Industry News
Building connections, bridging the divide, and breaking boundaries in the world of winter sports, Vail Mountain is set to host the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) for its 50th Golden Anniversary Summit and is committed to diversifying the sport.
The NBS Summit is an annual fundraiser that brings together more than 50 member clubs and thousands of supporters from around the world. During a week of winter sports fun from Feb. 4-11, 2023, NBS will raise funds to support its mission: increasing participation in winter sports while developing and supporting athletes of color with the potential to win international competitions. Vail Mountain will host the NBS Summit and is committed to creating more equity, inclusion, and diversity at the resort and in the industry.
“The primary purpose of the Summit is to provide financial support to the NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund in pursuant of its mission to identify, develop and support athletes of color who will WIN Olympic and International winter sports competitions, representing the United States, AND to increase participation in winter sports. In addition we continue to introduce snowsports to youth and adults with grass roots programs and to increase diversity and inclusion in the winter sports industry.” – NBS
Regardless if you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced member, you are bound to enjoy yourself and make memories that will last a lifetime at the annual NBS Summit. The fundraiser not only caters to adults but trains children, youth, and teens to become professional Olympians to break boundaries in winter sports. Come and join the brotherhood, where building connections with others are guaranteed to be good and become part of a livelihood.
See you at the NBS 50th Anniversary Summit February 4-11, 2023, at Vail, CO. You won’t want to miss it!
About The National Brotherhood of Skiers
At a time when African Americans on the ski slopes were a rarity and black ski clubs were an exception, Ben Finley and Art Clay were not deterred from their vision to create a national Black Summit for skiers. The two founders met in 1972 after being introduced by a mutual friend while Finley was President of the Four Seasons West Ski Club of Los Angeles and Clay was Trip Director of the Sno-Gophers Ski Club of Chicago. They moved forward with a proposal to bring together 13 black ski clubs for an event which was called “A Happening”, but was later changed to “Black Summit,” at the suggestion of a member of the Jim Dandy Ski Club of Detroit. The Black Summit would represent black skiers coming together at the summit of Ajax Mountain. The purpose was “to identify and discuss problems and subjects which were unique to the black skiing population, ski and socialize”, according to Finley.
The Historic gathering took place in Aspen, Colorado in 1973 and was attended by over 350 skiers from all over the country. There was an overall sense of camaraderie and connection that pervaded the event then and still holds true with the Black Summits today. The images of this occasion will forever stay in the minds of those who witnessed this event. As the East Coast met the West Coast, there were discussions of Teo Hyde of Chicago who was recognized as an aspiring contender for a position of the U.S. Ski Team. The formation of the national organization was set for Thanksgiving weekend in 1973 in Salt Lake City, Utah. At a meeting of the club leaders, it was proposed that the primary purpose of the organization would be to place a black skier on the U.S. Ski Team. This mission was unanimously embraced by everyone in attendance and sparked the first national organization of predominantly Black ski clubs.
The National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) was chartered in 1974 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in Illinois in 1975. It received its 501(c)3 designation in 1978. Black Summit ’75 was hosted by the Sno-Gophers Ski Club and was held in Sun Valley, Idaho. Over 750 skiers attended. The clubs in attendance elected Ray Mott of Black Ski, Inc. as the NBS’ first President.
2023 NBS Summit Schedule
