According to Sport England, black participation rates in snow sports were too low to even register for the 2022-23 season, but several friendship groups are determined to address this and change the status quo.
In North America The National Brotherhood of Skiers recently celebrated its 50th year with thousands of skiers gathering in Vail last winter, in the Alps there’s a rapidly growing movement, Soft Life Ski (SLS).
Tickets for the highly anticipated SLS trip 2025, the trailblazing Afro-Caribbean ski festival, sold out in just seven minutes after tickets went on sale earlier this month.
Taking place from 30 March – 4 April 2025 in LAAX Switzerland, the five-day snow sports and music festival event is set to welcome 950 attendees, an increase of 207% on last year, with 90% identifying as black, for a vibrant fusion of skiing, snowboarding and music. 80% of attendees are beginners, who have never tried skiing or snowboarding before.
Driven by a passion to introduce black and ethnic minority communities to the slopes, and challenge skiing’s exclusive reputation as a primarily white pastime, friends and co-founders Emmanuel Ojo, Kendrick Fordjour, Edmund Antwi and Mikun Olupona created Soft Life Ski to represent a new frontier in winter sports that blends Afro-Caribbean culture with the mountains.
Following last year’s hugely successful event, which welcomed over 310 skiers from across the globe, the 2025 festival is set to surpass all previous records and solidify its place as a groundbreaking event in LAAX, a resort at the forefront of shaking up traditional winter sports.
Now Europe’s leading Afro-Caribbean Snowsports and music festival, Soft Life Ski’s continued aim is to bring as many individuals as possible from black and ethnic minority backgrounds to the slopes and create a space on the mountains where everyone feels welcome.
“The overwhelming demand for this year’s festival highlights the huge enthusiasm for winter sports among communities that have historically felt underrepresented in these spaces,” said Kendrick Fordjour co-founder of Soft Life Ski, who added, “We’re so excited to be heading to LAAX this year as we believe the resort’s forward-thinking ethos, vibrant energy and premium aesthetics align perfectly with our mission to provide an all-encompassing experience that brings the Afro-Caribbean vibe to the mountains through our curated events and après ski. What began in 2022 as a small gathering of seven individuals has snowballed into a monumental movement, and the strong, immediate response to our 2025 trip is proof that people are ready to challenge what’s gone before.”
