Ingrid Backstrom

Bio:

Ingrid Backstrom grew up in Seattle, Washington, where she spent her winters skiing down the nearby mountains and her summers hiking back up them on backpacking trips with her parents and two younger brothers. After graduating from Whitman College, the call of the mountains drew her to Squaw Valley, California, to put in what she thought would be a yearlong stint as a ski bum. It only took a few freeskiing contests, however, for Ingrid to realize that she had found her niche, and that she'd be calling the mountains home for a long, long time. Ingrid's star is on a phenomenal rise, as her string of first-place titles shows. She recently won awards for "Best Female Performance" and "Breakthrough Performance" (for her segment in Matchstick Productions' film Yearbook) at the 2005 Powder Magazine Video Awards. When she's not skiing, Ingrid still stays outside as much a possible, running and biking to relax and keep fit. Ingrid is grateful for the opportunities that her sport brings her, especially getting to travel and ski with "amazing people around the world."

Birthdate:

8/21/1978

Favorite Destination:

Anywhere it snows a lot.

Favorite The North Face Product:

The Cirque Point. Skiing in deep powder at Crystal Mountain, it was freezing cold but The Cirque Point's insulation kept me warm and cozy.

Proudest Moment:

Skiing with my family.

Cause(s):

Saving the environment by not wasting things (especially electronics) and by consuming less: making things work more efficiently and last longer.

Words To Live By:

Get out and go for it!

Favorite Moment In History:

Tied between ""extreme"" skiing and fat skis.

Most Recent Epic:

A six day ski traverse in Yosemite.

Most Humbling Moment:

Skiing with my family. They're all so good! Also, hanging out with my grandma Bunny and realizing that she does more each day then I do in a week.

Inspiration Within the Sport:

People who have fun on the mountain, no matter what they're doing.

Funniest Story:

Breaking my hand trying to follow Kip the first time I skied with him.

Career Highlights:

• Six first descents with TNF team, Baffin Island, Canada, 2005
• 1st, Canadian Freeskiing Championships, Whistler, B.C., 2004
• 1st, U.S. Freeskiing Nationals, Snowbird, Utah, 2003
• 1st, U.S. Extremes Freeskiing Contest, Crested Butte, CO, 2003
• Placed top 3 in 11 out of 12 freeskiing contests she’s ever entered

Films/Media Hightlights:

• Powder Magazine Video Awards, "Best Female Performance," 2005
• Powder Magazine Video Awards, "Breakthrough Performance," 2005
• Matchstick Productions' Yearbook, 2004
• Powder Magazine, "Danger Kitty," December 2004
• Named a rising star by Outside magazine, "The Hot List," November 2004
• Warren Miller's Impact, 2004
• Contenders profiled in Freeze magazine, October 2004
• Freeskier magazine, "Pro Files," February 2004
• Only female included in Powder magazine's "11 Future Big Mountain Heroes," November 2002