An obstacle course of boulders and frozen waterfalls, steep slopes towering on both sides and two feet of fresh snow through which to break trail. That’s the ideal place to have Leah Evans on your team. And that’s the scenario we were presented with, more often than not, when I first met the Revelstoke, BC-based freeskier in northern British Columbia 11 years ago. We were on a whistle-stop train adventure and Evans cheerfully bushwhacked and broke trail up remote, unnamed peaks, focused on a safe ascent and keeping the spirits of our team afloat. It was a demoralizing climb, but it’s not possible to be demoralized around Leah Evans. And that, most people will tell you, is Leah Evans in a nutshell.

At first glance, Evans isn’t all that imposing. She’s fit and athletic, with a casual comportment that completely belies her capabilities. Over the last 19 years, she’s built an inspiring career as a professional skier, taking part in a multitude of ski expeditions and films around the globe. But what’s most notable about Evans is the way she enters conversations with less of a desire to project herself than one to absorb and enjoy. Whether she’s looking for a dance party, marveling at Jackson Hole locals refusing to use skins in the resort backcountry (we did a lot of bootpacking), or talking about how to empower more women in the ski industry, she usually does so with that ever-so-slightly crooked perma-smile on her face.

A strong and skilled skier, Evans has long been considered by some of her contemporaries as one of the most underrated athletes in the industry. “Leah’s an incredible skier, so smooth and flowy and energetic,” Greg Hill, a Salomon teammate, said. “But she’s never the biggest name out there because she cares so much about everyone else. It’s just not about her.”

At a time when promoting female athletes in skiing was a fringe concept in the industry, Evans’ prescient undertaking has won her long-term status as both a star skier and champion of women’s big mountain skiing.

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