Sharing the Stoke: A Ski Day at Copper Mountain with Mikaela Shiffrin
Yesterday at Copper Mountain was one of those days that reminds you exactly why skiing means so much to so many. I had the opportunity to work alongside Mikaela Shiffrin’s team with the crew at Copper Mountain to help capture the day during her time with an incredible group of 30 young female athletes through Share Winter Foundation and ElevateHer.
The Share Winter Foundation (often referred to as Share Winter) is a nonprofit grantmaking organization focused on improving the lives, health, and overall well-being of youth through winter sports. Their mission is centered around making skiing and snowboarding more accessible, diverse, and inclusive by supporting learn-to-ski and learn-to-snowboard programs for young people across the United States.
ElevateHer CO is a Chaffee County–based nonprofit dedicated to building confidence, resilience, and grit in young women—primarily in grades 6–12—through outdoor adventure, mentorship, and wellness programming. By offering free, year-round access to these opportunities, they’re working to close the opportunity gap for girls in rural communities.
The day kicked off with a Q&A session with Mikaela Shiffrin, where questions ranged from favorite animals and childhood dreams to ski tips and technique. After the group wrapped up their questions, the girls were surprised with swag bags filled with sweaters, hats, Yeti mugs, and more, followed by time for one-on-one moments—photos, autographs, and a chance to connect a bit more personally.
For those without gear, Copper Mountain got everyone set up with rentals, and before long, the group was out on snow together, taking a few laps. It wasn’t about perfect turns or polished runs, but about sharing the experience of being outside, connecting through skiing, and simply enjoying the moment.
Watching Mikaela connect with the next generation—passing along confidence, curiosity, and a genuine love for the mountains—was something special to capture from behind the lens. As the group made their way around the mountain, she took time to chat with the girls, offer pointers, and even hang back to help someone ease into new terrain.
There’s a different kind of energy when skiing comes back to the basics. The learning progression, the small wins, the fundamentals that build everything else. It shifts the focus away from performance and back to curiosity, repetition, and confidence gained turn by turn. And when that kind of environment is shared with a ski icon like Mikaela, it adds another layer entirely—watching someone at the highest level return to the foundation of the sport, meet athletes where they are, and reinforce that progression and having fun is what it’s all built on.
Just as the day of festivities was winding down, one last surprise came through. Mikaela brought her 2026 Olympic slalom gold for the girls to see up close. The energy in the room was electric—especially hearing them repeat, “Wow, it’s heavier than I expected.” After the girls each had a chance to hold it and take it in, I was lucky enough to hold it for a moment as well—a surreal experience to witness, and to be part of.😮
If you’d like to support the mission, you can learn more or donate to the Share Winter Foundation here: https://sharewinterfoundation.org/about-us/.
You can also read more about the day over on POWDER here: https://www.powder.com/news/mikaela-shiffrin-copper-mountain-ski-elevateher.
I’m grateful to have been there to capture it and experience the joy of sliding around on snow. Give the video a watch by clicking here and feel a bit of that stoke for yourself.
And here are a few photos I shot from the day as well.
Happy shredding!
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