An outdoor space that is “radically inclusive” for the LGBTQ+ community and people of color

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For 16-year-old Zishawn Gibson, snowboarding at the indoor skate park at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, N.J., was a welcome change of scenery.

Gibson's involvement in the skate park was made possible through the Hoods to Woods Foundation, a New York and New Jersey-based nonprofit that works to “promote outdoor awareness to inner-city children through skateboarding,” according to the organization's website. During its 15-year history, Hoods to Woods has helped hundreds of underprivileged youth like Gibson develop a new interest and outlet through snowboarding, says co-founder Omar Diaz.

“It keeps me outside,” Gibson told CNBC from the lounge room of the Big Snow complex. “It's different, instead of being out on the streets and being exposed to danger and things like that.”

The brainchild of Diaz and co-founder Brian Pawpaw, Hoods to Woods is dedicated to providing new opportunities for teens and young adults who come from backgrounds similar to their own. The group hosts weeks-long programs across urban areas in the two states.

The organization is just one of several across the United States working to bring people of color into outdoor activities, including winter sports — places where they are often marginalized and underrepresented.

Snowsports Industries America's 2019-2020 Participation Study showed that participation by white Americans remained at 67.5%. In comparison, Asians made up 7.7% of participants, while blacks made up 9.2% and Latinos 14%.

Likewise, a demographic study updated by the National Ski Areas Association in 2023 found that white participants represented 88.1% of guests.

One factor contributing to this gap is the high barrier to practicing these winter sports, given the average expenses when it comes to equipment and transportation. The same study by Snowsports Industries America revealed that more than half of winter sports participants from 2019 to 2020 earned more than $75,000 annually.

But organizations like Hoods to Woods have made it their mission to break down these walls.

The nonprofit began in 2009 as an effort by Paupaw and Diaz, two experienced snowboarders, to give back to their communities by introducing youth to the outdoors through snowboarding.

“Representing people who look like me, and even come from my environment, was important, because you can be on the mountain and hear people talking and they don't look like you,” Diaz said. “You grow up in an urban environment, and in the mountains everyone around you looks completely different.”

The entire program—including snowboarding lessons, transportation, and meals—is free for youth participants. Paupaw and Diaz raise money to pay for travel and food.

The group also accepts equipment donations or gifts, while Big Snow has loaned its facilities free to the nonprofit for years.

Outside of Hoods to Woods, there are other nonprofit organizations in the United States dedicated to similar causes.

For example, the organization Edge Outdoors in Washington state aims to “(address) the lack of visibility of Black and Indigenous women and women of color in snow sports,” its founder Annette Diggs told CNBC. The group is also working to include women from the LGBTQ+ community, including trans and trans participants.

“One of the unique things about Edge is that we work with the community — a lot of our participants are learning from people from their community, meaning Black people and people of color,” she said.

Sierra Young, who is black and has multiple sclerosis, learned adaptive skating through an EDGE scholarship.

“I was so grateful that my teachers listened to me and said, 'We want to make sure you're able to skate the way you want to and that you feel empowered,'” she said. “Being somewhere with other BIPOC people was incredible.”

Meanwhile, a Vermont-based nonprofit, created in 2020, plans to build a color-coded outdoor community center, which co-founder Abby Crisostomo envisions will one day be a “radically inclusive space.”

In the four years since its founding, Crisostomo estimates that Unexpected Organization has hosted more than 145 events, donated 2,500 pieces of winter gear and mentored more than 570 community members for free. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, the group also introduces people of color and LGBTQ+ communities to mountain biking while fostering a welcoming environment.

Small businesses, like Skida or the people of color owned by ToughCutie, have been instrumental in supporting the Unlikely Riders efforts by donating equipment and hosting events.

Along with their mission of inclusivity, Hoods to Woods founders also emphasized the importance of mentorship within the program, including outreach to community participants and assistance with financial literacy, college applications and job offers.

“I saw kids with behavioral issues at school and at home doing a 180 because they were able to be in an environment where they could be themselves and think freely,” Bobaw said. “For me, that's one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced as a human being, but also as a co-founder of this program.”

Through Hoods to Woods, Diaz, Pawpaw and their volunteers have built many relationships with participants. Some return to volunteer after graduating from their programs.

“This is the perfect combination,” Diaz told CNBC. “Giving back to young people, changing their lives, and doing it in a place I love – I'm happy. There's no better way to give back.”

Mequan Chisholm, 27, was one of the first participants in the program 15 years ago. He is now a dedicated volunteer for this cause. His daughter is now only 3, but he envisions a future where she will one day join the community.

“It changed my life because it gave me a different outlook on life. I never thought I'd be doing figure skating as a black person…and I fell in love with it,” he said. “Hoods to Woods definitely gave me the confidence to try new things and be open about things in life and realize that there are a lot of opportunities for people out there.”