Alberta is known nationwide for its scenic views: the Rocky Mountains, Lake Louise, Edmonton's River Valley, only to name a few. As such, athletes and adventure-seekers often have traversed Alberta's loveliest locales — but not everyone feels welcome to enjoy the slopes, mountains, and rinks.
New podcast BIPoC Outside strives to "create equity of access in outdoor sport and recreation" by way of interviews and thoughtful conversations with athletes, innovators, and organizers who are Black, Indigenous, or Peoples of Colour.
Notably, the show is self-described as not a pain podcast, with a focus on "joy, empowerment, and the transformative power of the outdoors."
Host Kris Cromwell is an avid skier and cyclist. She told CBC Edmonton that she launched the podcast as part of her master's degree in Native Studies because she noticed few BIPoC people involved in outdoor sports and wanted to know why. "I really wanted to talk to people that are making changes," she said.
So far, she has released four episodes, the latest of which features Sandy Ward, a professional snowboarder, the back-country team lead at Indigenous Women Outdoors, a professional coach, and one the creative minds behind the documentary series Fabric.
"It's not necessarily about learning and trying to become a professional snowboarder," she told Cromwell when asked about her snowboarding philosophy. "It's more about getting outside, having fun."
And that's the motto of BIPoC Outside: Get outside, have fun. Catch new episodes on its site, Spotify, Podbean, or Apple Podcasts.
You can listen to podcast picks from Taproot on Listen Notes or Spotify.