Finding the line together: BEDROCK x Freeride Femmes Camp

When you push through the doors of the ZAG Lab, the conversation usually revolves around prototypes, sidecut radius and flex patterns. But this weekend, the space took on a different energy. The workshop filled with women freeriders, exploring raw wood cores and exposed carbon fiber before strapping into those exact shapes on the mountain. This is where the Bedrock x Freeride Femmes camp began: at the ZAG Lab, the very source of the tools they would soon rely on.

Skiing the backcountry demands something fundamentally different than the rigid gates of competitive racing. It’s an environment where the mountain dictates the rules and intuition takes the lead. Yet, big mountain freeriding has long been a space where women find themselves as the exception rather than the rule. Leoni Zopp and Simona Rava saw a gap. Supportive male friends are incredible, but the dynamic transforms entirely when women ride together.

The camp was built around a singular philosophy: freeride is a team sport. By combining technical immersion with backcountry exploration, they created a space where awareness meets high-level skiing. A conversation with Leoni about creating trust, stepping out of the comfort zone and why your crew matters more than the snow conditions.

Leoni Zopp — Freeride Femmes started very organically. Simona and I used to know each other from ski racing back in the day, but then lost touch for almost ten years. One day, Simona reached out and asked if I wanted to show her and her boyfriend around in Andermatt. We quickly realized how special it felt to ski with like-minded women. Both of us had mostly been skiing with male ski buddies but it still feels different when you are out there with women. That experience was the trigger. We started Freeride Femmes with the mission to bring more women in the ski and snowboard scene together with the goal to connect, learn from each other, and push each other. 

L.Z. — We both come from alpine ski racing and realized that it was not for us. Freeriding is very different, it’s much more of a team sport. You are out in the mountains together, responsible for each other’s safety, which makes it very special but also more complex. You need trust in your crew. This is where one of the challenges lies: bringing together new people, building trust, and having a somewhat similar level. That’s one of the biggest challenges that we face. At the same time, freeriding is one of the purest forms of expression. Everyone reads the mountain differently. We always say: “Skiing isn’t about the conditions, it’s about the people, it always has and always will.” With the right people, every day in the mountains becomes something special. 

L.Z. — There is simply more space for emotions. It’s okay to say you’re scared and don’t feel comfortable. Seeing how the other women support each other through that and encourage one another is beautiful and touches our hearts every time. It’s also very inspiring: when you see another woman do something challenging, it makes you believe that you can do it too. That kind of encouragement happens very naturally. Being in the mountains with women feels very honest and authentic. At the same time, there is a strong push to step out of your comfort zone, but in a supportive way. 

L.Z. — Especially winters like this show how much the mountains can give, but also how much they can take from us. For us, awareness is key. We openly talk about risks and create space for people to say when they don’t feel comfortable. Respect for the mountains always comes first, they set the rules. At one of our Freeride Femmes events in Andermatt, conditions were very tricky. We adapted by starting with a beacon training and then focused on what was possible, instead of what wasn’t. It’s often about perspective. When someone feels fear but wants to overcome it, we take the time to talk it through, build confidence step by step, and make sure she feels fully convinced before dropping in. Trust is built through communication, preparation, and shared decision-making. 

L.Z. — These camps are always emotionally charged and a bit stressful for us, because we really want to meet every participant’s expectations. For us, a successful camp is one where participants leave having learned something new, having pushed their limits, and realizing that they’re capable of much more than they thought. We hope they leave with new, strong friendships—female climbing partnerships in the mountains. That sense of community often lasts well beyond the camp itself and becomes the starting point for future adventures.

We are proud to contribute to this vision by sharing our UBAC line, which supports a freeride culture rooted in human connection.

To stay updated on upcoming camps and join the movement, follow @freeridefemmes on Instagram.

"Because you never go off-piste alone."