Letter: Welcome, National Brotherhood of Skiers
On behalf of the Vail Town Council and the entire community, I am extremely excited to welcome the National Brotherhood of Skiers as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary Summit, “Soul on Snow,” this week in Vail. As the world’s largest snowsports organization, NBS has worked over the last half century to expand access to skiing and snowboarding through their mission “to identify, develop and support athletes of color who will win International and Olympic winter sports competitions representing the United States and to increase participation in winter sports.” We believe these efforts are critical to our current vitality and future success.
The summit is an annual fundraiser for the NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund, benefiting young Black athletes competing in Alpine sports. It is an honor for Vail to host this milestone gathering, which will bring together at least 45 member clubs and thousands of supporters from across the U.S. and internationally.
From Feb. 4-11, several events are scheduled that are open to the public, including a parade, opening ceremonies and live entertainment at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Solaris and the Soul on Snow Concert at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 at Golden Peak. Schedules and ticket information can be found at NBS.org. Additionally, the town of Vail Library, Colorado Snowsports Museum and the town of Vail Art in Public Places are celebrating the NBS visit with some very special exhibits and displays. We hope you will find time to enjoy the fun.
As an organization, NBS is the model for how to bring about equity in the outdoors — especially in a traditionally non-inclusive space. My hope is that we leave our NBS guests with lasting memories, and they leave us with lessons on how to best promote diversity in the snowsports industry. Fostering an inclusive culture that welcomes skiers and riders of all backgrounds, creating ways to make snowsports more accessible, and supporting a new generation of people who are passionate about our mountains will help preserve the lifestyle we cherish. Please join me in making the NBS and all our visitors feel at home in Vail.
Kim Langmaid
Mayor, Town of Vail
