In response to our ESPN article Spencer O’Brien wrote eloquently about her belief that women need to ski the same slopestyle jumps as men.  I have the utmost respect for her, and her riding.  She makes several legitimate points that I agree with 100 percent, like the observation that the top women are riding contests better than ever.  She had an amazing year, and is certainly one of them.  In making her argument though, she has misstated some of the survey’s conclusions.  To be clear, I stand behind everything I’ve written, but it’s because of the results of the survey, that I am the one speaking up.  I’m advocating to make sure that the MEDIAN opinion of the best riders in the world is heard.  The results are the advocate.  Based on the results, the conclusion that no change in jumps for women is needed is, simply, and demonstrably, wrong, and the belief that hitting the same jumps is what brings financial equality to women is just wishful thinking. There are obviously some women that are happy with things the way they are, but the survey results are not just the collective wisdom of the top eighty-seven male and female slopestyle competitors in the world, many of the results are also supported by an absolute bedrock foundation of facts.

Women slopestyle riders are injured two and one half times to five times as often as men in competition. That is the problem that is holding back the progression of women’s slopestyle.  When numbers in the sport are small already, and as many as half of the top competitors are out with injury, the women’s side of the sport cannot progress at the same rate as the mens. 

This is something everyone should know.  Mentally women and men are equal.   We can be smarter, train harder, and want to win even more than the men, but there are fundamental biologic differences that make women much more susceptible to injury.  According to the Cleveland Clinic women are up to 8 times more likely to tear their ACL as opposed to men.  The American Journal of Sports medicine says that there are at least 3 scientifically proven reasons why.  The first reason is the difference in the anatomy of women’s hips.  The 2^nd is that regular spikes in women’s hormone levels alter the composition of the ligament leaving the ACL more prone to tearing and the 3^rd is an anatomical predisposition in the shape of our knees.   Because of the difference in how women build muscle, women are more likely to break bones, and for reasons to be determined, actually more likely to suffer a concussion.  At the University of Montreal they are studying why female athletes suffer as many as 3 times the concussions as men while playing sports.  This is not to say we should stop what we are doing. We’ve worked our asses off to get here, and we absolutely love the sports as much as our counterparts.  But, male and female athletes a like should be educated in, and have respect for the differences.  Understanding them will help, not hinder the sport.  It’s not as easy as saying “women can do what men can do, let’s break down the door.” I really wish it was.

While bigger and bigger jumps, are not helping, Speed is the main issue.  Women’s primary concern is their inability to gain enough speed to clear the longer jumps.  I agree, that men have the same issue, but it’s not close to the same extent.  The average woman is forty pounds lighter than the average man, and even an exceptionally well-conditioned woman has a lower percentage of lean muscle mass than the average male athlete.  So, given the same course and the same distance to gain speed, simple physics dictate that women cannot generate the same speed.  Without enough speed, they land on the knuckle and that’s where the injuries occur. When women have to focus on making enough speed to clear the jumps, they can’t focus on doing their best tricks. When many of the elite women are out injured, there is no competitive excitement.  The winners are the ones that merely survive. (Take Women’s Snowboard Slope in this year’s X Games as an example.  Very few girls even completed a run) Is that good for the sport? 

Women are capable of riding better. I’ve been extremely impressed with the top women at competitions this season.  They are competing better than ever, and they are stepping up to the challenging courses, but, “better than ever” doesn’t mean they are riding their best, and 8-10 girls does not represent an international sport.  As 67% of the top women said in the survey,  women will do harder tricks if they have smaller jumps.  Events like 9 Queens showcase what women are truly capable of.  

There will be a SIMPLE SOLUTION.  Here’s my idea.  The survey results showed that the men wanted an average/middle jump size of 69 feet.  Considering this, the men’s jumps should range from 60 to 80 feet in length. Based on the women’s ideal average/middle jump length of 55 feet, women’s jumps should range from 45 to 65 feet in length.  Women do not need or want separate courses or tours, but some courses would call for separate takeoffs.  Remember, the men are actually asking for the jumps to be bigger than they are now!  When designing a course for both sexes, if the jump length is in the women’s range there only needs to be one takeoff, but if the jump length goes beyond 65 feet, there should be separate takeoffs or as Kaya Turski says move the takeoffs after men have competed.

Separate takeoffs will resolve speed issues.  Given the same distance to gain speed, and a slightly smaller jump, the women’s speed issue will disappear, injury rates should go down, tricks will be better, and more women will participate in and watch the sport.

