Hi my friends! Thank you for your patience over the last couple of weeks. Truth be told ya’ll, I’m still processing my time in Big Sky for the National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS) summit at the end of February. Seeing so many longstanding ski clubs proudly march through the base of Big Sky mountain with their signs and music (or in one case, the New Orleans-based Jazz-Ma-Tazz ski group tossing out Mardi Gras beads to the crowd) filled me with a joy and, oddly, a sense of relief that I can’t really explain. I’ve never seen so many people who look like they could be my cousins, uncles and aunties (and became them by the end of the week) in a cozy, snowy, mountaintop setting in my life, and then to see the way they absolutely shredded down the mountain turned me into a puddle of tears.
I’m just going to say right now, “PREPARE TO BE SICKA ME,” because there will be two additional newsletters dedicated to my experience at NBS and they fabulous work they do to foster a love of snowsports among both Black children and adults who’ve never had the chance to explore the fun that can be had on the mountain, and separately, the destination of Big Sky.


This was my second visit to Big Sky, Montana and I can honestly say that it’s high on my list of visited places that earns a “why would you want to go there?” reaction. Usually the follow up question is “are there any Black people there?” Frankly, with a Black population of .6% in the entire state of Montana, this is a fair question. But I’ve learned that just because the Black population in a certain place isn’t robust doesn’t mean we’ve never been there or can’t make our presence known now. I can say with near certainty that Big Sky has never seen anything like NBS, and from the moment we landed in Bozeman (about a 45-minute drive from Big Sky) and I saw all of the NBS banners that dotted the Bozeman airport, I knew we’d be welcome.
Now, you’re probably wondering, “what in the world is this headline about?” Well, it’s a lyric from the epic song Black Parade by my Queen Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter, and no truer words have been spoken. While some sports like tennis and sprinting allow athletes to showcase their fashionable side (word to Serena Williams), skiing or snowboarding aren’t the first sports that come to mind when you think of sleek, cute outfits. But hmmm could that be because there aren’t as many Black folks that participate in the sport because baaayyybeeeee! I saw some LEWKS on the mountain during NBS, ok! So much so that this newsletter is dedicated to NBS fashions to hopefully inspire your next trip to the mountain. Beyonce truly did say it best: put us any damn where we gon’ make it look CUTE.









Do these ski fits make you want to book a late-season snowy getaway? Check out these mountain destinations where you can still book a ski trip through May.
Timberline, Oregon - Timberline, near Mt. Hood, boasts the longest ski season in North America, with skiing historically available through the end of May.
Killington, Vermont - For my east coasters, Killington offers the longest spring ski season out east, often until late May and sometimes even until June.
Breckenridge, Colorado - Breckenridge can see a ski season stretch until the end of May depending on conditions, but the earliest the ski season will close is late April.
Banff, Canada - All three of Banff’s ski areas – Sunshine Village, Norquay and Lake Louise – stay open into May, with Norquay and Lake Louise open until the first half of the month and Sunshine normally remains open into the last week. BTW I visited Banff last September and it is BEAUTIFUL.
Hintertux, Austria - Feeling fancy and don’t want to be limited by the calendar? Hintertux in the Alps is one of only two ski resorts open 365 days a year.