Balancing Act

We've got something special for you in Episode 2 of Season 5! Jillian sat down with pro skier Ingrid Backstrom to chat about creating new storylines for ski films, how skiing with little kids is not fun but ideally will be, and why balancing ski life, family life, and work-life is all about making choices. Have a listen, leave us a review, and share your feedback at [e-mail].

What is Juicy Bits?

We created Juicy Bits because we wanted to continue the conversations that we start out on the trail and on the chair lift. Hosted by our CEO Jen Gurecki and Ambassador Jillian Raymond, they talk candidly about everything from dude soup, to sex, to politics, to equity in the outdoors. We occasionally (read: frequently) drop F-bombs, interview some of the most interesting people in the outdoors and beyond, and say things that many of us think but don’t feel comfortable saying out loud. If you are easily offended or looking for something that is G Rated, this is not the podcast for you. But if you love truth-telling and irreverence, get ready to laugh, cry, and maybe pee your pants a little bit. 

Participant #1:
Hello and welcome. I'm Jillian Raymond, the co creator of Juicy Bits and a coalition Snow Ambassador, and I'm Jen Gurecki, your co host and the CEO of Coalition Snow. For those of you who are new, get ready to laugh, cry, and maybe peer pants, a little Juicy Bits is about taking the conversations that we start on the chairlift and at the trailhead and bringing them to you to explore alternative narratives that challenge the status quo about what it means to be a modern woman in the outdoors. Grab your helmet because sometimes it's a bumpy ride. Fyi friends, this podcast is for mature audiences, so you've been warned. Let's get to work and juice the patriarchy. Hello, everyone. And welcome to this episode of Juicy Bits. I am extremely honored to be here with Ingrid Backstrom, our internationally ranked professional skier, and Ingrid, I believe you're originally from Seattle, Washington, but coming to us from Leavenworth and as a tremendous force in the free skiing scene since 2004 and influential ski films that really have championed and highlighted your incredible athleticism bravery and really your overall spirit and badass mountain style, I couldn't be more grateful to get to have this conversation with you today. Really coming from the perspective of your role in the industry, to break through the noise and also your role as a tremendous athlete and skier and as a mom. So thank you, Jillian, here from Juicy Bits, coming to you from occupied land of the Washoe people here on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Thanks so much, Julian. I'm really happy to be here and to get to chat with you. And I am in Leavenworth, Washington on the lands of the Win achieve people. And so Ingrid, one of the pieces that I loved so much and wanted to talk to you about today was the film that you had done lineage with Betty. But as I was looking through some of the film work, I realized your upcoming film right now, the approach seems to have such a coming together of your breaking through the noise, your activism and then also your role now having raising two small children and still being out there and skiing, could you talk to us a little bit about the approach and kind of how you were able to make that happen and what you're looking forward to as it's coming out? Yeah, for sure, the approach has been, I would say, several years in the making project. We started out my friend Anne Claire and I started out two years ago to kind of make. I guess our original idea was just a women's lead ski movie with women behind the camera in front of the camera, doing the editing, doing all the pieces. And simply because that's what we wanted to see, we find ourselves searching out women in action sports or doing anything that we can relate to. And yeah, we just figured it was time to just put our own thing out there. So we got in touch with Leanne Pelosi, who's a snowboarder and Whistler, and we started working with her, and we realized pretty early on that if we just made an all women's film with just a bunch of white women who are already pretty established in the industry, that we are only really furthering our own cause. And we also, not to mention, we wouldn't be adding anything new to the genre, basically, except for

Participant #1:
trying to do a similar thing that's been done before, except for just with women in all the roles. So really trying to see how we could think about incorporating more of the people that are actually out there skiing different

Participant #1:
abilities. Yeah. I guess we just were focused on how do we bring a more diverse cast of characters than the typical ski film just to your point of I like how you said, just in terms of diverse but also inclusion. I feel like you and your kind of your squad were able to do is you could leverage your contacts in the industry, leverage your ways of connecting people access to mountains and your skill set. And so instead of you just like you said, leveraging it for your own cause or kind of reproducing what we see so often in the male white narrative. But you're like, how do we make this be inclusive? And how do we feature humans that look a lot different than also help people see themselves in the mountains? And I think that's a piece that when I was looking again. I'm just honored for a lot of reasons to get to chat with you, but it really always makes me so inspired that we can especially those of us that have access to live in mountain towns and have access of choice of how we recreate and what we do that we can help other people be visible in the industry. Yeah.