Equality does not require an equal course. Male athletes make more money, because more men participate in and watch sports.  The secret to equality is equal participation.  We need to get more women involved.  If we want to grow our sport it requires competitive events where the best riders show their best tricks.  It requires that we don’t scare off the 14 year-old girl, or her parents, with injuries before she gets the chance to turn pro.  The sport should be defined by the difficulty of the tricks completed, not by the course.  I appreciate the macho approach, every girl in this sport needs to use a bit of it.  I also appreciate the desire to compete on the same jumps as the men, but the tricks are what impress people, and the small difference in jump size that women need and have now asked for won’t even be noticed when girls take their riding to the next level.

 Slopestyle in the Olympics! I’d love to see women impress the world and showcase their best on sports biggest stage.  This survey is not only about what women want. This survey has shown judges and course designer’s what the majority of all slopestyle competitors feel highlight their abilities best.  It has shown the different preferences of snowboarders and skiers and is the combined opinion of the world’s best.  Let’s focus on the positives that can come from this. Let’s be Progressive. Let the discussion continue…

Slopestyle Safety Survey

By Alyssa Roenigk / Kristi Leskinen

In 2009, freestyle skier Kristi Leskinen started a women’s-only ski slopestyle competition called the Kristi Leskinen Homecoming Invitational at her hometown mountain of Seven Springs in Pennsylvania. Her motivation for hosting the event was a desire to see if a contest featuring smaller jumps built specifically for women, where women felt comfortable throwing their toughest tricks, would encourage progression or stymie the sport. Three years in, she had her answer: “I’ve seen some of the most progressive women’s skiing ever during that contest,” she says.

But last season, she says more than half the invitees were unable to participate because of serious injuries sustained mostly at other contests. That made her question the long-term sustainability of her sport. “I wondered if there were other sports where so many top performers were unable to compete by midway through the season,” she says. “I think that would make any sport untenable, let alone a sport like ours, with so few world-class participants.” Shortly after the contest, Leskinen sat down with fellow competitors Sarah Burke and Kaya Turski and began creating a survey to send to the top slopestyle riders in the world to gauge their feelings about the current state of slopestyle courses. With the help of WAS (We are Snowboarding) and the Association of Freeski Professionals, Leskinen sent the anonymous survey to more than 100 top athletes and received 87 responses. Her findings? “A comprehensive survey of the best slopestyle skiers and snowboarders in the world shows that men and women would benefit greatly from having separate jump takeoffs in competition,” she says.

We’ll leave the breakdown of the survey to Leskinen, who has spent nearly a year working on this project with the hopes it helps improve her sport for the next generation of female athletes.

KRISTI LESKINEN:

Last fall, this survey was sent to the top 25 male and female athletes in ski and snowboard slopestyle. In the end, 87 athletes voiced their opinions, with nearly an equal number of skiers, snowboarders, men and women responding to the anonymous survey. The survey had a couple of goals. The first was to find out exactly what athletes wanted to see at competitions and if there were any discipline and/or gender-specific course preferences. At contests, we have riders’ meetings, but no one ever asks us what we want to see before we arrive. And once we arrive, it’s too late to voice our opinions and concerns. So in all reality, the competitors have very little influence on course design. Also, the riders meetings do not provide a welcome audience for those athletes with contrary opinions. I wondered if, given the chance to voice their thoughts anonymously, riders would make changes to the current course setups.

The second goal was to glean information that allowed us to compare injury rates among male and female skiers and snowboarders that would allow us to see if there were discipline or gender-specific variations. We wanted the empirical evidence, and the voice of the majority, to say that we know exactly what athletes wanted in their sport.

           A huge amount of data came out of this survey. We collected stats on how much practice time athletes’ want and how many runs should be in a final. We found that 75% of athletes would like to see three-run finals. We asked what shape jumps they want to see at competitions. Only 10% said their favorite jumps were step-downs, while 74% prefer the safer true tables. We asked how many features they want to see in a course and the majority answered six- to seven.  We also asked riders how important it was that courses were unique (very), and what their biggest concerns were. While we collected useful information on general course design, the survey results were most interesting when comparing disciplines and genders.

In comparing skiers to snowboarders, both male and female snowboarders say their biggest concern is being unable to generate enough speed, which may be why they both said contests reflect their best riding capabilities less often than their skier counterparts. Skiers have a greater capacity to gain and reduce speed, but the ability to gain enough speed to clear the jumps should never be a concern for either group of athletes. Perhaps course designers need more time to perfect their work, or a crew to test the jumps for adequate speed before the competitors arrive. More consideration could be given to the unpredictable weather that often causes the speed problem. Snowboarders also prefer narrower rails than skiers. This goes along with the fact that 97% of those polled think it’s important to have rail options.

