Female and non-binary skiers will get the chance to zip naked down a Colorado mountain for a festival its organizer describes as liberating. The New York Post reported Friday Boot Tan Festival is gearing up for its fourth year of inviting women to hit the slopes nude for an after-hours ski run at Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs, CO, on March 29 and 30. Boot Tan Festival founder Jenny Verrochi said the event started to create a safe space for female skiers to allow them to be free in a private place. This year, Verrochi opened the festival to femme-presenting non-binary people. Verrochi said her first and foremost priority is to “protect the women.” When asked if she feared men might try to sneak in as non-binary people, she said she is not worried. “We never had an issue with men or men-identifying,” she said. As for women who might be wary, she acknowledged they do not have to take their clothes off, but they will want to by the end of the event. “There’s not a single person with clothes on by the end of the day,” she said. She described the experience as collective joy and said most of the women feel free to strip down because they are among like-minded people and no prying eyes. The women will be clothed going up the ski lift and dressed before re-entering Sunlight Mountain’s facilities. Female staff will be on the mountain when the women ski down, and males will have their cellphones revoked for security reasons. Skiers will be met with their belongings at the bottom of the mountain. She said they will have to check into the event and extra security will be around to keep them safe. Additionally, she said the slope women will use after hours is private with no intersecting trails, leaving zero space for a sneaky man to try to take a peak. Sunlight Mountain will be open for everyone during the day, but those with a Boot Tan Festival ticket will be allowed to stay and shred after its closing time. During the day, women-owned vendors will be showcased in a merchant village and festivities include a comedy show, live music, and a tailgate party. Every year, she admitted the women find a newfound love of their bodies and walk away with friendships and new experiences. Verrochi said it has been wonderful hosting the Boot Tan Festival. “We call it full-frontal freedom,” she said. “I’m so lucky this is my job.”The event started in 2021 with 27 skiers before growing to 200 in its second year and 350 in its third. This year, 1,500 skiers will strip down to head down the slopes. The event costs $169 for one day and $200 for two days. There is a tailgate-only ticket that costs $100. It is the first year it will take place at Sunlight Mountain, which has a ski lift. The ski lift means it will be open for beginners. Previous location Bluebird Backcountry shut down, but Verrochi said she wanted to keep it close to home.
