SLS: Taking up Space at The Summit

As a writer dedicated to telling stories that challenge the status quo, I travelled to Laax, Switzerland on a press trip to cover Soft Life Ski – a pioneering Afro-Caribbean snowsports and music festival – for The Floor Magazine.

My feature, Soft Life Ski: Taking Up Space at the Summit, explores how this movement is rewriting the narrative of who belongs on the slopes. What started as a small ski trip among friends has grown into a powerful cultural statement, attracting nearly 1,000 attendees – 90% of whom identify as Black – many skiing or snowboarding for the first time. Through on-the-ground reporting, I captured the joy, energy, and radical reclamation of space that defines Soft Life Ski. From high-energy après-ski parties soundtracked by Afrobeats, Dancehall and R&B, to the striking visual of hundreds of Black skiers taking over Laax’s snowy peaks, the piece highlights how the event subverts the historic whiteness of ski culture and builds a new sense of community at high altitude.

The article is a reflection on representation, leisure as resistance, and the soft power of collective joy.