Grassroots group gets people of color on the slopes of Mount Hood

Mai Li O’Keefe feels a special form of pride on a snowy March day at the Mount Hood Meadows resort, as they join a Black, Indigenous and People of Color group for skiing and snowboarding — most of them for the first time.

“Just seeing, you know, as many as 20 BIPOC people just all hanging out, in the parking lot today …we were front and center as people were walking into the resort,” O’Keefe said. “It’s just so cool, and it’s just something that I really haven’t experienced before.”

O’Keefe helped bring this group to the mountain as part of Open Slopes PDX, a grassroots organization that started in 2021 with the goal of promoting diversity in winter sports by addressing barriers preventing people of color from taking part.

“I think that the ski culture has predominantly relied on white generational wealth,” O’Keefe said.

Open Slopes breaks down barriers by offering free ski rental, lift tickets, clothing and transportation to the ski resort for a dozen participants. All of these are provided through donations from the community and outdoor gear stores. But it’s not only the high cost of these winter sports that has created a lack of diversity on the slopes. It’s also something less tangible: a feeling of belonging.