Participant #1:
I guess the way I was thinking about it is how can I, like, I've had a long, great run in the sky industry. And how can I use my experience and my knowledge to pass that down? But maybe in a different way than it's traditionally been passed along. And it's been really passed along from the people who are kind of privileged enough to be there and maybe have a safety net. When I moved to Tahoe way back in the day, it was like, yeah, I'm following my dreams and I'm putting it out there. But I had a safety net to go back to. If I had to go crawling home with my tail between my legs, I could go back and my parents would take me in, and I could live there for a little while. So all those pieces of it when we look back and kind of look at our stories and how we got to where we are. I think it's important to remember that there's a lot of layers behind how I've been able to get here. And so recognizing that maybe not everybody had that same support and the same layers behind it. And I think for those that might look to ski films, ski publications, everyone was a beginner at some point, right. And I think that's a piece where I would love to see a shift in the industry. Not only do people have that sense of visibility for themselves, but that people can recognize that access point of like, you can start somewhere, and you can still recreate in a way that maybe doesn't necessarily mimic what you see in publications, in films. But it can still give you the inspiration to get out there and be in the mountains and enjoy and feel that level of Stoke, even if it's not skiing some of the most extreme or unforgettable lines because someone's unforgettable line, it looks different to everyone, right? Which is also kind of a nice segue into bringing what must it be like to be raising girls if I can as and I'm assuming they're skiers one of the other films I wanted to touch base because I love the DocuSign with Betty. I love the work that you do on your blog to give information and to really give loving advice. Think about. I know when I was pregnant and we did a whole episode on this Gen, and I was like, the shit to stop saying to pregnant women and the shit to stop saying to mom because everyone's got their own plan or agenda. Oh, and I'm sorry, Ingrid, we curse a lot on you. I think you hopefully gotten to see a little, but I forget when I'm like, oh, yeah, that's right. Sorry. Not sorry. But yeah, we even Chris in this interview. But just to stop saying to women and to pregnant women and to moms. And one of the pieces I really applaud in your language and your style that you put out there is, it seems and reads just really humble and also really like, you don't have to like, this is just I'm just sharing. I'm just sharing. I think you've done that in a really delicate way. So as a mom and a discier mom and adventure mom, I just want to thank you for that. But then I'd love to hear from you a little of how your DocuSign lineage with Betty or your first daughter came to be realized. And then that could kind of take us into maybe a little bit of how your adventure life has changed since you've had a family and now a bigger family. Yes. I think the lineage thing really grew out of my desire to prove, you know, I thought, okay, I'm having kids. I'll get rid of that chip on my shoulder, whatever, like on my ego. But really, it was like that was me trying to prove, oh, yeah, I can get back out there and do it like I'll have a little baby along. We can still do this. We can still have fun. Moms still like to get Rad and have fun. And so that was really kind of important project for me, and that it helped me return to myself and be like, who am I after kids? I think every mom maybe has this, whatever it is, whatever your passion, your career, you have to reconcile that with who your new person is. That now has a little person to take care of. And that's always on your mind. And so how do you be you but also be a mom? So Lynnia really came out of that. I was like, okay, let's just take the baby along. We can do this. She can be part of the story. My husband will be part of it. It was just a really fun and cool way to do that. And then, in actuality, it was a little bit crazy. Like, I'm sure you've taken road trips with a baby. And, yeah, it was a really challenging but awesome experience in the end. And it was so cool to have that part of our lives documented. And we learned a ton. We traveled a lot and got to ski. Really an awesome winter. My parents came along, which we could not have done the trip without them. So that was a really, of course, lucky and privileged thing that made it all happen. But, yeah, it was a great crew, a great way to be like, okay, I am still a skier, and I love that. And I'm also a mom. And also, I think it's so funny now because Betty was so little then she's a baby. And this past year, now that I have a five and a three year old, I've just been thinking about how I'm in a totally different phase. And when my kids were, babies are really little. It was super easy to just be like, oh, nothing's really changed. I'll just bring them along. And really, all the stimulation they need at that point is in the world around them. So if I left for the day to go skiing or whatever, it's like, okay, that baby can be with my parents or my husband, and they'll be getting all the stimulation, whatever they need. And obviously, it's hard to leave them. But now my kids are five and three, and they like to do activities, too, like, they love to ski. They want to go on bike rides, they want to do some lessons, all sorts of stuff. And so if I'm choosing to do my own activities, then it feels like I'm trading on their time to do activities and take them out on those. So it's a whole different phase. They're humans with their own opinions and desires and needs. And so it's like, a whole different shift of, like, okay, maybe I'm not going to do that all day mountain bike ride. Like, I would have usually on a Saturday if I had a full day, like, I'm going to do the whole day mountain bike ride. Now. I'm like, okay, maybe I'll just do an hour or two and then go ride with my kids. I think that's one of the beautiful things about being a mom for me, and it's individual, like, some people are still going to just be like, cool. I'm going to go take that full day and go do that thing, and I will. And I just don't prioritize it as much. At least this summer. It's been a lot of kid activities, and I'm in a new phase, and it's great. I love that smell. I can relate in the respect of sometimes what an hour can mean to reset you to then go and be really present. And that was something when I was thinking about talking with you. I'm thinking about just that shift in what it must be like. And you said it really well. And you're sharing from lineage into that of just there's challenge to it, right? But there's also a ton of joy. And then I think of what you are like in this new phase. This idea is like the family's got to share the time, right? Everyone's got needs everyone's humans. It's like a shift in energy. Like, who can do what at given end of the day? