2026 is the 20th anniversary of The Ski Diva. To celebrate the amazing women who make this community what it is, we’re going to be featuring interviews with Ski Diva members on the blog all season long. Check them all out here.
Cassandra, who goes by @Ms Mia on the forum, joined The Ski Diva in January 2025 and has quickly become an active part of the community. After living all over the world she’s currently in Quebec with her family, and has perhaps the most incredible learn-to-ski story we’ve ever heard.
Tell us just a little bit about yourself outside of skiing and The Ski Diva.
I am a space lawyer. And no, that doesn’t mean I negotiate treaties with aliens, it means I work with governments, militaries, and industry to ensure the satellites that you and I depend on for a myriad of things in our daily lives will continue to work. There are huge problems of space junk, space traffic, and the risk of war extending into space, and we need satellites to solve our biggest issues on Earth. One of my specializations is the UN Women, Peace and Security agenda applied to space. I have a newsletter about how we are all in space, depend on space, are impacting space, and therefore we all have a vested interest in getting things right in space, now and for the future. If anyone is interested, you can find it here.
What drew you to skiing, and what’s kept you hooked?
I learned to ski in my early 30s. It was a fairy tale experience: I was living in Europe, and was friends with a very wealthy couple who decided the best way to enjoy their wealth was share it among their friends, none of whom are very wealthy! They paid for an all-expenses trip for 25 of us, including about 10 kids, to fly to Verbier, Switzerland. We stayed in Richard Branson’s lodge, which had a sauna, an indoor swimming pool, a Michelin star chef, and on-site staff. We had our hired ski gear brought to us, and we had group lessons every morning, and then the staff would just take us out for more skiing every afternoon and continue giving us tips. I went from never having skied, to being a confident low intermediate in a week. It was stunning surroundings, and so much joy as a group. It was only on day 3 when I realized “oh, this isn’t normal!!”
I only skied a few times after that for the next 10 years or so, interrupted by doing a PhD, moving to Canada, becoming a mother, moving to Australia, and then moving back to Canada. But last season, I fell absolutely and incurably in love with skiing. We live 5 minutes from the local ski resort, and I started skiing every day as a bit of therapy after a really tough few years of life challenges. I loved being in the elements, on the mountain, surrounded by nature and views and fresh air. It was so healing.
I had been struggling to get down certain pistes, and decided it was time to invest in some skis that were right for me, instead of my hand-me-downs. I looked up “women’s skis” and landed right on the Ski Diva site, and spent about a week devouring as much of the community’s wisdom as I possibly could. I then spent a day demoing women’s skis, feeling very chuffed that I could ask sensible questions and request certain skis. I bought a pair of Volkl Flair 79s, and it literally changed my life! That day my partner said he hadn’t seen me smiling so much in a really long time. I have become a real ski addict. I make use of how lucky we are to live on the mountain, and I’m on the slopes for a few hours most days of the week, after I drop my daughter at school and before I settle down to do some work.
I introduced my nervous 7yo daughter to skiing last season as well, and shared with her what I love about it. She is now (nearly) as excited as me about it. It remains my “me” time; I cannot get enough of being on the slopes. But I also really enjoy having fun with my daughter and hope we continue to have it as a thing we share as she grows older.
What motivated you to join The Ski Diva and stick around?
I am a newbie on The Ski Diva and I tell as many women about it as I can. I was so stoked to discover a whole community of women skiers, and an online community specifically for women. At first I thought everyone must be very advanced or instructors, and must have learned to ski as kids. But it soon became apparent there are all levels and all ages on the forum, and everyone is there to support each other and offer advice, but never to tell each other what they SHOULD do. It’s amazing. I prefer scrolling through as many Diva threads as possible to being on social media any day.
Also, once I discovered the “I’m such a jacket slut” thread, I was hooked!
Is there a particular skiing-related challenge you’ve had that The Ski Diva has helped you with?
Having gained a lot of confidence last season, I was inspired by someone posting in The Ski Diva that they had just gotten their Level 1 certification. I thought it would be awesome to become an instructor and just teach a few hours a week, focusing on kids. I signed up, did lots of homework, but when I turned up on Day 1, I realised I was in over my head. I hadn’t over-estimated my skill, I had underestimated what Level 1 requires. I felt really bad, it was really hard, and I wanted to quit.
I wrote to @Jilly, as I know she is an instructor here in Quebec, and is very active on the forum. She encouraged me to complete the three days, since I had already paid for the instructor’s time, and to treat it as a boot camp. She also shared that she’d had a similar experience when she first went for her Level 3 certification (Level 3!!!) and she just stuck with it and went back to pass at a later date. I was so grateful for her encouragement and sharing her own experiences. Feeling a bit silly for underestimating the level of skill required, I posted in the thread that had inspired me in the first place, and got some super supportive feedback there too. I told the instructor about all of this, and he totally got where I was at. He gave great, bespoke feedback, and in the end he passed me for the teaching aspect, but not for the skills, and told me to come back again next season. I left feeling empowered, improved, and importantly, supported by an online community where I hadn’t even met anyone in person. I didn’t feel alone, I felt like a lot of women had my back.
How has The Ski Diva community influenced your life outside of skiing?
I was amazed by how active The Ski Diva remains outside of ski seasons, with women posting about their other outdoor activities, gear, and importantly, staying fit while getting older. I’m not naturally a sporting person, but I became super motivated over the summer to look up online exercise routines that various Divas had recommended, and to think about my health and fitness long term. If for nothing else, so I can keep skiing as long as possible! I’m so inspired by the women in their 70s and 80s who are Ski Divas.
Is there a piece of gear, particular technique, ski destination, or anything else you’ve discovered through The Ski Diva that’s been a game changer for you?
Leki poles with the trigger system. I was really struggling with my big, fat, warm mittens for the Eastern Canadian climate, as I couldn’t get them in and out of the ski pole straps very easily. I was clumsy while loading and unloading the chairlift, or even getting ready to start off down a slope, just because of this little annoyance. The Leki trigger system is a game changer; it’s so simple to click in and out of. I have the straps so I can use them across different gloves and mittens for a range of temperatures. I’ve read that the Leki gloves are even better but it’s a step up from my price range.
What advice would you give to a new skier just starting out – especially women entering the sport?
Take your time and focus on having fun more than on getting it right. Get some lessons with a woman ski instructor. And as more than one Diva has said, “marry your boots and date your skis”. Skis are more exciting to shop for, but boots make or break the entire experience of being on the snow.
What do you think makes The Ski Diva unique compared to other communities you’re a part of, or compared to other places you hang out online?
Total commitment to a community of knowledge, that is supportive and non-judgmental. That is a rare thing online these days. I really love that it’s a women’s space, where nobody can mansplain and there are genuine interactions. It feels safe to ask questions, and there is such a willingness from across the community to contribute to each other.
What do you hope The Ski Diva looks like 20 years from now?
Actually, I hope it looks pretty much like it does today. I love that it’s a basic turn of the century chat forum (yes, that’s a thing!). As AI takes over our internet interactions more and more, I would love for this to remain simple and driven by human to human conversations. Threads where people post questions and people answer, nothing more fancy than that. The best way to keep bots out is to keep it this simple. That is its value today and I reckon that will remain timeless.
What song would be on your ultimate ski playlist?
Cosmic Girl by Jamiroquai
If you had to describe skiing in three words, what would they be?
Joyful. Freeing. Healing.