This article was originally published in the Revelstoke TIMES Magazine.
In her time as a professional snowmobiler in Revelstoke, Nadine Overwater has watched as the community continued to explode, while consistently contributing to its growth for women.
Overwater鈥檚 experience as a rider and her advice to others is simple: 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid of the throttle.鈥�
She got her start while she was young, growing up in Rocky Mountain House in Alberta.
鈥淚 was like your classic snowboarder that got hooked on sledding because I was using it for sled access right back in like 2000,鈥� said Overwater.
While her introduction into sledding might have been classic, her accomplishments in the sport aren鈥檛. Overwater has been in Revelstoke for more than a decade. A true success story, Overwater went from working as a bartender at the Grizzly Pub, to working in forestry, before finally getting involved in snowmobiling in town 鈥� a career that has stuck. In her time as a rider, Overwater picked up on an imbalance in the sport.
鈥淲hen I moved here, I knew one other girl with a sled,鈥� said Overwater.
She said that getting into sledding can be intimidating, which can make it hard for people to feel comfortable on their own. There鈥檚 the challenge of affording a sled, transporting it, unloading it, and then the biggest test of all 鈥� riding the sled.
With all that she鈥檚 done on a sled, Overwater amassed a wealth of knowledge that she wanted to share with her fellow female riders. So, she started a camp to help inexperienced women riders called La Ni帽a Sled Camp. With three different clinics available, Overwater鈥檚 camps help riders of varying levels. Covering everything from getting the machine off of a truck, to gear knowledge, to handling the machine itself up in the mountains.
鈥淢en are stronger, especially upper body strength鈥hereas girls 鈥� I try and teach them more throttle control, and weight transfer. So, instead of always, using all your muscles and all your energy, you just have to learn how to get really competent on your throttle,鈥� said Overwater.
Overwater鈥檚 goal with her camps is to improve the riders in her camp鈥檚 skill and knowledge, so that they can have more independence on the mountain. She said the atmosphere at the camp fosters the riders鈥� learning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like they teach each other just by seeing that they鈥檙e capable鈥hey get really excited for each other,鈥� said Overwater.
Apart from the education and the learning environment that Overwater encourages, the La Ni帽a camps also provide the one opportunity that Overwater said makes the biggest difference: seat time.
鈥淪eat time is important, because the more time you put out there, the more it becomes like second nature when you need to throttle or brake or, or lean,鈥� said Overwater.
Of the many things that Overwater has done on a snowmobile, her work as an ambassador to the sport here in Revelstoke has been fulfilling for her.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what drives me, honestly,鈥� said Overwater.
With professional riders coming and going over the years, Overwater wants her legacy in the sport is to be a more positive role model for riders. She said social media can create a certain image of motorsport athletes that burns bright and fast, but that鈥檚 not the example she wants to set.
鈥淜nowledge is what gives you longevity in the sport and your true passion for it,鈥� said Overwater.
As she pulls into parking lots to go sledding now, Overwater can already see a difference in the demographic. When she asked the Revelstoke Snowmobile club, they said female membership is up to nearly 30 per cent.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 like a really big bump. And you see lots of more girls out there,鈥� said Overwater.
She鈥檚 happy for the change and excited to continue to improve the representation. With riders coming from across Canada and the United States to attend her camp, Overwater is helping to change more than just Revelstoke鈥檚 slopes.
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READ MORE: Winter composting with Revelstoke鈥檚 Local Food Initiative
@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com
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