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Sometimes there are nights where I'm like, all right, I've parented enough. You're sleeping in those clothes, but we're brushing your teeth or the next day. It's like the socks don't have to match because we're making it to swim. And then we're packing up the bikes, just that there has to be kind of this bend or break sometimes. And I also really appreciate your honesty in terms of the ego ten taking a hit. I was actually joking. Tom day was over the other night, and he was asking about the different phases with Michael and his kids are so grown. And him and Brennan had gone out for a long adventure. And Michael and I had a huge play day. We planned everything. And at the end, he was like, Well, yeah, what height did you do? I was like, Tom, we did a loop trail. We were gone for, like, she's three and a half. We did a mile and a half. I'm so proud of her. And my mom athlete self is like, oh, my God. Why wasn't I, like, carrying weights or something? And so there is that little bit of shift of just seeing it through our kids eyes. Yeah. I laugh about that all the time. I have my rules for kid hiking. And number one is just, like, forget the hiking part. Like, you're not going hiking. Yeah. You're just keeping them alive right out of the window. Like, you're not actually hiking. There will be no exercise. There will be no destination reached, just like, forget all that. And then you're going to maybe have fun hiking with you? Well, the fun factor has to be there, too. I want to bring us back before we hit record. I was sharing with you how I went. And I love that you totally corrected me on this ingredient. I was way off. I was looking through some of the articles and some of the pieces of beautiful pieces that have been written about you over the years and some of your videos. And I was like, Ingrid, what about this ovaries out mentality, and how did you correct me? I love this. What did you tell me? Oh, well, I was just thinking that they were thinking that was maybe a more female friendly way to say, balls out. Yeah. And that went over my head. All I was thinking was like, what did I mean, you stay out of my ovaries. Wait a second. Thank you for that. Because I wanted to talk a little bit, if you could about your experience in the industry, Prem pregnant mom. Now second mom. And what that's done in terms of, like, does the industry call you back? Do they email you back? Have your sponsors been supportive? Because I can't imagine navigating already as a female in a male dominated industry. And again, you've been able to break through the noise in really profound ways. But then if you could just talk a little bit about any challenges, any great surprises, you've had ways that it's been for you. I think only now as I look back, and I really recognize some of the just really subtle sexism that I experienced. But in general, I have to say, I've been super lucky. And in some ways, I think I've benefited from being a female in the ski industry because I got a lot of opportunities because it's marketing and people at the time that I got into it was like, oh, we need a female on our team, and everyone is looking for that one female to be in the movie to be on their team. Just so they fulfill that kind of quota. And I think in a lot of ways, yeah, my career benefited from it. But then now, looking back, I can see all the things that were said or this and that over the years, I was like, oh, wow, that's really I think I'm so ingrained in the industry and that kind of like, bro mentality that I've just been a part of it. And I haven't totally been able to see that until recently, I guess. But it's starting to become pretty clear kind of right around. We started safe as it started as all women's avalanche clinics. And I think a group of women good friends and I took our level one avalanche course of little tone, and we were like, wow, how come that was so different than any other avalanche course, any other avalanche training we've ever taken. And it was like, oh, because we were encouraged to ask questions. There's no dumb question. No one was making us feel like, oh, you don't belong here. You don't know how to use that. Then you shouldn't be in the back country. There was none of that kind of, like, macho, top down gatekeeping feel. And so that was like, oh, maybe there is room for a different kind of way. And so with safe, I think that was kind of the start of my own awareness of how I could use my own voice and think about how I'm participating in this industry on a whole. And maybe what can I contribute to? I don't know. Maybe a bit of whatever it is. It's such a buzzword. But like, the vulnerability, speaking about our own experiences or speaking up in my own voice, asking for what I want instead of just being like, oh, yeah. I'm just lucky to get whatever I can. Great. Thank you so much. That really typical. Like, pleasing everyone the way that I've just been my whole life. Well, you said it was to not only speak up for it, but to know that you're worth it, right and that you deserve it and that your time is as valuable. I think about some of the great mom advice you provide on your website and your blog, and I want to call it mostly mountains, but I kind of feel like that's, like the vibe of it. And then you have your recipes and your stories and, like, beautiful photography. And I applaud you on your social media. I feel like you have a really nice balance of not, like, over exposing your kids and not that there's anything wrong with that. People can do whatever they want. But I still feel like there's a really cool style that you have to it. But I can't imagine it isn't challenging to speak to what you just said, right? Knowing you're worth it, the sense of being vulnerable as a female in the industry that has proven yourself time and time again to be incredible athlete. And then now as a mom, kind of balancing what that might look like when your needs are really your needs are different. And you also have two other little humans that need you. So if you could talk a little bit about what that looks like for you for kind of current mom advice, just kind of a general adventure, like you spoke a little bit about maybe just the hour mountain bike ride or just not the destination. But then also how you find that balance, how you do it with your partner, how you do it with your work, how you do it with your own

