It’s only been 6 months since Chiara gave birth to her daughter India, but it seems like she has just jumped right back on it, making sure the van is constantly equipped for filming with Drake and Northwave and managing their women’s team. When asked if she’s actually taken a break, she laughs, and replies, “No,” followed by a slightly firmer “No.”

“On top of everything, you’ve got all the other problems like oh no we need water for the van, oh shit, this broke and shit we need to get diapers for India you know stuff like that. It’s not smooth sailing.”

“Me and Alex are always out and about and we’re constantly surrounded by snowboarding, so I can’t really take a break. And it’s February, that time of the year when everyone’s filming, it’s the best snow, so it’s really difficult to take a break. Plus with Northwave and Drake, we’re getting into the graphics for the 2024 boards,” Chiara tells us while rocking India, trying to make sure her daughter doesn’t wake up mid-interview.

Chiara makes it all look easy, but it’s not been without its challenges. “I mean, February is the worst month and I had a little bit of a breakdown a few days ago. On top of everything, you’ve got all the other problems, like ‘Oh no, we need water for the van,’ ‘Oh shit, this broke,’ and ‘Shit, we need to get diapers for India.’ You know, stuff like that. It’s not smooth sailing.”

We’ve seen a lot of positive change over the last few years when it comes to more inclusion of women snowboarders, however, we’re not fully there yet and in order to go that extra mile, it’s important to be vocal about the inequalities. Why? Because sometimes the inequalities can be a result of people not acknowledging that there is an issue, thus failing to see that the issue even exists.

“I remember back in the day I used to get so intimidated by going in the park. There were only guys, literally maybe one or two girls and 100 guys hitting rails, and none of them would include you and this is what I mean.”

“There should be more women working with brands”, Chiara says. “Also, women should just get out there, literally be like ‘hire me, I know how to do this’. We sort of live in a world where the guys are always above us to a certain extent, and these things really need to change. I mean, myself, I kind of just started being active and participating, being out there, just claiming it.”

From Jess Kimura to Jib Gurl, we’ve seen more women taking a stand and raising their voice to confront inequalities. As part of producing and filming the all-female snowboard edit, PMS, (Please Make Space), Chiara too has played her part in pushing female snowboarding by highlighting how women have been ignored at photoshoots, contests, parks etc.

“That’s what I loved about Travis Rice doing Natural Selection, it gives women the chance to be included and then there will be a progression”

“The first thing I want to say, something that really has to be made clear is that I’ve heard a lot of guys say, ‘you were included’, and that’s not really true. Having the token girl, representing a little tiny percentage of snowboarding, is not being included. I remember back in the day I used to get so intimidated by going in the park. There were only guys, literally maybe one or two girls and 100 guys hitting rails, and none of them would include you and this is what I mean.”

She continues, “And still to this day, I’m hearing incredibly good women, street riders, being told, ‘We can’t film you’, and it’s mostly because they don’t feel like having women there, to show them how things are done, and that leaves a big gap between men and women. If you don’t give us the space, we’re never going to be able to do it.”

In recent years, the backcountry is perhaps the space where we’ve seen the most progression. “That’s what I loved about Travis Rice doing Natural Selection, it gives women the chance to be included and then there will be a progression,” Chiara explains.

“It is so important that people speak up because a lot of men aren’t aware of certain things, and that’s fine, but that’s why we have to do our job and just say it like it is. Or else, there will continue to be a gap”

Projects that include women snowboarders are essential for inclusivity and equality within snowboarding. But it isn’t just about having more riders, but also more filmers, photographers, shapers, etc – to fill the gap in each space in the industry, which is why Chiara can’t stress enough how important it is for women to speak up.

“We have to educate people on certain aspects and that’s why it is so important for women to be heard in this particular time. It is so important that people speak up because a lot of men aren’t aware of certain things, and that’s fine, but that’s why we have to do our job and just say it like it is. Or else, there will continue to be a gap.”

However, there has been a shift in recent years, and a lot of people, including Chiara, are stoked on the increasing exposure of female riders. “A lot of magazines are giving women a lot more coverage, so that’s also a big change. But there are still brands that don’t have women on their team or just have the token girl. You can’t have just one woman representing your brand, and sometimes it not even in the interest of the woman.”

Chiara continues, “You get a woman on your team because it looks good for the brand to include them, but she isn’t allowed to participate in anything, she doesn’t have the possibility to go filming, to go to contests, and then they just sit there waiting for a call, or a possibility, while there’s a bunch of guys on the team that get do everything.”

We’re definitely witnessing a change for the better, but there is still loads to be done and as a mother of a little baby girl, Chiara is going to keep on using her voice to spread awareness and do her best to help create a more equal environment for her daughter to grow up in.