“I always thought skiing was something White people did,” George says with a laugh. “I didn’t grow up around it. I thought, ‘That’s their thing — they get it, I don’t.’”
For six years, that belief kept him from joining his Utah colleagues on the slopes. “They’d invite me to come along, but I always said no,” he says. “I thought I’d probably fall, break a bone, or just make a fool of myself.”
That changed in the winter of 2022–23 when a friend texted him a link to a program called Discover Winter, a Ski Utah initiative designed to introduce more Utahns of diverse backgrounds to skiing and snowboarding. The program’s goal is to make Utah’s slopes more inclusive and accessible for all who call this state home.
“I thought the program was cool, but the chances of me getting picked were probably very slim,” George says. He applied and didn’t think much about it after that. To his surprise, he was accepted into the program and that would change everything.
Finding Comfort and Confidence in Community
George admits he was hesitant at first. “I told myself I’d go for one day, fall a bunch of times, and probably quit,” he says. What he found instead was a welcoming community of learners, people who looked like him, who shared similar apprehensions, and who supported each other every step (and ski slide) of the way.
“The best part was learning with people I could relate to,” he says. “When one of us would fall, we’d all laugh, get up and keep going.”
That encouragement helped George push past his fears. By the end of the program, he wasn’t just standing on his skis, he was gliding down the slopes at Solitude Mountain Resort.
A New Outlook on Winter
Before Discover Winter, George spent his Utah winters indoors, bundled up, waiting for the season to pass. “I used to just go to work and come home,” he says. “Now, I look forward to winter.”
These days, George is an intermediate skier who loves the challenge of blue runs and counts skiing as his winter exercise. He’s explored several Utah resorts from Brighton to Powder Mountain, but still feels a special connection to Solitude. “That’s where it all started for me,” he says.
Skiing didn’t just transform how he spends his weekends, it changed his entire outlook on living in Utah. “When I first came here, I planned to stay a couple of years, finish my education, and go back to South Africa,” George says. “Then this opportunity came along and I tried it and I loved it and it made me realize I can stay here because this is something I love to do.”
Paying It Forward
Since completing the program, George has become one of its most passionate advocates. He’s bought his own equipment, recruited friends to apply, and even volunteers as a Discover Winter chaperone each season.
“I understand that nervousness people have about trying something new,” he says. “But I always tell them, you’ll never know unless you actually try it. Just go out and do it.”
Through his own social media posts and word of mouth, George has inspired several friends to join Discover Winter and find the same joy he discovered three years ago. He says the program was more than an introduction to skiing, it was an invitation into a community and a reminder that Utah’s mountains belong to everyone.
Discover Winter's Impact
- As of 2025, the program has introducced more than 850 ethnically diverse individuals to skiing and snowboarding.
- 79% of Discover Winter participants have continued to ski or snowboard
- 48% have purchased a season pass
- 38% have purchased their own equipment
- 90% have introduced someone else to skiing or snowboarding
Check out this Last Chair: The Ski Utah Podcast featuring Our Sundays, where two Utah transplants, Domeda Duncan and Mark Giles, share about Discover Winter and finding their joy in skiing.
