On the western end of the Himalayas sits the village of Gulmarg. Resting on the peak of Mt. Apharwat, the village is sprawling with military activity, families escaping their urban lives, golfers teeing up on the highest golf course in the world, and skiers looking for turns on the hills of India’s only ski resort. It’s not where Vasu Sojitra learned to ski, but it is where he sees the need for something he’s spent his life working towards: more accessibility to the outdoors. 

In his latest video with Faction Skis, Sojitra returns to his homeland of India. Aikyam, meaning “oneness” in Sanskrit, highlights Sojitra’s journey to connect with his family’s heritage and dedication to increasing access for skiing.

“A lot of the tourists that come [to Gulmarg] really like to go sledding because skiing is still inaccessible in India,” said Sojitra. Connecting with the local community and ski patrol at Gulmarg, Sojitra learned that there was a need for gear and knowledge around avalanche safety. His hope is to foster education, equipment, and representation of more South Asians in the ski community at Gulmarg. “I want to keep chatting and working with the locals that I’ve connected with there,” said Sojitra. “There’s still a lot of work and understanding to be done.”

A huge part of Sojitra’s goal as a professional athlete is to reshape how the ski industry thinks of who belongs on the slopes. “Right now, the standards don’t hold true for a lot of different communities. And many of these communities don’t see themselves in this sport,” said Sojitra. “We [humans] invented this sport. And we can adapt it in whatever way, shape, or form we want. We don’t need to keep talking about our skin color. We just need to keep skiing and showcasing our cultures so people can just be themselves.”