In 1973, some Black skiers announced they’re going to Aspen to ski . Locals call in the National Guard.
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Full Short Video for “REI Presents: Brotherhood of Skiing”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- In 1973, Art Clay and Ben Finley organized the first Black Ski Summit in Aspen, Colorado. Over 350 Black skiers showed up. The town was so alarmed that the National Guard was put on standby just 10 days before they arrived.
Watch “REI Presents: Brotherhood of Skiing”
You can watch this short documentary for free on YouTube.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 95/100
- IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: None (they don’t rate the good sh!t).
Release Date: 2023 (REI Co-op Studios)
Director’s Note: Directed by Oliver Sutro and produced by REI Co-op Studios. This short documentary blends mountain cinematography with archival footage from the early 1970s. It’s tightly edited but packed with historical detail and personal testimony.
My Review of “REI Presents: Brotherhood of Skiing”
The Setup
In the early 1970s, skiing in America was overwhelmingly white and expensive. Lift tickets, gear, and travel made it feel like a country club sport. For many Black families, it simply wasn’t accessible.
Art Clay (Chicago) and Ben Finley (New York) were tired of being the only Black faces on the chairlift. So they stopped waiting for invitations. In 1973, they organized the first Black Ski Summit in Aspen. Over 350 Black skiers showed up.
The reaction? Fear. Suspicion. The National Guard on standby. All because Black families were coming to ski.
Instead of shrinking back, they built something bigger. In 1974, they founded the National Brotherhood of Skiers. Chapters soon spread across South Central LA, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, and other major urban centers.
More Highlights from the Doc
- In 1974, the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) was founded. It grew to include chapters in major urban Black communities, including South Central Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City.
- Boston Ski Party’s YouthFest brings about 140 underserved kids to the slopes each year on scholarship. They negotiate discounted community ski days to break cost barriers for low-income families.
- Their ski summits feature DJs, rappers, themed costume parties, and major youth fundraisers. It’s all built around taking over entire mountains together.
- What started as one bold ski trip is now a national organization representing 53 clubs and more than 3,000 members.
- Archival footage shows Black skiers in bright 1970s gear filling Aspen’s slopes—laughing, racing, dancing at après-ski events. It feels joyful and rebellious at the same time.
- The annual NBS Summit is now one of the largest gatherings of Black skiers in the country—part ski trip, part cultural festival, part networking event.
- Leaders emphasize that the mission was never just recreation. Their motto centers on skiing, education, and youth development.
- Members speak openly about being mistaken for employees on the slopes or being stared at in lift lines—and how powerful it feels to show up in numbers.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Early organizers had to carefully coordinate lodging because informal discrimination made booking accommodations risky.
- Some clubs bought ski equipment in bulk and stored it collectively so members who couldn’t afford gear could still participate.
- The growth of NBS mirrored Black migration patterns, expanding wherever strong urban Black communities already existed.
- Several members describe the first time they saw hundreds of Black skiers on one mountain as emotional—some say they cried.
Wrap Up:
“REI Presents: Brotherhood of Skiing” is short but powerful. It’s about snow, yes—but it’s really about ownership, visibility, and refusing to ask for permission to belong.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc
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