Breaking Snow-Covered Barriers: Khai Bhagwandin's Journey and The Change Collective's Impact on Snow Sports
Photos by Susan Fried
Khai Bhagwandin recently joined host Trae Holiday on The Day with Trae to talk about the Change Collective, a community organization started by Bhagwandin after she had a bad experience with snowboarding.
“Around 2020, brands started to target people of color, they wanted more diversity for their marketing, which was exciting at first until I realized how performative a lot of these brands were,” Bhagwandin said. “I think that's kind of what we're seeing now, a few years down the road after all of this “awakening,” and just people of color being “trendy.”Unfortunately, we now see less funding for athletes of color than before 2020.”
Bhagwandin was an ambassador for Burton Snowboards, a brand in the snow sports industry, that specializes in snowboarding equipment and apparel.
“They made a lot of promises that weren't kept,” Bhagwandin said. “I posted on social media and a lot of people ended up reaching out to me people that used to work at Burton, and told me about their experiences with racism within the company. When all these people reached out to me in solidarity, it made me realize what an awesome community we have here, we just don't see that in the mainstream.”
Bhagwandin is from the southeast of Olympia, her family lives in rural Washington. Growing up her family was the only people of color, this translated into snowboarding as well.
“When I got into snowboarding, I was surrounded by people that didn't look like me,” Bhagwandin said. “That was a big influence on me wanting to build more community.”
Her aim in launching The Change Collective is to seek out fellow athletes or individuals who are struggling to navigate the industry. Through collaboration and mutual support, she intends to unite those facing challenges and provide assistance and encouragement to one another.
“There's a lot of really cool organizations that are focused on getting people of color into the outdoors,” Bhagwandin said. “A lot of different organizations are focused on youth and getting people training, but there's not any support for athletes that are already here and trying to navigate those systems.”
Bhagwandin explained that for athletes it's about sponsorships. Athletes need to attract brand support to pursue their endeavors effectively. However, recognizing the challenges faced by athletes who may not fit traditional marketing criteria, she shared her initiative to rally community support. Through platforms like GoFundMe and various fundraising events, she aims to raise funds independently.
“I want to try to work outside of the capitalistic structure of catering to brands and try and build something outside of that, somewhere where we can support each other,” Bhagwandin said. “I know that once we show our authentic stories and our culture, brands are going to want to support because people are so hungry for that, but it's something that just gets so lost within the capitalistic structure.”
The Collective has done a couple of trips so far, often facing the barrier of expenses. Athletes often film their experiences while traveling, and for athletes of color, when it comes to film projects and similar endeavors, representation holds immense significance. It's essential for others to witness diverse talent in action, as it inspires them to envision themselves succeeding in similar pursuits.
“It creates a ripple effect when we showcase our talent,” Bhagwandin said. “There's these stereotypes that people of color are not good at outdoor sports, which is obviously not true because there's a lot of really, really amazing athletes.”
To raise money the Collective organizes fundraising events and utilizes platforms like GoFundMe to raise funds independently, ensuring financial backing for athletes who may struggle to secure traditional sponsorships. Recent successes include trips like the one to Alaska, made possible through fundraising endeavors.
“We saw the Northern Lights, and we had such an incredible crew. It was just really inspiring to see people come together who haven't even ridden together and just seamlessly feel so comfortable together,” Bhagwandin said. “When you're in a big space, like Alaska or in the mountains where there's a lot of unknowns and a lot of risks you're taking, it's really important to feel comfortable and safe in those spaces, which a lot of times, when you're trying to prove yourself or with people you don't feel comfortable with it can you know, you don't progress.”
As the Change Collective continues to expand, Bhagwandin is excited to continue fostering community growth.
“We've already seen such a big shift in snow sports, and it's just creating these tidal waves of community. I want to just go on more trips and create more opportunities for athletes,” Bhagwandin said.
To follow Bhagwandin on her journey or learn more about the Change Collective find more information here.
For more interviews with athletes and activists like Bhagwandin, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
