“Advice for Girls:” go skiing with your friends

When the crew of “Advice for Girls” set out to make the film, the girls knew exactly what they wanted to say: women of all ages are worthy of success, allowed to take up space and extremely valuable to the ski industry. Made by an entirely female cast and crew, “Advice for Girls” is a documentary that follows the stories of female pioneers of the ski industry as well as those of current athletes.

“Advice for Girls” features women of all ethnicities and skill levels, highlighting the realities of being a professional athlete in a male-dominated world. 

Last Friday, the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture celebrated women in the outdoors by packing in as many mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends as it could hold for the showing of the film. Cassidy Wendell, the founder of Girl, Get After It — a nationwide organization created in Bozeman in 2017 to promote women’s wellness and community — emceed the event and brought amazing energy to the crowd. 

Wendell is no stranger to empowering other women, and her company is focused on holding fun, non-intimidating events to help women meet new friends and try new things in order to step out of their comfort zone. 

“I started hosting events because I knew I needed a new community and I needed new friends and I didn’t know how to do that as an adult,” Wendell said. Her first event “Girl Talk” attracted more than fifty women. “ In that moment, I knew that this was something worth exploring,” she said. 

Bozeman has always been a supportive community for women to get outdoors with Bridger Bowl Ski Area boasting a nearly equal distribution of men and women in both staff and pass holders. 

Because Wendell knows how many women are stoked to get outside this winter, she encourages them to look into Girl, Get After It’s ski retreat in Whitefish this coming winter. “I’m just so excited for that because not only do you get to go ski with a group of women who are now your girlfriends, but I also get to show people such a special part of this state and really just develop a new level of friendship that you never thought was possible,” Wendell said.

If you couldn’t make it out to the showing this past week, check out Girl, Get After It’s website, https://girlgetafterit.com/, because they might just be the community of female support and empowerment you’re looking for.