Participant #1:
again. I think balance is the best word. I'd love for you to speak to a little. Oh, man. Yeah. I just try to think about it one day at a time and then hope that it kind of evens out over time, like one day obviously, the kids are going to get more of the day. And then one day I'm going to get more of the day whenever I have to work. And I try to think of it maybe seasonally. In the winter, mom is out more and in the summer I make a conscious effort to be around. And like, what can we do? That's going to be super fun for the kids today and then try to schedule my whatever hour, a couple of hours of computer time in the summer when they're maybe watching a show or doing something else. My goal is that everyone is thriving in the family, and it doesn't have to be every single day that everyone's driving, but kind of over a week balance or something try to make sure that everyone gets there something. Also, I'm pretty selfish in terms of, like, I want to get my little jog in or my workout or my bike ride in or my skiing every day and then also remembering that my husband isn't so selfish about that. And so remembering that, like, okay, what are the ways where I can take the kids along? Put them in the chariot, go for a bike ride, go for a cross country ski, do work out in the basement and just trying to that makes me feel really good when I can be self sufficient and everyone can have fun and make time for the team and a little time for me. And then in the fall in the winter when I'm working more, just realizing that it's okay if the kids play when I'm on the computer for a little while, they can make their own fun and just letting them do that. And that's okay for them. I don't need to be entertaining them every second of the day. They're actually better off when I'm not. I applaud that. I think about it sometimes not every day has to be Disneyland, but they also, do you ever think, Ingrid, would you want them to look to you and be like, wow, mommy is super dedicated. Mommy is great at her job. Mommy is busy. Mommy's important. Not that we wouldn't like to have maybe 30 hours in the day, but I think of that the model and what you show your children, in this case, your daughters, they're getting to see this really full and complex. Mom. And I love that you because I think every partner dynamic is different. It's like if Jim is you're like, he's not a selfish of that or you are, and that's probably got to be a whole other balance. And I think of it for all people we're like, all right, let's be real about who we are and what we're bringing and then what we need, because if everyone is thriving, I like how you use that not even in a given day, but over a period of time, you can probably just feel it right. Maybe just like, there's a good energy to it a little bit of effortlessness, if you will. And I don't mean to put you on the spot like you're the Oracle and the expert, but I think it can be really grounding, and it helps. I think a lot of we've got some moms to be out there. We've got some new babies that were just born this week for some Badders that are, like going to probably look to you or look to other friends and moms in the industry that they're not alone, right to feel that sense of meeting. And I think sometimes the mom fog can be really real, and we want to help moms out there recognize that they deserve it, and they need it, too. And it helps them be those better moms and partners. Yes. 100%. I try to be really intentional. Back to like, the example for my kids that you mentioned. I try to be really intentional with letting them see that it's a choice that I'm choosing to work. And I'm choosing to do this. Yes, I would love to spend time with you. Spending time with you is my most important thing, and I love it. But I also really love my work, and I'm choosing to do that. And so it helps me remember that when things get too much that, hey, I chose this. I chose this. I can't blame anyone else. I can't complain about it. But then, yeah, trying to just let them know that I am choosing that because it is important to me and hoping that that example will get through. So with that said, what is your best either kid adventure or, like, your most ridiculous mom fail that you were like, if you want to just give us one or two, I've had so many. I can't even tell you all the times I've packed up all the kids I was talking to someone about they're like, oh, it must be so great to be able to take your little kid skiing. And I was like, yeah, no, taking little kids. Skiing is the worst. Everyone's gear up, you drive an hour, you're like, worried about nap time, you're stressing out whatever. And then you get to the mountain. You maybe make one run. The weather's crappy. They're hungry. Everyone has a meltdown, someone like, poops in their pants. And you didn't bring a change or a diaper or anything. And yeah, I'm like, then you basically go home and you blew the naps for the day, and then no one sleeps at night. So great. Yeah. Skiing with little kids is super fun.

