the privilege growing up skiing, mountain biking or even being in the great outdoors, but they want to be a part of it,” she said. “I have a strong feeling that endorphins, exercising and being outside really helps with your mental health, and during COVID that was something that was really needed in our community.”