Hi there! My name is Kayla (she/her) and I’m the Producer of this film. My friend and fellow filmmaker Caroline (she/her) is the Director/Editor. We are the team behind Narpski.

A NARP is a non-athletic regular person. While the term is often used in a negative way to distinguish collegiate athletes from non-athletes, we decided to take this term and make it our own.

As a former collegiate soccer player turned NARP, I (Kayla) found myself in a situation where I didn’t know what my identity looked like outside of being an athlete. With time though, I found a freedom in being able to not only be something other than an athlete but also being able to be a beginner at other sports in general. Being a NARP was something I could own. That same feeling is what we hope to give to our audience.

For context, Caroline and I both come from really warm states - Hawai‘i and Texas. Snow sports were something that was pretty much off our radars until we were adults. This is our second season doing snow sports and we freaking love it! However, as we learned to enjoy our new adventures on snow, we became more aware of bigger issues.

According to the National Ski Areas Association, less than 15% of visitors during the 2019-2020 season were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) riders. The high cost of equipment, lift tickets, lessons, and adequate transportation make snow sports extremely difficult to access. The lack of racial diversity often makes it unappealing. The culture of snow sports is not one that is beginner friendly. This film aims to shift that narrative.

Narpski follows us - Kayla and Caroline - two amateur riders who love being on the mountain. We’ll be guided by Mai Li (they/them), and Char (she/her) as they help us navigate our way down a black diamond route for the first time.

Along the way, we’ll have conversations about representation, community, and the joy of being on the slopes. We’ll also get an inside look into Open Slopes, an organization co-founded by Mai Li, with the mission of getting more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ riders out on the slopes.

While many stories have highlighted the struggles of being BIPOC in the outdoors, this story emphasizes the joy. It’s hard to be what you don’t see, especially as a beginner. With this film, we hope to inspire people like us, a couple of BIPOC NARPs, to embrace the power of just showing up and having fun.

The purpose of this fundraiser is to help cover the cost of production which includes compensating crew and talent, transportation, camera gear costs, necessary snow gear, meals, and much more. If we exceed our goal, extra funds will go back to Open Slopes to help further their agenda of making snow sports more accessible for everyone.

We hope you’ll join us on this journey and we are so so grateful for your support.

You can follow us @narpski.film on Instagram for more updates and watch our fundraiser video here

Thank you!

-Kayla and Caroline