OIWC and Burton Announce the Recipients of the 2007 Pioneering Woman Award at SIA

For further information, contact:

Beth Cochran
cochran@whatsuppr.com
406.579.7909

OIWC and Burton Announce the Recipients of the 2007 Pioneering Woman and First Ascent Awards for the Snowsports Industry

Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition, with the support of Burton Snowboards, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Pioneering Woman and First Ascent Awards for the snowsports industry. Congratulations to Anne-Marie Boissonnault, winner of the Pioneering Woman Award, and Amber Stackhouse, winner of the First Ascent Award!
OIWC has served women in the outdoor industries by providing networking, education and mentoring opportunities. In 2002, OIWC introduced the Pioneering Woman Award to honor women in the outdoor industries who have furthered the vision of the OIWC by demonstrating an outstanding commitment to mentoring female colleagues. The first SIA version of the award was presented in 2006 to Donna Carpenter of Burton.
In 2006, OIWC created the perfect complement to the Pioneering Woman Award with its First Ascent Award, and is introducing the award at SIA in 2007. This award recognizes a woman new to the industry who demonstrates strong potential for leadership.
Burton snowboards signed on as the official sponsor of the 2007 awards. “Burton considers sponsorship of the OIWC, with its focus on building leadership among women in the outdoor sports industry, a natural extension of our commitment to building leadership among women at Burton through our internal “Women’s Leadership Initiative.” We are proud to be part of the OIWC and to have an impact on women throughout the industry,” stated Tammy Hetrick, Global Trade Manager, Burton Snowboards.
Anne-Marie Boissonnault is the 2007 recipient of the Pioneering Woman Award for her relentless commitment to delivering fair and unbiased news to the snowsport industry. Boissonnault is the Associate Publisher for the leading trade publications Ski Press World, Inc. Ski Press Magazine, SIA SnowPress Show Daily and skipressworld.com.

Anne-Marie has been working in the ski industry for almost nine years as the V.P. of Operations at Ski Press Magazine. She leads a team of more than 25: editors, photo editors, graphic designers and sales representatives.

With Anne-Marie at the helm, Ski Press has become a magazine that has a strong reach within the female skier’s market. As a woman in a predominantly male industry, she has earned credibility, dealt with stereotypes and promulgated a broader vision of the sport. Women now make up fully half the Ski Press staff, and one of Anne-Marie’s keenest interests is helping them learn the businesses of magazines and snowsports.

‘Snowsports always have had a very masculine connotation,’ she says, ‘But snow is as much for women as it is for men – we just need more women to see it this way.’

Anne-Marie shares her passion for skiing with her husband Simon and young son, Ari.

Amber Stackhouse is the 2007 winner of the First Ascent award. Professional snowboarder, writer and filmmaker, Amber Stackhouse has been riding for over 12 years and has been able to translate her passion into a thriving career.

Amber fell in love with snowboarding 12 years ago. Soon after, she procured a pro ride deal with Roxy. This position, combined with her passion for women’s issues, led her on her quest to open avenues into the snowboarding world for girls and young women.

To achieve her goals, she and a partner created Misschief Films and “As if!,” a full-scale video project that features women snowboarders. She also took over Snowboarder Magazine’s “No Man’s Land” column, and began writing more in-depth articles on women in snowboarding. Last year, Misschief Films released its second film, “Ro Sham Bo,” which Finland voted Best Snowboard Film of the 2005/6 season.
The official award ceremony will be held January 24th at the SIA Trade Show within the Women’s Equipment Center, Lobby # 12 from 8:30 to 9am. Drinks and snacks will be provided by SIA.
For more information on OIWC’s presence at SIA visit www.oiwc.org

OIWC is a non-profit corporation focused on the mission of equipping women to achieve their success. OIWC is sponsored at the Gold Plus level by EMS, Fox River, REI, and W.L. Gore & Associates. At the Gold level, sponsors are Jansport, Mountain Hardwear, Yakima, and Womenspecific.com. Silver sponsors are Backpacker Magazine, Burton, GearTrends/SNEWS, Hi-Tec, Interbike, Marmot, Outdoor Industry Association, Outdoor Retailer, Outdoor Wares, Thule, Timberland, Tubbs Snowshoes, and SIA. Bronze sponsors are Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, Black Diamond, Camelbak, Cascade Designs, Chaco, Columbia, Contourwear, Fuji Bicycles, GoLite, Guyot, Kokatat, Manzella, The North Face, Nuun, Outdoor Research, OutdoorMind, Primaloft, Quality Bicycle Products, Shimano, Sierra Magazine, and Specialized.

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