Well…it started with G3 (Genuine Guide Gear).
When I moved to Alaska 12 years ago it seemed like the time to upgrade the backcountry gear. Coming from Colorado, the skinny skis weren’t cutting it in the deep, heavy maritime snowpack anymore. After a couple renditions of another brand that de-laminated on me twice I went searching for a new women’s ski and found G3. They had recently introduced skis to their line of backcountry products, with 4 styles; 3 men’s version and the Siren for women. Soon after their introduction to the market, their ski—the Reverend was winning awards, and people were raving about their whole line of new skis!
Can anyone refuse the call of a Siren? I searched her out and was not disappointed in her performance in the southcentral Chugach snow!
For 6 years now, G3 has tried to stay in touch with their consumers by offering a topsheet ski graphics contest, found online each fall at www.SkiGraphiks.com. The first year the contest commenced, G3’s President, Oliver Steffen indicated his reasoning behind initiating the contest. “Ski graphics have become a genuinely exciting art form. We believe skiing is a form of creativity. The design and look of skis is part of that creativity. We want everyone to have a chance to participate in the fun of designing a top sheet for a ski!”
The contest, now in its 6th-year, goes international and brings in lots of talent from all ages and countries. This year, Backcountry Babes was “punch-drunk” to find out that a big ski company like G3 was willing to partner with them to do the first women’s version of the SkiGraphiks contest! A good year for it, as it coincided with the introduction of their first women’s fat reverse-camber powder ski—The Empress.
This one was already winning awards too. Probably because it is a fun, playful, and powerful ski that makes any woman powder skier feel like she is royalty ruling an Empire of beautiful snow!
So, the template of the Empress ski was put online and the artists solicited to give it their best shot for a design that encapsulated the essence of a true Backcountry Babe. An impressive 49 designs came in during the 30-day period the contest ran in September, 2013. Not an easy task to select a winner from some truly impressive work and creativity that flowed freely when you mix graphic art talent, a passion for skiing, and the chance to win a pair of skis with your very own design stamped on them!
It was a daunting task to pick between so many really quality designs —But there was one that stood out to almost all of the judges as something unique, artfully-designed, and said “Backcountry Babes” throughout the entire design. It summed up backcountry to a ski babe; the enjoyment of skiing, the beauty found outdoors, and the inspiration of bringing talents together to make a great product whether it is a ski or a group of women supporting and mentoring each other in the outdoors.
The winning design for the Backcountry Babes ski was “From Earth to Sky” submitted by Alex Rosset.
Meet Alex Rosset. He is 23 years old and in his 5th year of product design school in Paris, France at Paris Strate Collège.
His passion is to design product with people, and for people.
In line with his passion for nature, sports, and the mountains, he strives to combine pleasure, innovation, and passion into his designs.
Of his design for the Backcountry Babe’s Empress ski, Rosset said, “I see skiing as a way to connect with the elements, so I tried to bring the elements into my ski design: “Forest, wood, the sky, stars, fractals. The entire graphic world I used for these skis expresses the concept of skiing to me.”
Alex is a skier obviously. He usually skis the resort but when it’s safe, he also loves to do some backcountry skiing. Alex heard about the contest because he is always looking for new design contests and the possibility to work for, or with, a good outdoor sports company.
He quotes, “You understood? I want to become an outdoor sports gear designer 🙂 I’m currently looking for a job in product design with a design agency or company.
Well, if anyone needs a good graphic designer that knows how to put the art of nature skillfully into outdoor gear products, we stand behind Alex’s work! You can check out his other design work at ALEX ROSSET.com
Alex ROSSET // Junior Product Designer
The contest story doesn’t end there!
But this was not enough…there were SO many good topsheet designs, we had a hard time just saying that was it; that was the one winner! So we threw in a twist to the SkiGraphiks contest this year and chose another winner and another G3 ski to put it on.
G3 introduced another ski this year we really like, called the Cake 100. Even though we want EVERY DAY to be a POWDER DAY! Sometimes it just isn’t…So the Cake comes to call and takes care of all the other conditions you might encounter. This women’s all-mountain ski, with its early-rise tip and narrower waist, can carve the groomers with strength, but also takes just about any snow condition in graceful stride. So why not make it a cool Backcountry Babes ski too? And we did!
The design we felt really matched the grace yet strength of a ski that was adaptable to most conditions was a design submitted by Petra Hurschler called “Happy Soul”. A phrase we hope every Backcountry Babes is too; a powerful, graceful Happy Soul!
Petra’s design of a deer head that crosses both skis along with its graceful, colorful, and flowing antlers is wonderfully artistic.
Meet the designer of our Happy Soul Cake 100 ski—Petra Hurschler.
Hi. I’m Petra from Engelberg, Switzerland. I’m 25 years old and I just received my degree in graphic design last summer. I’m still doing some graphic design work, but for the winter season I’m working primarily at the Hoheneck Bar in Engelberg. I’ll start working more in my profession of design after the winter, but right now I’m enjoying the bar work because it gives me lots of time for skiing.
Sounds like a true Backcountry Babe ski bum! We hear ya, Petra. A career is a good choice, but enjoying some ski time and having fun while you are young is too. 🙂
Petra grew up in Engelberg, a great ski resort in the alps. She studied in Zurich, but always loves to go back to Engelberg. She feels that there is always something great to do in Engelberg, and it is full of great people. Engelberg is also pretty famous for freeriding and it has a lot of great runs.
Petra has a passion for the mountains and being in the nature. She loves skiing and just can’t get enough of the feeling of riding in the pow. She sums it up by saying, “On the great days you just don’t want to stop skiing, even when your legs are burning!”
Petra saw the G3 SkiGraphiks contest online. Since she loves both skiing and being creative, she was really excited for the opportunity to design a ski! It was the perfect combination of the two things she loves.
When asked how she came up with the design, Petra states, “I started thinking what kind of ski I would love to ride? Then I came up with the deer idea. The deer is a strong, powerful, and a graceful animal. Seems perfect for a womens ski!”
As the 2nd Place winner Petra also received a pair of skis with her winning design; which she thinks is so awesome. She thinks it would be great to see more skis in her future with her own graphics on them!
We also think Petra does great design work, and you can find out more about her at:
www.petrahurschler.ch / www.petrahurschler.tumblr.com
The Sirens did me well for several years in the backcountry of southcental Alaska, Canada, and anywhere else I could find to ski them, but I can’t hide my new found excitement about getting the opportunity to ski 2 new awesome skis introduced this year by G3! Add those awesome graphics that ooze young and vibrant artistic talent, and encapsulate the Backcountry Babe persona, and I already feel like an Empress in my own Snow Pow Kingdom!
The exclusive personalized Backcountry Babes skis really are EXCLUSIVE! Fewer than 50 of them are available. If you want to have a pair of your own…and you should! You can purchase them through Backcountry Babes.
Ski like a BABE! on some Backcountry Babes skis
by G3, Alex Rosset, and Petra Hurschler
Do you still have the backcountry skis available for purchase?
Yes, Jill, the skis are still some skis available in Colorado and Alaska in limited sizes. Email [email protected] and we’ll get you in touch!
Very few ski resorts are open in May. For those that remain open, such as Mammoth, the ski school programs have usually ended for the season.