For our last instalment of this Pantry Chats series we went to the best in the business — who happen to be one of our biggest inspirations — Rude Girls. As one of the longest standing female-specific skate/snow shops (they've been around since 2000), Rude Girls have a huge reputation in BC and beyond, known for their influential work in the snow and skate worlds.
Nowadays, the Banff-based crew is led by Abby Furrer, whose motivation for progressing the snowboard and skate communities is like none other. In a normal season, Abby and the Rude Girls usually run on-hill gatherings, ride days that girls from all over BC travel to attend (including us!). Even last spring when the hills shut because of COVID, the Rude Girls didn't skip a beat, launching their Queen of Quarantine challenges (which saved our bored-ass lives from despair).
"We're a brand, a shop, and a community... Inclusivity is the biggest thing." - Abby
When we sat down with the Rude Girls this winter they were in the middle of running their Virtual Ride Days series: seven weeks of challenges that girls of any ability participate in. From 50-50's to 360's, we personally learned so much and it was dope to see other girls having fun in the park and improving their skills. We can only imagine how much time and effort went into the Ride Days and we're grateful that Rude Girls found a way for us all to ride together this season, even if it was ~virtually~.
We were super excited to include Rude Girls in our Pantry Chats series, and after some technical difficulties (you'd have thought we'd know how to work Zoom by now), we were greeted by Abby's smiling face along with her doggie Ozzy. Over her shoulder, Nikki and Lauren were holding a glass of wine and making pizza, making it feel like we were sitting down for a catch-up with some old friends.
Hit the play button to hear how Abby got involved with Rude Girls, the importance of having female employees in snowboarding shops, and how there's no such thing as starting "too late". We talked on everything from getting more women into the backcountry of the mountains, to getting more women behind-the-scenes of snowboarding companies. We also heard some industry insights into choosing snowboarding products, and which pro snowboarders make them blush. Trust us, you don't wanna miss this one.
Then we had to ask our 3am Questions. Did the wine get to our heads by this point? Maybe. We ended up debating what makes a good true crime podcast and where we'd be without Mary Walsh (nowhere, we'd be nowhere). We also did a quick round of "most likely to" in the Rude Girls crew. Who's the most distracting at work? Who's the most likely to sleep in on a pow day? Check it out.
I know I speak for every female in snowboarding when I say thank you to Abby, Lauren, Nikki, and the rest of the Rude Girls crew for continuously being so generous with your time and selfless with your actions. Thank you for everything you've done and continued to do for the snowboarding culture. You guys are making this weird world a better place and we're stoked to ride in it. We loved talking with you and we know this conversation will be interesting, inspiring, and motivating to everybody.
If you're not already following them, you can find them on IG at @RudeGirlsShop.
Words: Hannah Brinkhurst (@scraphannah)