[vc_row fullwidth=”false” attached=”false” padding=”0″ visibility=”” animation=””][vc_column border_color=”” visibility=”” width=”5/6″][mk_image src=”https://www.skibig3.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/kitlarge.jpg” image_width=”800″ image_height=”350″ crop=”true” svg=”false” lightbox=”false” frame_style=”simple” target=”_self” caption_location=”inside-image” align=”left” margin_bottom=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”” visibility=”” width=”1/6″][mk_social_networks size=”medium” style=”rounded” margin=”4″ border_color=”#cccccc” bg_color=”” bg_hover_color=”#232323″ icon_color=”#3399cc” icon_hover_color=”#eeeeee” align=”right” facebook=”https://www.facebook.com/SkiBig3″ twitter=”http://twitter.com/skibig3″ rss=”” dribbble=”” digg=”” pinterest=”” flickr=”” google_plus=”” skype=”” instagram=”https://instagram.com/skibig3″ linkedin=”” blogger=”” youtube=”” last_fm=”” stumble_upon=”” soundcloud=”” tumblr=”” vimeo=”” wordpress=”” yelp=”” reddit=”” xing=”” imdb=”” qzone=”” renren=”” vk=”” wechat=”” weibo=”” whatsapp=”” el_class=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”false” attached=”false” padding=”0″ visibility=”” animation=””][vc_column border_color=”” visibility=”” width=”1/1″][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Known for: Being the first person in the world to have skied off the top of the 7 Summits (the highest points on each of the 7 continents).
Written Works: Higher Love: Skiing the Seven Summits. An account of her journey to ski the highest peak on each continent.
Ski Titles: Only woman to have won two consecutive World Freeskiing Championship Titles (2004 & 2005).
Sponsors: Member of the North Face Global Athlete Team.
What is it about the mountains that calls to you?
I guess the simplest answer to that would be that the mountains are a place where I feel total freedom. Just complete freedom to be whom I am and to be clear headed and focused, and not get caught up in the rest of the day to day life that consumes us all.
You were a skier before you were this mountaineer/explorer. How did you make that leap? How did skiing become this much loftier goal?
There was a moment in my mid-twenties living in Telluride, Colorado when I was out for a trail run one summer when this kind of mentor/professional skier friend of mine said, ‘so what is next on your list?’ And I was like, ‘oh that’s how it’s done. You’ve got these lists. Okay.’ And actually, at the time, I was super into rock climbing and it really just struck me to merge the two… I realized that there was this line that I really wanted to ski on a mountain called Silver Mountain outside of Telluride and when I went to go do it -I didn’t even think twice about it but I had to put crampons on and swing an ice axe and that’s where the division is for ski mountaineering and it just came naturally to me.
What skills did you develop as a competitive skier that helped you during this journey?
Part of the reason that I wanted to compete skiing was because I wanted to ski with other women that were skiing the way I was skiing – to meet more people and establish some camaraderie like that…
When I decided to compete on the free skiing tour, I found that I was having to get more comfortable with exposure, with skiing in, basically, ‘fall-you-die’ places and with developing a mindset where I can really deconstruct what I was doing and be completely in the moment and take it turn by turn.
I found that really served me and continues to serve me for big lines and on high peaks and in remote places because sometimes you can get really wrapped up in the intensity of what you are doing… If you keep going down to ‘this is what’s right in front of you and you have the skill set to do this’ then that’s how we should all be focusing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”false” attached=”false” padding=”0″ visibility=”” animation=””][vc_column border_color=”” visibility=”” width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]When did you realize you were going to achieve your goal of skiing the Seven Summits?
I never realized that I was going to achieve my goal until it was over and even then – it was bittersweet because Everest wasn’t a complete ski descent. Even though I put my skis on at the top and skied for a bit and then had to go into survival/rescue mode (and then we did ski the Lhotse Face which was incredible and the most rewarding memory of my ski career… ever) so when I got to the bottom of Everest, I still didn’t feel like I was successful. So that’s an interesting question and a hard one to answer.
Our favorite words of wisdom from Kit:
Back in my early 20s, when I was cutting my teeth backcountry skiing in the Telluride area, I was out early season skiing and I remember snapping a ski pole and I didn’t see it coming – just a pole plant between shallow snow and downed timbers and I was like ‘Wow- that could’ve been my leg’. It was one of those things that I’ve quietly adopted into my life. I’m not the hardest charger on November 1st, but instead, I’ll keep skiing through June.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”false” attached=”false” padding=”0″ visibility=”” animation=””][vc_column border_color=”” visibility=”” width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]
Interested in participating and showing off your own rad lady status? SheJumps, an organization that encourages women and girls to participate in outdoor activities, is facilitating a get together to celebrate International Women’s Ski & Snowboard Day. The free event will be held at Lake Louise Ski Resort on December 12th, 2015. Women of all ages and abilities are invited to come out and meet other like-minded women. Meet at 10:00 am for a great day out! For more details, click here.
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