I am constantly on the lookout for new ideas, gear and pics to share with our readers. Recently I ran across a twitter follower who posted a link for some impressive photos of skiers ripping big mountain lines in Canada. I'm not talking about normal backcountry off-piste skiing either – I'm talking serious lines, deep pow and girls not afraid to huck themselves off some crazy drops. Come to find out, this group of freeskiers go by the name of the RadBoob Club and they are using their sport to raise money and spread awareness about breast cancer. I had an opportunity to catch up with RadBoob Club co-founder Sarah Frood to talk about the concept and her passion for skiing.
MSR: Tell us a bit about yourself, your location, occupation, etc.
Sarah: I grew up in Gatineau, Quebec and moved to the Rockies for University. Last year I moved to Squamish, BC just south of Whistler. I've worked a bunch of different jobs since I graduated from university, but I seem to keep coming back to skiing. Ever since I moved west I've spent as much time as possible in the mountains. So this year I'm taking the plunge and focusing on skiing full time. I've been coaching freesking for years and have done a few big mountain comps with strong results and this year I will continue to compete. Thank you to Smith and Rossignol for their support this year!
MSR: What is the RadBoob Club, what do you stand for?
Sarah: The Rad Boob Club started because of a group of girlfriends that met in Golden, BC. We use to ski with a group of guys that were the Rad Dude Club and they wouldn't let us join…. so the RBC was started as a joke in defiance of them! It's a fun rivalry between good friends and we all basically just shred together and have a good time. What do we stand for? I think we stand for a group of women that ski hard and support each other, don't take each other too seriously and still strive to make a contribution to our communities. We think that as skiers, professionals, students, we can still make a positive difference in this world and hope that we can help inspire others.
MSR: How did the actual concept for RadBoob calendar come about?
Sarah: We (RBC) were skiing together for a photo shoot for Kicking Horse Resort and we were all wearing pink. We came up with the idea from that day and talked about it for a couple years. Last winter, Tessa Treadway and I decided to actually do something about it. It's been an amazing experience and we've definitely learned alot from the process. The best part has been the support from the ski community and getting to meet some amazing women in the ski world.
MSR: You've teamed up with Rethink Breast Cancer – tells us more about them?
Sarah: We are very excited to work with Rethink because of the innovative research and education they provide. "Rethink is a national, volunteer-driven charity that takes a bold, entrepreneurial approach to research, support and awareness of breast cancer." As skiers we are passionate about the outdoors and most of us work hard to keep our bodies healthy and so focusing on prevention was very important for us. You can learn more about them at rethinkbreastcancer.com
MSR: The calendar is filled with inspiring quotes and stories from the athletes – tells us more about how you tracked down all the skiers that are featured?
Sarah: We just made a list of all the great women that we know in the ski world and emailed them to ask if they would be willing to be a part of the project. It was pretty easy to think of 12 women that rip and there are so many more amazing female skiers out there! The photographers they worked with donated all their photos to the calendar.
MSR: I dig the shot of Tessa hucking off the frozen cliff drop in January – Out of all of the shots, what's your favorite month?
Sarah: That's a tough one! I love them all! Though I love the photo of Laura Ogden. I just look at that photo and think "I want to be there right now". I'm thinking about trying to plan a trip that way later this winter now! Of course, Ingrid Backstrom's photo is a favorite too. It was taken in Alaska and I've always dreamed about skiing there.
MSR: What are the future plans for Rad Boob?
Sarah: Sell sell sell! We are still selling calendars and striving to reach that $10,000 goal of money raised for Rethink Breast Cancer. So far we've raised just over $4000 so we've got a ways to go. After that we'll see. We are always open to projects, skiing and non-profit related.
MSR: Well, where can we snag the latest calendar, any chance we can get one in the states?
Sarah: Absolutely! We will ship to the US no problem. 100% of the proceeds go toward Rethink Breast Cancer and you can order one at radboob.com. We are also selling them at various local shops in Whistler/Squamish/Vancouver. The stores are also listed on the website.
Check out some sample pics from the calendar.
To do our part and help in spreading awareness in the fight against breast cancer and show our support for women out there ripping it up, we're snagging a RadBoob Calendar and sending it out to a lucky female skier or snowboarder. Ladies, if you've got what it takes, send us your best action shot of you shredding to info@miskireport.com and you just might snag a copy of the RadBoob Calendar!