Snowsports Athletes React to Sydney Sweeney Ad Backlash

Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaign for a sports betting app drew wide-spread criticism online. | Image: Screenshot Julia Mancuso video — Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaign for a sports betting app drew widespread criticism online. | Image: Screenshot Julia Mancuso video

Snowsports athletes across the globe have taken to social media, posting training and competition videos and speaking out against the sexualization of women in sports. The slew of social media posts was prompted by an ad campaign by American actress Sydney Sweeney, who is pictured nude or semi-nude using sports equipment (footballs, basketballs, hockey gear, tennis racquets) to promote a sports betting/prediction app, Novig, in which she’s also a strategic partner and equity holder.

Naturally, the outpouring of messages has not just come from snowsports athletes but from women across all sports. But if, like me, your social media feed is filled with snowsports posts, you will invariably come across a slew of videos from skiers and snowboarders speaking up against the ad campaign, including three-time Olympic snowboarder Maddie Mastro, Canadian mogul skier Maia Schwinghammer, U.S. aerial skier Winter Vinecki, and retired ski racer Julia Mancuso. Even the Freeride World Tour (FWT) jumped on the trend and shared a video, saying: “Celebrating the women who continue to redefine what’s possible in THIS sport.”

Mancuso, in particular, was very diplomatic in her assessment, saying, “I am not completely offended by the Sydney Sweeney commercial — it’s provocative and cheeky — but I can also agree with the sentiment of all the female athletes infuriated!” Several athletes were, in fact, very upset and offended, and many felt that the ad undermines women’s accomplishments, reduces them to objects of “the male gaze,” and diminishes women’s sports.

SnowBrains is choosing not to share the ad campaign promoting a sports betting app, but rather has decided to share some of the awesome and inspiring videos from various snowsports athletes who have come out in the last few hours to show what women in sports actually look like. Maybe we all needed a reminder today of how awesome female athletes are!