The most dramatic differences, however, were found when comparing the course preferences and injury rates of men to women. Men say their ideal jump size is 69 feet, while the women say their ideal jump size is 55 feet. These numbers are significant, as they mean women feel most comfortable on jumps 20% smaller than the men. The majority of women polled (67%) said the jumps at current contests are a little big, or too big, and they would be more likely to attempt harder tricks if they were given smaller jumps. The majority of men had the opposite opinion, saying the jumps were typically on the small side. Presumably, this is why women also say that competition runs reflect their best riding capabilities less often than men. They are of course, typically smaller and lighter than men, so it’s no surprise their biggest concern is being able to generate enough speed to clear the jumps. This may also explain why women say they need nearly 20% more practice time.

We also found a compelling difference in injury rates between men and women. The women surveyed say they were injured 3.5 times more often in competition than the men, though the out-of-competition difference is negligible. This may be attributable to women being pushed further past their normal training limits in competition than men. If you observe only the skiers, the female-to-male injury ratio is more significant still. Female skiers seem to be five times more likely than male skiers to get hurt during competition, though the out-of-competition difference is marginal.  Add in the fact that women say they compete less often, and the pattern very clearly suggests that at current competitions, women are placing themselves at a significantly increased risk of injury relative to the men.

With the anecdotal evidence I’ve collected over the more than 13 years I’ve competed in the sport, coupled with the findings of this survey, I strongly believe that there should be separate takeoffs for men and women in competition. I think it would be hugely beneficial to the future of our sport. It would allow men to complete their doubles and triples, and at the same time allow women to progress their tricks with less risk of injury, and less fear to hold them back.

Nearly every other sport in the world has come to the conclusion that making adaptations for women is better for the sport. The women of the LPGA don’t hit from the same tees as the men of the PGA. Female gymnasts compete in different events, and use completely different equipment. Female basketball players use a smaller ball and play shorter games. Women play softball, not baseball. The women’s championship surf tour is separate from the men’s and every time Lindsey Vonn wins a World Cup race event, she does so on a women’s-specific course. These sports have been around decades longer than ours, and I believe it’s time we learn from them. Female skiers and snowboarders would progress their sports more quickly given a more suitable field on which to compete. 

There’s no question these sports are dangerous. It’s part of the allure. But my hope is that the information found by this survey helps develop our sports into the future, and that the next generation of athletes will be happier, and safer because of it.

I can’t believe this was already the 3rd year for Homecoming, hosted by Seven Springs.  This years planning process was a little crazy, with tons of injuries just before the event.  I have to say I was really worried up until the week before.  I had to make some major last minute changes to the format, which transformed this years Homecoming from a contest to a photo/film shoot.  Luckily for me all the girls were down, the results were fantastic and I think, the event was as successful as ever.

The line up:

Keri Herman, Kaya Turski, Ashley Battersby, Devin Logan, Keltie Hansen, Anna Segal, Erica Durtschi, Shanny Cohen, and myself.

All the girls arrived in Pittsburgh Thursday night, and the shuttle delivered them directly to Seven Springs.

Day 1

We woke up Friday to a gloomy day.  I’m talking some of the worst conditions I’ve seen in a long time.  It rained all night and just as we were customizing our garbage bags it turned to snow and the jumps to solid ice.  We all took a tour of the mountain and the set up.  I’d been telling the girls how amazing the park looked, and I was anxious for them to see it for themselves.  We took several runs laughing the whole time, and then in true Seven Springs fashion made our way to afternoon activities!  First, we headed to The Seven Springs Shooting Academy for the 3rd Annual Skeet Shooting Competition.  The first round ended in a 3 way tie, but in the end it was Shanny Cohen who left with the trophy.  There is something about 10 girls getting together to shoot guns that never seems boring, and I love that each year one of the girls gets to shoot for the first time in her life.  After the skeet competition, Anna Segal and I helped with the evening weather report for WTAE

(ABC) Pittsburgh.  Luckily for us the weather was about to take a dramatic change for the better.  Next up, the seafood buffet, where we had a competition to see which side of the table could stack up the biggest pile of snow crab.  We finished the night in the game room, where some of the girls worked to hone their skeet skills with Big Buck Hunter.

Day 2

After a dismal first day, Saturday brought sunshine!  This time Keri and I got to help deliver the weather report, and we were stoked the sky was blue.  After an amazing, and I mean amazing breakfast buffet, we headed to The Spot to start hitting the jumps.  The bottom jump was epic.

Highlights included.  Keri’s switch cork 5’s, Devin’s Cork 7’s, Anna’s Rodeo 5, Erica’s 9, and the list went on.  It really is awesome to ski with a big group of girls in a fun environment.  The rest of the crew headed to North Park, where Kaya, Ashley and Keltie worked on their switch spins.  Switch Un-natural!  I was so stoked to see all the girls having a blast.  We ordered Pizza on the hill and stayed until the light gave out.  We headed back to the

lodge for a break and to watch the fireworks show, but we weren’t done yet. Seven Springs has night skiing!  Kaya, Anna and I took the opportunity and went back for more.  I definitely did a penguin slide down North Face for old times sake, and Kaya and Anna hit up the jumps and rails.  We finally made it in for dinner just after 9.  It was a full and productive day!