Participant #1:
But again, it is fun because it's a choice. And that one run that you made. And then now I'm at the point. I guess the point of that is that now my kids are three and five and they can do the rope tow and they're ripping around on their own. And it is so fun. And it makes all those ridiculous moments worthwhile. Well, I appreciate that here, because we usually get, like, a Hulu hoop run on subway. I'm freaking the F out that she's going to fall off the chairlift even though she's lying. But I'm like, she could slip through that bar. And why is she so close and she won't let me hold her? And then we get a run or two in, and it's like, all right, I don't want a briber, but how about the wildflowers cookie? We'll drive up into the Valley, and when you can go look around at the puppy, just something depending on where we're at. And I'm like, I think all those little mom tricks will pay off. Like, you're speaking in that age group to see him ripping around. I just can't wait for her to stop. That's going to change skiing on the mountain with kids, I think tremendously. Totally 100%. I remember when we first saw I would be like, oh, okay. You need to bend your knees and you can do this and trying to get Betty to do this, like, good body position. My husband's like, oh, yeah. No, you need to pretend she's a dog and that she's going to go Woof Woof Woof down the mountain, and you're going to have fun. I was like, oh, right. Okay. So that was like, a total turning point of, like, oh, we're just here to have fun. Like, it doesn't actually matter. And after that, yes, she really started to love skiing a lot more, and I was way more relaxed about it. Yeah, it is amazing to feed off of their energy. Speaking of skiing and adventure moments, epic fails. What are your shifted gear just to you? To your selfish self angry of your upcoming kind of ski Dreams winter you're going to be. Is Crystal the home mountain, right? Crystal Mountain? No. Actually, we live closest to Stevens Pass, okay? Yes. Forgive me. Forgive me. No, you just Washington geography. I love Crystal, and I grew up skiing there, but it's about 3 hours away, so it's a bit, especially with little kids. It's just a bit more tricky to get there these days, but, yeah, we go Stephen's Path, and then there's also an awesome ski Hill, right? Like, five minutes from where we live that has two rope toes and a rolling carpet. And it's amazing. That's so fun. Do you have some of your own kind of wind or ski dreams? I know. Like, COVID aside, things have been complicated with travel and things like that. I know you're excited for approach premieres are coming up, but anything that you want to put out there in the world to help manifest for ski dreams for yourself.

