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Unlikely Riders

@unlikelyriders

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Creating joyful & inclusive spaces in mountain sports by breaking down barriers & empowering BIPOC & QTPOC to learn, lead, and thrive in the outdoors

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Community Ride Day went off! 🤩

Community organizations bringing people together to get outside, learn and ride. 🤜🤛

Thanks for coming out @blackboardersct @chillfoundation @yeskidsboston @unliklyriders 🙌 #GoPro @gopro by @unlikelyriders

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7 months ago

“I never thought that I would be someone who would have access to winter sports. It always felt something that was so distant and not for people who looked like me. But Unlikely Riders really made me feel like I belonged on the mountain, and made sure I had all the necessary gear, clothing, and knowledge to be comfortable enough to go on my own.”
-Maria N.

Thank you so much to everyone who has given a gift to share the joy of skiing and snowboarding! We are so grateful for your support. ♥️

We still have a ways to go to reach our year-end fundraising goal and we need your help to get there. If you are able, please donate and/or share this post to chip in!

Your support will help us break down barriers and build a supportive community to empower BIPOC and QTBIPOC individuals to learn, lead, and thrive in the outdoors.

Visit the link in our bio or head to unlikelyriders.org/donate to give today.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 🙏 by @unlikelyriders

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10 months ago

“I am so thrilled to call myself a skier now. As a BIPOC Professional and with the support of this amazing group, I feel confident and happy to get out there and learn how to ride. When you finally are with people that look like you on the mountain, it feels SO much more safe.”

This giving season please consider giving the gift of skiing and snowboarding.

Your support will help us break down barriers and build a supportive community to empower BIPOC and QTBIPOC individuals to learn, lead, and thrive in the outdoors.

Visit the link in our bio or head to unlikelyriders.org/donate to give today.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 🙏 by @unlikelyriders

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10 months ago

Applications are now open for Unlikely Riders AIARE Avalanche Level One Course, instructed by Acadia Mountain Guides!

This course is a BIPOC affinity space, open to any Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color residing in the United States or Canada with a preference for applicants from the Northeast (VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, RI, NY, PA, NJ, DC, MD) or Eastern Canada.

* Dates: February 27- March 1, 2026
* Location: White Mountains, New Hampshire
* Spots Available: 10

What’s Included:
* Course fee
* Lodging
* Meals

Apply now via the link in our bio!

Applications will be open through January 18th at 11:59pm eastern time. by @unlikelyriders

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10 months ago

As we were getting ready for winter we hosted a waxing and tuning clinic at the Burton Headquarters.

From waxing to edgework, we got hands on with our boards and skis getting them ready to shred this season!

Thank you so much to Bettina for sharing your skills and passion!

Thank you so much to our incredible partner @burton for hosting this event!

Thank you to @sluff.wax for donating wax!

And thank you to Michelle for these amazing photos!!

These events are supported in part by donors like you - Help us keep sharing this knowledge with our community by clicking on the link in our bio and giving the gift of skiing and snowboarding today! by @unlikelyriders

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10 months ago

“I moved to Vermont as a snowboard bum in 2010 simply because I loved the sport so much. But it wasn’t until I found Unlikely Riders that I was able to access a community of BIPOC and Queer people who looked like me and where I could experience true belonging. Snowboarding and other winter sports are hard to access, pay for and have a underlying culture of exclusion. Unlikely Riders is the perfect counter to that, creating a culture of inclusion and making the winters and outdoors in Vermont truly accessible and welcoming.”
- Laura S.

Giving Tuesday is TODAY! This giving season please consider giving the gift of skiing and snowboarding.

Your support will help us break down barriers and build a supportive community to empower BIPOC and QTBIPOC individuals to learn, lead, and thrive in the outdoors.

Visit the link in our bio or head to unlikelyriders.org/donate to give today.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 🙏 by @unlikelyriders

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10 months ago

Do you remember your first ski or snowboard lesson?

We’re one week away from our first ski and snowboard lessons of the season where 30 skiers and riders will experience the thrill of sliding on snow for the first time!

Leave a comment with a fun memory from your first lesson and then click on the link in our bio to share the gift of skiing and snowboarding today.

📸 A first chairlift ride from last season. by @unlikelyriders

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a year ago

Today and everyday we are thankful for our amazing community, our incredible volunteers and staff, as well as our outstanding partners and donors who all work together to make this impact possible!

Our 5th season was extraordinary and we are grateful everyday for this beautiful community that we’ve built together.

