Get outside: Snow sports take centre stage in mental health campaign

Almost 30 years ago, Paul Pinchbeck decided to make Collingwood one of his homes, with the area’s offerings for skiers and snowboarders one of his key reasons for the move.

Now serving as president and CEO of the Canadian Ski Council, Pinchbeck says he’d like to see everyone across South Georgian Bay and Canada strap on their skis next week to help their mental health.

On Feb. 20, communities across Canada will mark the second annual National Ski and Snowboard Day, a nation-wide initiative highlighting how winter movement supports mental health, physical well-being, and social connection. Led by the Canadian Ski Council in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), this year’s theme is Winter Moves You.

“When I came (to Collingwood), I said I would come for five years. I stayed for (more than) 15,” said Pinchbeck in an interview, who moved here through his job at Intrawest as they built up Blue Mountain Village next door. “I’m very fortunate to have met my wife and bond with my daughter through snow sports.”

“Canada should be active in winter,” he said.

Ski areas and snow sport organizations across Canada are asked to host simple, fun activities on Feb. 20, including group photos, warm-up, or visible winter flash mobs.

Participants are encouraged to document their activities through photos posted to social media, tagging @goskiinggosnowboarding and using the hashtags #WinterMovesYou #NationalSkiAndSnowboardDay #GoSkiingGoSnowboarding #thepushupchallenge. Submissions can also be emailed to [email protected].

The Canadian Ski Council will select stories and posts across Canada to be amplified on their national social media channels.

“I think snow sports are often looked upon as extreme or maybe a little bit dangerous. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Pinchbeck. “We’re looking forward to seeing what people come up with.”

He said partnering with the CMHA gives his organization a chance to showcase the mental health benefits of winter activity.

That sentiment was echoed by Liz Grummett, communications manager with CMHA Simcoe County.

“The whole theme around getting outside is so powerful for our mental health. We’ve had a long winter,” said Grummett in an interview. “This partnership makes it fun again.”

The day also aligns right in the middle of the CMHA’s Push-Up Challenge which runs from Feb. 5 to 27, where those participants are encouraged to do 2,000 push ups any way they can within those dates to represent the 2,000 lives lost to suicide each day worldwide.

Grummett said that challenge reinforces the idea that movement can take many forms and should be inclusive and attainable.

“(It’s) one of our tools in our toolkit – if things aren’t feeling so great…try to get outside,” she said. “It can really change your mood.”