When we look back on the past three years of the Voile BIPOC Backcountry Scholarship, it’s difficult to express just how grateful we are for all that we’ve learned through your essays. Thank you for allowing us the space and opportunity to work towards promoting diversity in this niche of the greater outdoor industry. While there’s still no shortage of work to do in the name of diversity, inclusivity, and equitable access, we’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who’s helped with this Scholarship along the way. Whether that be through participating in this scholarship or helping to spread the word and promote the opportunity.

Now, with that said, we couldn’t be more excited to announce the 23/24 Voile BIPOC Backcountry Scholarship!! This scholarship provides a large chunk of the gear required to help an individual get into the backcountry and further their goals. Once again, we understand that this scholarship isn’t a solution, but, we hope that this Scholarship can be a small step towards providing representation and access.

Scholarship applications will open on April 21st and close on May 21st. Winners will be announced in early June.

Who Can Enter

It does not matter if you are new to skiing or snowboarding, looking to transition from the resort to the backcountry, or are looking to kick it up a notch with your current mountaineering objectives. We want to supply you with equipment to further your goals.

Entries for the 23/24 BIPOC Backcountry Scholarship are limited to BIPOC-identifying individuals in the US and Canada 21 years of age or older.

Why “BIPOC Only”

Our goal is not to limit, but rather to help foster BIPOC representation in the backcountry. Our aim is to celebrate, amplify and inspire BIPOC presence in the mountains.

GRAND PRIZE:

A Voile.com account credit of $1,600 USD will be rewarded to the overall winner. This is enough to build a near-complete backcountry kit that includes skis* or a splitboard, bindings, poles, avalanche shovel, probe, and crampons.

We will also be contributing $500 USD (cash) to aid the Grand Prize scholarship recipient in taking the next step in their avalanche safety education.

*Eligible skis include all standard-edition skis (Hyper Series skis are excluded.) Prizes are inventory-dependent. Voile cannot provide or guarantee equipment that is low inventory or out of stock. Prize orders will be treated as regular customer orders.

Second Place Prize:

Voile will provide a $800 USD Voile.com account credit to the runner-up.

*Eligible skis include all standard-edition skis (Hyper Series skis are excluded.) Prizes are inventory-dependent. Voile cannot provide or guarantee equipment that is low inventory or out of stock. Prize orders will be treated as regular customer orders.