Jeannie Thoren practically gave birth to the women’s ski market. Recently she’s noticed that some of the best female ski racers are still snubbing women-specific gear. She challenges those women who are too good for a women’s fit to attend her presentation at outdoor DIVAS in November. “I think the key is to get some of the women who have been resistant to come hear me out,” says Jeannie. “I challenge them. Everyone’s invited – all ability levels.” There’s no question that beginner women have benefited immensely from the attention the ski industry is beginning to shower on female consumers. Women no longer get shafted on technology and performance, riding on sticks built by men for men, shortened and slimmed and painted pink. “We’re not small men. We are all born to have children and that means a different body type than men. It’s great for child bearing, not necessarily for fitting the equipment set-up of a man.” These days, women’s skis, from beginner to expert models, take a woman’s unique figure, center of gravity and common problems, like lower circulation and longer calves, into consideration – without sacrificing the performance of the gear. How’d we get here? Only Jeannie can tell that story. Jeannie on the beginning… “I never really started out to save the world. I was just trying to be a better skier myself. I was on the Junior National Ski Team. I achieved at a very high level and I needed all the changes I made to my equipment in the 70s and early 80s when I was competing. I didn’t know that other people needed it when I was working on this. I thought I was the only one who had these problems. Watching others I thought – wow – if these women knew what I knew they’d be so much better. I needed to make those changes to ski at the level I wanted to ski at.  “It was 1980 when I realized that other people needed what I had discovered that the people I was watching from the chair were out of balance and it wasn’t a matter of more time on the hill, of trying harder of taking lessons, it was basically to make some alterations, some engineering changes to the equipment.” Jeannie through the decades… “The 60s was about achievement through racing. I achieved in the racing world. The 70s I was also achieving in the race world but it was self-discovery, experimenting with my equipment. I was listening to my coaches but I couldn’t do some of the things they were telling me to do so I started messing around with my equipment. In the 80s I opened up a can of worms because I started working with other women. I started with four pairs of skis in the back of a station wagon and in the 90s I finally had the confidence. I worked with enough women in the 80s that I could go national. It was an adventure, experimenting with other people. The changes that worked for me worked for them. I had the guts to take on the universe. In the 00s, at the manufacturing level, I have the ability to make direct changes to the gear.”
Jeannie on this decade and beyond… “I’m not pushing the rock uphill anymore. This is an accepted thing. “My goal for this decade is the same as what the girls want in tennis and in golfing – to be at par, to have our equipment work for us as much as for the guys always. I’m making manufactures look at the problems too. It’s been a lot of lip service. Now other manufacturers are hiring a lot of women. “I want a woman to open up her box of boots and skis in Debuque, Iowa, and have them work for her so she doesn’t have to alter them the way I did. To have them work for her right out of the box. That’s my goal in the 00s. I start tomorrow traveling the country.” Jeannie on the industry’s first mental leap… “Because I sold so much equipment, I proved that if the product was better women would buy it. If it made a difference for them, they would buy it. Before the industry would not sell good equipment for women so the price point of the skis and boots they sold to women was inferior. Now at the highest level the equipment is better and women will buy better equipment for themselves. If she has a better day out there skiing on this stuff she will buy it.” Jeannie has been on the road since early September. Learn more about Jeannie and ways to improve your slope style in Part II: Jeannie on “pink product,” women’s intuition, washing dirty dishes, and heal lifts. See her in action at outdoor DIVAS in November. Don't miss: evenings with DIVAS: Jeannie Thoren Monday, November 6th
Reception 6pm
Presentation 7pm
FREE
Jeannie Thoren will be back in Boulder! Don't miss your chance to learn about women's ski equipment from a true expert.
We will have a reception beginning at 6pm with an impassioned presentation by Jeanie at 7pm. The first 20 people will receive a free outdoor DIVAS hat! click here for more info Equipment Conusultaions with Jeannie Thoren: Novemeber 7th and 8th Don't miss your chance for one on one equipment consultations with Jeannie Thoren. Consultations will be available for FREE beginning at 11am and running until 6pm in 1/2 hour time slots. Book yours now while we still have space available! Please call us toll free at 866.449.DIVA (3482) to make your appointment. click here for more info | 
