Author: femignarly

Last winter, I got a pair of Ripstick 102s to review. Part of the review exercise for this particular site is to review the brand’s marketing commentary for each of the skis. For the Ripstick, it read: The Ripstick 102 W is designed by women for skiers who aggressively push their limits and seek out … Continue reading Let’s Cancel “Keeping Up with the Boys”

Last week, I published a piece on how to find a backcountry ski mentor. It’s quickly become one of my most shared and most read pieces of the year, but I haven’t felt satisfied with it. Some of the discussions that followed made me realize that there was more work to do to create effective … Continue reading Backcountry Ski Mentorship – Core Skills List

It’s my first Christmas with kids in my life. My sister-in-law and my ski wife both had baby boys early this year, and I’m generally pretty worthless when it comes to small humans, but I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeves for the holiday seasons. I’m starting with clothes because that’s what I’m good … Continue reading Gift Guide 2021 – Outdoor Apparel for Kids

Finding a ski touring mentor is a huge challenge. The interest in ski touring has exploded over the past 5-7 years, and women over-index in their share of newcomers to the sport. There are lots of women seeking out guidance from experienced skiers, but a smaller pool of seasoned women to provide it. Not to … Continue reading How to Find a Backcountry Ski Mentor

I cringe at calling this a gift guide. I loathe traditional gift guides. Retailers sell placements to brands. Bloggers monetize their posts through affiliate links. This means items either end up being extremely generic, or unique items with high price points and egregious markups (inflated due to a bit of elevated, gift-y packaging). It’s not … Continue reading Gift Guide 2021 – Gift Ideas for Outdoor Types

The bar for launching women’s ski products is in the on the floor. In the basement. Underwater.  The 2021-2022 season has brought a handful of new additions to the touring market and the announcements never fail to disappoint women. I understand that the women’s market is smaller, but the standard for line planning, marketing, and … Continue reading Women’s Ski Launches: Are These Skis Real?

My Black Crows Atris Birdies remind me a lot of Elle Woods. First of all, I’ve got one of the older topsheets that’s covered in pink. Second, they got me hooked with the bend and snap. The mid-100s width class is chock full of sameness: moderate flex, middle-of-the-road mount point and turn radius. It’s not … Continue reading Gear Review: Women’s Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis

Every year, I help people build touring setups, and I’ve found one major tip helps people make their decisions: manufacturers make 4 major weight classes of gear based on different purposes, and you’ll get the best results when your skis, boots, and bindings are built around a similar purpose and classification. Your body transfers input … Continue reading How to Build a Ski Touring Setup

Today’s blog comes from Grace, who popped into my DMs to ask about men’s skis. I thought this conversation would be relevant to many other women besides just Grace, so I wanted to post the conversation in spot where others could benefit too. Here’s Grace’s note:   “Hi! I’ve loved reading your articles on women’s … Continue reading Can Women Ski Men’s Skis?

The first chilly, rainy days of fall hit Seattle this weekend, which means that it’s rain gear’s peak season. Web search data shows the same trend every year, where PNW states see a spike in searches for rain jackets and rain pants like clockwork every year in late September. It should also be noted that … Continue reading Rain Gear 101