When Drea Dimma participated in her first freeride ski contest at 11 years of age, she didn’t have many other girls to shred with. Hers was once a male-dominated sport, but that fact didn’t hold her back.
“When I first started competing in freeride competitions, I remember the 15 to 18 girls category was very small,” Dimma recalls. “Sometimes, there would be as few as four girls in the category for a competition.”
Fast forward six years, and the landscape has changed. Women’s freeride is growing steadily, as evidenced by former Olympic gold medallists like Justine Dufour-Lapointe making the jump from freestyle to the Freeride World Tour (FWT). In 2023, the IFSA’s age 15-18 bracket for girls consistently brimmed with talent, with up to 36 athletes in the mix at February’s Red Mountain National.
“As the numbers have increased in all age categories, so has the calibre of skiing, making for some tough competition,” said Dimma. “It’s so cool to be a part of this progression and watch the younger girls encourage and push each other.”
‘Determination and dedication’
Dimma has certainly been doing her part: at 17 years old, the Pembertonian is Canada’s best youth freerider, according to IFSA standings. In fact, her 3,751 points make her the fifth-highest ranked female youth freerider in all of North America. Dimma was especially dominant on home snow, winning both the regional and national events in Whistler.
She has punched her ticket to the 2024 Freeride Junior World Championships (FJWC) in Austria—a second chance she intends to make good on.
“Last season, I qualified for the [FJWC], which was held in January. I injured my knee at a soccer game the week before I went to Austria, so I was not 100 per cent for the competition,” Dimma explained. “I ended up hitting a rock and blowing a ski.
“I was determined this season to work on my knee and get as strong as possible for some redemption in Austria, and all the hard work paid off.”
Dimma finished her campaign strong earlier this month with a silver-medal effort at the North American Championships at Kicking Horse. Her 64.67 points landed her just behind Indy Boyer from California (65.20) but ahead of Colorado resident Tia Schenk (64.60).
“The North American Championships is definitely the most nerve-racking competition of the year,” Dimma admitted. “I was competing against the top-ranked girls in North America, so I had to make sure I was focused and on my A-game. I skied two solid runs in qualifying and the finals, which landed me in second place. The snow conditions were great, and I was really happy with my performance.”
“Drea is a very driven and competitive girl,” added Dimma’s mother, Valeinna. “She has had the best years of her life skiing with the Whistler Freeride Club. I am so proud of her positive attitude, determination and dedication to the sport.”
‘Nothing better’
Like many other young Whistlerites, Dimma is not a one-trick pony. She plays competitive soccer and volleyball in addition to skiing, and travels across the province for games. Participating in multiple sports is a benefit to both her physical and mental health.
“I am very fortunate to live in a place where I can take part in so many different sports,” Dimma said. “Most sports I play are seasonal, which helps with keeping up my fitness when rolling into ski season or soccer season.
“I think playing multiple sports prevents burnout in one sport, and I always look forward to the change in the seasons. As much as I love skiing, after a long winter it’s nice to take a break, put on the soccer cleats and connect with my teammates again.”
These yearly changes of pace, as well as healthy mentorship from her Whistler Freeride Club (WFC) coaches, have helped Dimma become a confident freerider who is resilient enough to overcome adversity. With high school graduation around the corner, she plans to take a gap year and ski as much as possible. The Pembertonian will always be close to her WFC community—in fact, they are all close enough to view each other as family.
“There is nothing better than skiing Peak Chair [on Whistler Blackcomb] on a powder day with all my friends and coaches,” Dimma said.
“She has developed lifelong friendships with her teammates and has had the opportunity to travel to so many incredible mountains for competitions,” added Valeinna.
“Although Drea has learned how to be humble and gracious in victory, I think one of the most important—and difficult—lessons she has learned from her coaches is how to lose gracefully and accept disappointment.”
Equipped with eyebrow-raising technical skills and the mentality of a champion, look for Dimma to throw down a resurgent performance next year in Austria.