Thank you!!!

As we approach the giving season help us continue to share the gift of mountain sports. Click the link in our bio to send a gift or visit unlikelyriders.org/donate by @unlikelyriders

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a year ago

Always an honor to be invited to curate space for communities I’m a part of. I’ve been with the @unlikelyriders family since 2021, and whether we’re on a mountain, on a trail, or circling up for a shared meal—it always feels like home. I feel safe. Protected. Seen. Affirmed. Empowered. Beloved.

Unlikely Riders is one of the most heartfelt stories to come out of Vermont. In the midst of the racial reckoning of 2020, folx asked themselves, “What can I do?” And from that question came the Gear Closet initiative—getting winter apparel and equipment into the hands of Black and brown folx so we could access the outdoors. So we could be with the land by removing the barriers that weigh on our collective.

And just like our ancestors, visionaries in community linked up, and so many more ideas were manifested. Since 2020, Unlikely Riders has poured abundance into our BIPOC community—gear, lift tickets, lessons, classes, mentors, and more.

This is radical love in motion. This is care as liberation. This is what happens when we invest in each other’s joy and belonging.

Love + gratitude to @thingzfromyaadvt, Queen Shaneall, Chef @kingroc66 and culinary team for hosting us, feeding us, and nourishing our spirits!

♥️ Local Love Fit Check:
Overalls @goldenhourgiftco
Jewelry @soulsimonejewelry taken in thingzfromyaadvt by @unlikelyriders

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a year ago

SOLD OUT!

Join us as we welcome and celebrate the arrival of winter with an evening of storytelling over a family-style meal to kick off the season, emceed by the incredible Ferene Paris of All Heart Inspirations.

This event will take place at Thingz From Yaad in South Burlington on Sunday, November 16th from 5-8:30 pm with featured story performances from Unlikely Riders.

The space that Ferene is facilitating will bring storytelling in multiple forms, and all attending Unlikely Riders are welcomed to share their snow stories.
Attendees are welcome to bring in snow photos, mountain selfies, art, winter altar items.

Space is limited, tickets cost $120-$12 (sliding scale). Purchase tickets at the link in our bio.

“We were talking about becoming instructors though Unlikely Riders which was an incredible, incredible, opportunity. I grew up skiing in New England. I never saw instructors that looked like me. And when I saw that email come through about becoming a certified alpine instructor. I said, first I paused, and said ‘Wait a minute. I could do that. Why not? I could do that!’ even though I didn’t see anybody that looked like me when I was growing up [Skiing]. I said ‘yeah why not?’ and the joy I felt when I got that certification. And also it’s not just having the pin and the certificate but it’s another source of income. I mean mountains look for certified ski instructors and snowboard instructors...It opened up this other path that I wouldn’t have even thought of.”

– Naomi P. Unlikely Riders Storytelling event November 2024 by @unlikelyriders

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a year ago

Join us for a special screening of The Route To Emancipation, a film that follows three Black cyclists on a 350-mile journey across Texas, exploring centuries of Black history.

After the film, stay for an in-person Q&A with Ariel Marlowe, one of the film’s featured cyclists and one of the founders of Black History Bike Ride. Ariel is flying in for this event so you won’t want to miss it! This is a unique opportunity for Vermonters to support Black storytelling and connect with Ariel, who is an incredibly dynamic and engaging speaker.

We’ll have a social hour with light refreshments and raffle prizes from our sponsors: @eventmainstreet, @oldspokeshome, @localmotionvermont, @unlikelyriders, @outdoorgearexchange, and the @vtpoc_network.

🗓️ September 10, 2025
🚪 Doors at 6:30PM
🎥 Film at 7PM
💸 $15 Tickets can be purchased online (link in our bio) or at the door!
🎟️ Additional raffle tickets can be purchased— $5 for 5 or $10 for 15

Thank you again to our sponsors and we look forward to seeing you there! by @unlikelyriders

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a year ago

🌼 Help Unlikely Riders Win $10K! 🌼

We’re thrilled to be in the running for Best Nonprofit in the 2025 Seven Daysies awards! Your nomination can help us secure a $10,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation to further our mission of creating joyful and inclusive spaces for BIPOC in mountain sports.

🗳️ Nominate us here (or via the link in our bio): https://ballot.sevendaysvt.com/services/best-nonprofit-organization

Voting is open through April 28, 2025.

Thank you for supporting our journey to make mountain sports accessible and welcoming for all. 🏔️✨ by @unlikelyriders

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