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In the NoCo

Alpine equity: How a Latino snowboarder is improving access to snow sports in Summit County

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Snowboard instructor Javier Pineda talks to his students on a green run at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Summit County on Feb. 6, 2024. This winter Pineda is teaching seven four-week sessions and his lessons are in Spanish or bilingual, depending on the group.
Stephanie Daniel
/
KUNC
Snowboard instructor Javier Pineda talks to his students on a green run at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Summit County on Feb. 6, 2024. This winter Pineda is teaching seven four-week sessions and his lessons are in Spanish or bilingual, depending on the group.

When KUNC senior managing editor Stephanie Daniel journeyed into the mountains to work on her podcast The Colorado Dream, she met Javier Pineda, a snowboard instructor and Mexican immigrant. She was reporting on the housing crisis in Summit County, which has had a major impact on Pineda’s life. But as is often the case with journalism, telling one story led to the discovery of another.

Daniel learned that Pineda had launched a new program called Oso Outdoors where he provides free snowboarding lessons to Hispanic and Latino residents, many of whom are immigrants.

“Oso Outdoors is unique in that Javier is bilingual and bi-cultural and he can teach his snowboarding classes in Spanish. When we talk about diversity, oftentimes it's just around race and ethnicity. But language is also a barrier,” Daniel said.

She sat down with In The NoCo’s Robyn Vincent to discuss her reporting that looks at how Oso Outdoors is helping to change the makeup of the slopes.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
The “American Dream” was coined in 1931 and since then the phrase has inspired people to work hard and dream big. But is it achievable today? Graduating from college is challenging, jobs are changing, and health care and basic rights can be a luxury. I report on the barriers people face and overcome to succeed and create a better life for themselves and their families.