Participant #1:
I mean, I have to think about that for a while. Honestly, we've been so focused on the approach and getting it out there that I've just kind of been like, I'll think about next winter when maybe a little bit. I've been kicking that can down the road. Just because honestly, last winter, the balance of me being a mom and being out in the back country was really hard. I was just super nervous about the risk involved. And now that my kids, like I said, I mentioned, I'm in a new phase. My kids are older, and the more I get to know them as humans, the more I think about not wanting to be there for I want to be there for them. So I think that balance changes the more I get to know them and just really being conscious of the risks that I'm taking on. And so it was amazing to be out with a group of people and skiing last winter, but I kept it pretty mellow for myself. I definitely didn't push it. When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I hurt myself and tore my patella or tendon had to have surgery at 16 weeks pregnant. And it was terrible. And that experience of having a two year old and not being able to pick her up or hold her was super hard as a mom. That's the time that I wanted to spend with her, and especially before having a second kid and not to be able to be there for her in the way that I wanted, I think, was more like a bigger deal than I thought. So I'm really conscious about not wanting to get hurt, not wanting to get in an avalanche or anything worse. And so, yeah, last winter was really tough mentally and finding that balance. We lost a good friend last winter, and yeah, it just all makes you think about, like, why am I even doing this? There's so much crazy things going on in the world, and I'm going to go spend my time, like skiing. Yeah, I guess the existential crisis maybe now we're getting a little dark. Sorry, it really took it down. There

Participant #1:
no apologies, because I have to say, if anything to me, that just snippet of that real raw honesty again. I think it's something that all humans feel and experience in different ways. But part of that again, that raw honesty is just putting yourself out there and then like being true to yourself. So if anything, if we want to leave, it kind of on a good note. We like to keep our juicy bits. We like to keep our listeners, though, if there's anything if you're up for it ingredient, if they can, maybe people follow up. If they have questions about anything that you shared, you can always hit us up at Hello at Coalition Snow, but I think it's a beautiful note to end on, because the raw, the realness and the fucking dumpster fire that we are all surviving and trying to thrive in every day and have been and all the systems that we're aiming to fight. It's like let the rope tow and the magic carpet and hopefully like huge winners that we get. And powder Skiing give us the energy to go fight on the systems and shred the patriarchy one turn at a time, but then also that trueness to ourselves. We can be wrong. Honest. I think with each other, I think it just creates that accessibility, grounding and deeper connection in our mountain communities and our overall way of living. So I can't thank you enough for all that you shared. And I've been really appreciate your time giving us your thoughts here on Juicy Days. Awesome. Thank you so much for having me and for listening and, yeah, great to chat with you. Jillian.