MCCALL, Idaho — 15 years ago, Brundage Mountain Resort created Diva Day to empower women to hit the slopes and learn how to stay safe in Idaho's backcountry.
A decade ago, you didn't see too many ladies in the backcountry, but that is changing. More women seem to be gaining interest in extreme sports.
"Having women-specific clinics is really awesome because every course that I've ever taken I've been one of two ladies," said Tessa Greer, who taught an avalanche safety course to a group of women. "To have more a of community is fun."
During Diva Day, the ladies honed their skills in avalanche rescue scenarios, working together to simulate finding someone buried in the snow.
Diva Day started years ago with snow yoga and a social cocktail event. Brundage still has those as part of their Diva Day, but it is no longer the focus.
“The event has really evolved and we are trying to help empower women to not only come up and have fun in the ski area, but also be able to knowledgeably and confidently go out into the backcountry," said April Whitney of Brundage Mountain Resort.
During Diva Day, the women learned how to use avalanche beacons, probes, and dig someone out of the snow while getting hands-on instruction from other women.
"As a young outdoors person, it has been really fun to be part of this growing movement of badass ladies in the outdoors," said Greer.
Diva Day is sponsored by the Payette Avalanche Center and an organization called Shejumps which encourages women to participate in snow sports.