Day 3

More sunshine!  Sunday started out with all the girls giving back.  We had a ski with a pro event, where all the local kids were invited to come take some runs with us. Anna and Erica headed to the jump and the rest of us went to The Foggy Bowl, for an amateur rail jam.  We skied along with all the kids and handed out prizes for the best tricks.  Ashley and Kaya were killing the course. The rail set up was awesome and I even did some tricks for the first time! There is some real talent coming out of PA right now.  I think we were all blown away by some of the tricks the guys were doing. Ashley has a new crush. Sorry girl, Jimmy is a little too young for you! Congratulations to Dan for taking home the grand prize.  After the rail jam, it was time to jump some more.  We hit the jump until the sun went down, early dinner and bed, all exhausted from the weekends festivities.

Big thanks to everyone at Seven Springs and especially Ales Moser, Melissa Cullin and Joel Rerko and his staff for building an incredible park.  You guys killed it again this year. Proving that you don’t have to be on the west coast to have one of the best parks in the world!

One more amazing year in the record books! Homecoming went off without a hitch again this year!  All the girls flew in to Pittsburgh on Thursday evening and the shuttle picked them up at the airport.  They arrived at Seven Springs just in time for women’s olympic halfpipe.  I was in the lobby awaiting their arrival. We quickly made our way to one room and all huddled around the TV.   It was fun to sit with all the girls and cheer on all of our olympic friends.

Friday morning brought some questionable weather.  The wind was blowing and I was worried.  I work so hard to make this contest all it can be, but the one thing I can’t control is the weather.  Although, sometimes I wish I could… Practice didn’t start until 11 and the wind lightened up considerably.  The Seven Springs park crew headed by Joel Rerko did such a good job building and maintaining the course that practice went really well.  It was just like the X Games, snowmobile tows all day long! After practice all the girls explored the resort.  Seven Springs is like a cruise ship.  Tons of restaurants and bars, bowling, mini putt, roller skating, gamerooms, and pools all in one building.  There is never all dull moment.  That night Seven Springs invited us all to the Seafood buffet.   Crab legs, shrimp, and scallops!  It was awesome!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I woke up Saturday morning.  Blues skies as far as I could see!  That’s a rarity in Pennsylvania.  Especially this winter, because PA is breaking all the records for annual snowfall.  The course had 3 jumps and 3 rails.  The first jump was 35-40ft with a Cannon as an option.  The Second jump was 50ft and the last jump was 60ft.   The course had plenty of speed, which was really welcomed by all the girls.  Because the run is so short Joel got creative.  The bottom rail feature had an up rail to a wall ride to a down rail.  It was great for spectators, and there were a lot!  Homecoming was during the second weekend of Seven Springs annual Winterfest.  Jen Hudak, Kaya Turski and I got to promote the contest during the evening and morning weather reports on WTAE Pittsburgh.  We were also giving away a ton of free Monster Energy drinks, so that added to the excitement.  I think the sun and the spectators really added to the level of competition.  The contest was a jam format again this year.  Two preliminary heats and 5 girls advanced to the final.  All the girls skied really well.  Roz Groenwood was boosting nicely grabbed 7′s, Ashley Battersby was going huge, and Meg Olenick kept it smooth and stylie, while Kaya Turski, Devin Logan, Dania Assaly, Keri Herman and I moved on to the finals.  Kaya’s amazing switch 7′s put her in the number one spot yet again, Devin Logan’s misty 7 propelled her into 2nd and Keri Herman’s incredible switch cork 5′s put her in a comfortable 3rd place!  The contest was all I hoped for.  Great weather, great course, great level, and great friends.

The contest was over, but the party was just beginning.  I’ve been telling people about the Foggy Goggle for years.  I believe it is the craziest apres bar in the country, and maybe even the world.  I know that seems like a big claim, but the numbers don’t lie.  I once heard a stat that the Foggy Goggle sells more drinks annually than the Steelers stadium in Pittsburgh.  The awards and the party were all time.  The Foggy Goggle was packed and the girls were the main attraction.  Lots of smiles, dancing on tables and fun times.  The party went into the night and the rest is history!  Another year in the books!  I think I speak for all the girls when I say ” I can’t wait for Homecoming 2011! Thanks to Seven Springs and Monster Energy for all of your support!  Let’s make it bigger and better next year!