It took awhile for ski manufacturers to figure out that women are different from men. K2 was one of the first to benefit from this enlightenment. That’s why they developed their T Nine line for women. The Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 inspired the name. It states that:
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
In other words, if you introduce a new sport in the public education system, you have to let the girls play too. The folks at K2 agreed with this idea, but they realized that certain gear issues put female skiers at a disadvantage.
As a result, they created female-specific skis with:
- A forward waist to accommodate the female lower center of gravity
- A forward binding mount to shift your center of gravity into alignment with your toes, rather than your derriere
- A wider shovel for easier turn initiation
- A softer flex
Skepticism greeted the first K2 T-Nine skis, which featured multicolored floral graphics. That was before anyone tried them out. One or two runs down the slope, and many women were hooked. The company took things one step further when they created the K2 Alliance, a group of elite female skiers who test the skis, and offer international gear selection workshops and ski clinics for female skiers.
This year, the K2 Alliance has announced International Women’s Ski Day. Scheduled for Saturday, December 14, 2013, this women’s only event will take place in ski areas around the world.
Christy Sports will host the event at Beaver Creek Mountain in Avon, Colorado. They will provide FREE K2 demos and you’ll ski this gorgeous mountain with Kim Reichhelm and other renowned Alliance members. As noted on their Facebook Page:
Participants will meet for lunch at Rocks Modern Grill followed by more skiing in the afternoon! The day on hill will end at 3pm where ladies will have time to freshen up before opting to attend our gala fundraiser at the Beaver Creek Lodge from 5-7pm.
Proceeds from the silent auction will go to support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Shaw Regional Cancer Center. There will be many amazing items up for auction including a painting by renowned artist Lisa Solberg, K2 Skis packages and much more! Please RSVP if you plan on attending.
Crystal Mountain will host the Washington event. The resort will offer discounted lift tickets, a free, avalanche beacon practice session and a complimentary wine and cheese for apres ski . Raffle tickets will cost $5, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Breast Cancer Research.
In case you find your dream skis at this event, don’t trust the airlines with these treasured boards. Shipskis.com will be sure to get them back home in time for you to try them out at your local resort.