Ingrid Backstrom
Skier
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.
Since then, she has been awarded Breakthrough Performance in 2005, 4-time Best Female Performance, and 6-time Reader Poll winner for her roles in 7 Matchstick Productions films at the annual Powder Magazine Video Awards, in addition to appearing in the 2007 documentary Steep. Travels with The North Face have allowed her to make first descents in Baffin Island, Greenland, and 20,000ft Reddomaine Peak in China, as well as a recent ski descent of Denali.
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.”
Nickname: Ingy, Inga Bagovanananana
Proudest Moment: Climbing Mt. Rainier with my whole family in 2006
Favorite Food: Blueberries
Favorite Movie: Dumb and Dumber
Favorite Book: Miles From Nowhere, by Barbara Savage
Ambition: To find and ski the perfect line
Go-to Media Source: The New Yorker
Dream Vacation: Fiji or Indonesia
How I Relax: Something outside, with friends
Three Things People Should Know About Me:
- I’m terrible at Facebook.
- I love to cook and bake.
- I need coffee first thing in the morning, and then I pretty much like everyone.
Favorite Destination: Anywhere it snows a lot.
Favorite The North Face Product: The Gimme More Down Jacket - I wear it all winter. It is long, super warm and cozy, and has all the perfect pockets.
Words To Live By: Get out and go for it!
Inspiration Within the Sport: People who have fun on the mountain, no matter what they’re doing
Funniest Story: The first trip I went on with backcountry ski boots, 6 years ago, I put them on the wrong feet and even hiked partway up the slope before someone noticed. I guess I got them too big.
