LAKE TAHOE, Nev. / Calif. – What started as a social media page highlighting female ski patrollers is now an organization striking a global impact.

It all started in 2018 when Truckee resident, Kari Bandt, knew she wanted to do something to spotlight and support female ski patrollers in the male dominated field.

Going off a vision to uplift and a logo she crafted in Microsoft Word, the Women of Patrol Instagram page made its debut to the internet with its first post.

“Worst case scenario no one follows it and you delete it and no one knows you failed,” she had thought, unaware that something greater had been set into motion.

Not only did Women of Patrol quickly gain traction, it evolved into a non-profit organization in 2020, harnessing its social media influence to promote, connect and support female identifying patrollers, as well as encourage more women to work in the ski industry.

At the initial surge of interest in the page, Brandt began offering women’s clinics and forums as a board member of the Association of Professional Patrollers in conjunction with the Women of Patrol presence on social media.

Before long, Women of Patrol obtained non-profit status, selected board members, and hired a local female graphic designer for the current logo.

With all the pieces in place, the board got to work identifying programs to offer, including scholarships and mentorships to address to the barriers women face while entering the field and existing in it.

One barrier is the intimidation factor.

Showing up to a patrol tryout or team as the only women comes with immense pressure.

“When a guy starts in a male-dominated industry they’re expected to succeed…,” Brandt says, “…whereas when a female starts in a male-dominated job they have to prove day in and day out that they belong.”

Often, the discrimination comes from resort guests. “A woman will show up with a toboggan and they’ll be like, ‘wait you’re taking me down?,'” Brandt explained.

Women of Patrol cultivated a safe space to discuss, address and face these challenges. The response to the vision demonstrated how desperately female patrollers needed such a space.

The board continues to add resources to make that space even more beneficial.

This year, Women of Patrol is launching a recruitment program that will act as a toolkit for resorts to adopt and implement. It allows women the chance to shadow a ski patrol and the resorts access to the large network of women to recruit from.

Women of Patrol has also launched a membership program, offering access to events, webinars and specialized community groups.

Extending across the globe, leaders of the organization have engaged and supported a similar startup in Australia for a worldwide impact. The organization hopes it’s the first of many opportunities to help women in other countries establish their own programs to support female patrollers.

To follow the page where it all began, visit instagram.com/womenofpatrol.

For more information about the organization’s programs, memberships or to donate, visit womenofpatrol.org.