‘Women in the Wild and at Work’ networking event in Vail Wednesday
Gore Range Gravity Alliance’s annual Women’s Summit happens Wednesday
Carly Finke/Courtesy photo
What started out as a way for women to find other women to get out on the mountain and ski, mountain bike and trail run with has evolved into a community of support and inspiration. The Gore Range Gravity Alliance is hosting its annual event on Wednesday with networking with area businesses and a panel discussion called “Beyond the Summit: Women in the Wild and at Work.”
“When we started Gore Range Gravity Alliance a little over three years ago, our first event was a ‘Wax & Wine Night’ where we were learning how to wax our skis, so we’ve always been all about education, whether it’s mapping, avalanche courses, bike maintenance clinics, we’ve always had that educational aspect,” said Amanda Marchiani, founder and part time executive director of the Eagle County-based nonprofit. “But a big part of what we do is giving women an opportunity to connect and to build friendships and long-lasting relationships. This blends all those key aspects together.”
The event will be held at the Vail Golf Club and starts with networking at 5:30 p.m. with 15 booths showcasing businesses from Eagle and Summit County. Mix and mingle with light bites and free mocktails from Retro Rolling Bar and Frankie’s Spicy Water before settling in for the panel discussion at 7 p.m. This year’s speakers include:
- Michelle Parker – U.S. Open, X-Games and Natural Selection freestyle skier and Red Bull athlete
- Dani Johnson – Professional mountain bike racer, Hollywood stuntwoman and GoPro Mountain Games athlete
- Meghan Buchanan – Aerospace engineer, expert mountaineer, conquering all Seven Summits and going for the Adventurer’s Grand Slam
“It’s great to hear their stories of backcountry adventure and maybe a little misadventure and what they’ve learned from that. We want to showcase their experiences and explore how women are shaping the outdoor industry,” Marchiani said. “It will be an all-around great conversation and I’m really excited to hear from them.”
To help the Gore Range Gravity Alliance continue its education and recreation programs that forge community connections, Marchiani said that this event is also a fundraiser with plenty of silent auction items. The auction is live now with great deals on massages, sportswear, sunglasses, skis, restaurant gift cards, concert tickets and more. Once this fundraiser is done, Marchiani said there will still be many ways to become a part of the Gore Range Gravity Alliance.
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“One of the key things the Gore Range Gravity Alliance provides is consistent meet-up opportunities in Eagle and Summit Counties,” Marchiani said. “Every other week, we’ll get together in the summers to go mountain biking and trail running and then in the winters, we’ll get together and go uphill skiing.”
To get tickets, view the silent auction and learn more about the panelists, visit GoreRangeGravityAlliance.com/Womens-Summit. Park in the Vail Village parking structure and the Vail Golf Club is accessible via the Clubhouse stop on the Golf Course Loop on the free town of Vail bus system. For a bus schedule click here.
