For the last 51 years, hundreds—if not thousands—of beautifully melanated men and women have gathered at some of the nation’s premier ski resorts for a “meeting of the minds” at the top of the mountain. The reason? The annual National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS) Summit.
This yearly event is not only a time for Black snowsports enthusiasts to reconnect with the friends and family they’ve made over time, but it’s also a time to amplify the organization’s larger mission of getting young Black ski and snowboard athletes on the podiums of some of the world’s major competitions and diversifying the makeup of the ski industry’s leadership.
The 2024 installment of the NBS Summit took place in picturesque Big Sky, Montana, and EBONY was once again in the building. With a backdrop reminiscent of your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie, we hit the slopes to delve deeper into this historic gathering.
As we “pizza pie, french fried” our way down, we couldn’t help but notice the various age ranges and groups in attendance. Folks in their 80s still possessed the same joy and excitement for cold-weather sports as the kids as young as five did. There were families, friend groups and even couples. All-in-all, it was beautiful to witness.
“I’ve been coming to the summit since 1997,” Juan Herold shares with EBONY. “It was a group of about 20 guys, and we made the trip to Vail, [Colorado]. I had gotten into skiing when I was in college in Michigan. My friends and I would go every MLK Weekend, it was what we called our ‘trip to the mountaintop.’” Herold attended NBS with his close friend, wife and 7-year-old grandson, Isaiah.
For current NBS president Henry Rivers, the goal has always been deeper than just a social ski weekend; it has been about awareness. Since 2020, he’s led the organization while collaborating with other brands and organizations with similar missions—for marginalized groups to take up space in places where they aren’t always respected and/or accepted.
“We have the same love for this industry as anyone else,” Rivers shares from Big Sky. “Only 1.8% of Black skiers made up the numbers for the 2023 ski season. But, if the ski industry wants to continue to survive and thrive in the future, they need to focus on and go after these marginalized communities, especially young Black kids. Marketing is critical to bring out the awareness that we need.”
To up the ante, Rivers joined forces with Women of Winter, another great organization doing the work. Led by avid skier and instructor, Carolyn Stempler, the group presented several scholarships to women of color during the summit so that they could go on to become certified instructors at resorts around the country.
“I’ve always wanted to figure out a way to give back. When I became one of the first recipients of the Women of Winter Alpine scholarship, I knew it was where I was supposed to be,” Stempler explains. “As of this week, we’ve given out over 200 scholarships to women of color to become instructors. When I heard NBS was coming to Big Sky—our home base—I knew I had to reach out to Henry [Rivers] to build this partnership. This is just the beginning to amplify our voice and have a bigger impact on breaking down these barriers in this industry, where we don’t see a lot of us in leadership roles.”
In addition to getting a firsthand view of the importance of the organization and its impact as evidenced by the smiles on attendees, EBONY also had a little time to explore Big Sky. Below, check out some things we saw and did during the summit.
Where we stayed
Like last year, we had the opportunity to snag a room in one of the area’s flyest VRBOs. Located in the Moonlight Basin neighborhood of Big Sky, we were treated to floor-to-ceiling windows in a decked out town home that provided the coziest views.
The six bedroom home even had its own hot tub, a massive dining room perfect for hosting and a kitchen that rivaled any of your favorite HGTV makeovers.
For attendees who couldn’t snag a VRBO, many opted for rooms in the event’s host hotels, The Summit Hotel and Huntley Lodge. Both properties offered ski-in, ski-out access and heated pools.
Where we ate
You’re in Montana, so you must try the unique meat options like bison (if you’re a meat eater). For breakfast, you can swing by Mocha in the Huntley for your morning energy boost and a range of pastries and snacks. It’s steps away from all the ski lifts and rental shops.
For lunch, we grabbed a table at Westward Social. Some of our favorite dishes were the house salad with grilled chicken, the virgin hot toddies to warm us up and the truffle fries.
As for dinner, we highly suggest booking local chef Christine Lugo-Yergensen of Sweet Buns Big Sky to whip up a custom menu for you. Just make sure her lobster pasta is in the rotation.
What we did
For rentals, we utilized Big Sky Sports Rentals. They have everything you need, from helmets, poles, boots, skis and snowboards.
On our last evening in town, we checked out Lone Mountain Ranch for the sleigh ride dinner. We went on a moonlit horse-drawn sleigh through a snowy path before arriving at a cozy cabin for our hearty dinner of prime rib, turkey pot pie, roasted veggies and blueberry crumble à la mode.
While our time ran short, we suggest spending time in Yellowstone National Park to see which wildlife you’ll spot.
What we packed
First-time skier? You’re in the mountains and it’s winter, so layers are key. At the top of our packing list were hand warmers, our merino wool base layers and our cold-weather accessories like fleece hats, wool socks and gloves. Pro Tip: Mittens are best for keeping your fingers warm on the slopes.
As for our ski gear: we opted for an insulated ski bib a fleece half-zip as our mid-layer, and a waterproof shell as our jacket. Some of our favorite shells include North Face’s Freedom Insulated Waterproof jacket and our Black Diamond recon stretch shell. Both kept us warm while allowing us plenty of flexibility while skiing.
Other packing must-haves include: Zaca tablets and liquid IV for potential altitude sickness, sunscreen and fleece-lined leggings that can be used as a base layer or just for your day of exploring the area, as well as ski goggles or polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun reflecting off the snow.
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