These groups help people of color and the LGBTQ+ community find a ‘radically inclusive space’ in the outdoors

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Participants during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024. Danielle DeVries | CNBC

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For 16-year-old Zyshawn Gibson, snowboarding down the indoor ski park at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was a welcome change of scenery.

Gibson’s participation at the ski park was made possible through the Hoods to Woods Foundation, a nonprofit based in New York and New Jersey that “promotes awareness of the outdoors to inner city children through snowboarding,” according to the organization’s website. Through its 15-year history, Hoods to Woods has helped hundreds of underserved youth such as Gibson develop a new interest and outlet through snowboarding, co-founder Omar Diaz estimated.

“It keeps me out of the house,” Gibson told CNBC from a lounge room in the Big Snow complex. “It’s a different thing to do, instead of being outside in the streets and being in danger and stuff like that.”

Hoods to Woods, the brainchild of Diaz and co-founder Brian Paupaw, is dedicated to providing new opportunities for teenagers and young adults who come from similar backgrounds to their own. The group hosts weekslong programs across urban areas in the two states.

Participants during the snowboarding activity with the Hoods to Woods Foundation at Big Snow American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 13, 2024.  Danielle DeVries | CNBC

The organization is just one of several across the United States working to bringing people of color to outdoor activities, including winter sports — spaces where they are often marginalized and underrepresented.

A 2019-2020 participation study released by Snowsports Industries America showed that the participation for white Americans remained at 67.5%. In comparison, Asians accounted for 7.7% of the participants, while Black people made up 9.2% and Hispanics came in at 14%.

Similarly, a demographics study updated by the National Ski Areas Association in 2023 found that white participants represented 88.1% of guests.

One factor that contributes to this divide is the high barrier to entry for these winter sports, given the average expenses when it comes to equipment and transportation. The same study from Snowsports Industries America revealed that more than half of winter sports participants in 2019 through 2020 made over $75,000 a year.

Breaking down barriers

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The full article is available here. This article was published at CNBC Economics.