Silk Road Free Ride-Skiing for Diplomacy

What is Silk Road Free Ride 

Silk Road Free Ride is the first freeride ski competition in Central Asia. We are developing a championship culture for all people to participate in throughout Central Asia and invite the rest of the world to join us and experience the beauty and generosity of Central Asia and the larger Silk Road! Through supporting a growing culture of mountain sports in the region we believe we will also help to rewrite the global narrative of who and what Central Asia is and can be.

We are raising funds for this year one event to ensure skiers from other countries in the region whose skiers and ski federations do not receive appropriate support. Costs for travel and participation range between $600-$1,000 depending on where skiers are coming from. $5,000 for example would ensure a contingent of five from Afghanistan could make it. We're aiming to raise at least enough cash for two teams by December 24, 2019: $10,000--but maybe we can go bigger? You can make that happen!

The event came together this year after US Army Veteran Stacy Bare returned from a ski trip to Afghanistan and saw firsthand the power of skiing to positively impact cultures scarred by trauma and economic disinvestment. In partnership with Dutch skiers Peter Hoffman and Olaf Seuters of Ryce Travel and Gear4Guides respectively, the three of them partnered with local Kyrgyz skiers and the Karakol Resort to ensure the first event in 2020 can happen. It is a week-long event with coaching, training, camaraderie, snow safety classes, that ends with a competition for the best free skier along the Silk Road!

This is just year one!

In future years, we plan on pulling together a multi-event series linking many existing events in places like Lebanon, Afghanistan, and a ski race in Iraq, as well as adding new events that supports the growth of skiing and international travel to the nations along the historic Silk Road. Ultimately, we plan on seeing Silk Road skiers and riders compete and win on the Free Ride World Tour. There are also plans for supporting expanded coaching and instruction in mountain biking and mountaineering, as well as relevant competitions.

The  is the first freeride ski competition in Central Asia. We are developing a championship culture for all people to participate in throughout Central Asia and invite the rest of the world to join us and experience the beauty and generosity of Central Asia and the larger Silk Road! Through the support of  a developing mountain sport culture, we believe we will be most successful in this mission. Along the way, we are rewriting the global narrative of who and what Central Asia is and can be. We hope you'll support us and join us to witness this all first hand.  

Here's our dream sheet and funding levels--and we promise we'll do our best to get you stickers, hats, and t-shirts in good time! Every dollar helps!

$5 sticker

$10 patch

$35 hat or t-shirt 

$50 hat and t-shirt combination

$500 Individual Skier Registration (30 available). Your support ensures one skier is registered for the full week of Silk Road Free Ride in Kyrgyzstan.

$1,000 Individual Skier Registration + Travel (15 available). Your support ensures one skier from a Central Asian Nation is able to travel to and participate in the first-ever Silk Road Free Ride event. 

$2,500 Race Materials and Training (3 available). Your support ensures that all materials, starting gates, participant waiting area, pre-race staging area, etc. are available for participants, racers and coaches. Your logo will be on all marketing materials, as well as on each gate and tent at the event.

$5,000 National Team Sponsor (6 available—ask for which nations are available). Sponsor a team of skiers from a specific Central Asian Nation at the first event in Kyrgyzstan. Includes your logo embroidered on Ski Team’s gear (if time allows). Logo will also be included in all promotional materials, website and apparel for the event.

$10,000 Presented by Sponsor (1 available). Your organization will be listed in all information as “The Silk Road Free Ride presented by YOU.” Your brand will be listed in all marketing materials as the presenting sponsor on the website, all race bibs, race materials, event awards, etc.

$15,000 Event Title Sponsor (1 available). Your organization is the main partner of the event. The event will be the Your Brand Silk Road Freeride event. You will be listed first in all marketing materials, on the website, and first on all race bibs, race materials, event awards, etc.