Ingrid Backstrom
EXPERT
Expertise & Specialties
Biography
I am a professional skier, content creator, ski movie producer, mom and writer with over 20 years experience in the ski industry, having appeared in over 20 ski movies. I’ve been fortunate to travel to snowy places all over the globe and have made first descents in Greenland, Antarctica, and China. Â More recently, I’ve helped co-produce the The Approach ski movies and the short film Lineage in addition to producing and editing my own short videos. In 2023, I skied 100 days in a row.
I’ve coached freeskiing for over 20 years, co-founded SAFE AS Avalanche Clinics and have my AIARE Avalanche instructor certification.
My writing has been published in Powder, Mountain Gazette, Hi Hey Hello, and the San Francisco Chronicle and I semi-regularly update my website and Substack on topics at the intersection of skiing, motherhood, adventure, equity, culture, and from-scratch recipes.
I’m passionate about expanding storytelling within the snow industry, raising snow safety awareness, and using constructive communication, skiing, and a shared love of the mountains as forces for good, to help lift people up and find common ground.
Career Storyline
20+
Ski Films
5x
Best Female Performance, Powder Awards
9x
Reader Poll, Powder Awards
12
Years Co-Instructing SAFE AS Clinics
20+
Years Coaching Freeskiing
“Ingrid’s extensive experience on film shoots means she knows how to guide a project from the field to the final product. When she says, ‘this could be cool,’ I always pay attention, and more often than not those are the shots that make the final cut. She’s also a fantastic leader, whether ensuring safety, or subtly fostering better group dynamics. She knows how to leave space for other people to make decisions, which empowers everyone. Additionally, she’s skied all over the world and her network is pretty unreal—Ingrid is the absolute best.”
