Photos by Melody Sky
Women are constantly pushing boundaries in all sports – from rock climbing to surfing to skiing and snowboarding.
You only need to look at women like Jenny Jones, Bethany Hamilton and Sierra Quitiquit to see what we mean. But when it comes to skiing – in particular ski instructors – why are there so few females who gain the top qualifications in the ski world?
Emma Cairns, 33, is a BASI Trainer which means she not only gained her BASI ISTD Level 4, the top ski instructor qualification in the world, but she is also qualified to train other instructors.
Emma started skiing when she was three years old on the windy mountains of Glenshee in Scotland. After university, she spent two years as a chalet girl in Courchevel before moving to Verbier in Switzerland.
For the last 11 years, she has lived in Verbier as a ski instructor. Last year she founded her own ski school called Element.
It was only when Emma was training for her Level 4 that she noticed the biggest contrast between the number of male and female instructors.
There are nearly 400 ski instructors with the highest British qualification (BASI Level 4) yet only 60 of them are women. That’s a mere 15 per cent. Even fewer become BASI Trainers. So why are there less women reaching the top rankings of the ski world?
Skiing like a girl should be a compliment
