If you’re on Instagram and a skier, you’ve likely seen @brooke.froelich taking her three kids for a hike in the woods, out for a ski day, exploring trails on a mountain bike, among many other outdoor adventures. Brooke Froelich is an outdoor lifestyle influencer, vocal about parenthood with an outdoor way of life and the ups and downs of being a mom while pursuing these sports we love. In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to chat with this super mom in the space and hear about the challenges of sharing parts of your life online, and the fulfillment of being a mom to active kiddos.
How did the outdoors play a role in your life before motherhood? Were you a skier first?
I wasn’t really into outdoor sports growing up. I didn’t find the opportunity to until I was 25 or so, once I was out of college, got a job, and had some time I got to explore and try new things. Once I finally got my rhythm down, felt confident in my skills, and started skiing hard and influencing the space, I found out I was pregnant. I was really worried about losing all of that.
I very quickly learned I had to adapt every season. That first season I had a newborn, I was also getting divorced, so a lot was going on. But, I just wasn’t going to let that stop me from skiing. I would head up the canyon with a friend, and we would take turns in the Alta Lodge watching the kiddo so I could ski. We started to do little backcountry skiing up winter roads with Huck on my back. It was all about just changing my perspective on what skiing would look like.
Did you always envision an outdoor lifestyle for your kids and your family?
When I was pregnant, social media wasn’t how it is now, so I didn’t see a lot of other women with kids out doing things together. I think people were more afraid of criticism from sharing that type of content online. While I was pregnant with Huck, I had a great OB/GYN who would talk with me about mountain bike trails in town and ski lines and really encouraged me to be active. Up until a week before I gave birth, I was out skiing. Having that active pregnancy made me see that ‘we can do this’.
Woah! How was skiing that late in your pregnancy?
The hardest part was just the transitions! I was backcountry skiing a lot (my doctor didn’t really want me skiing the resort), and I could hardly bend down to get my boots in ski mode. My friends would have to come over and flip the switch for me.
With all the kids being different ages, is it hard to get them to align for a day out in the mountains?
We’ve just really learned how to divide and conquer. With a little one, we’re still setting up a base camp in the lodge and taking turns watching the kids who want to break and while the others get some turns. It helps now that everyone skis, but with I-70 traffic and the crowds on weekends, we have to leave early to make sure we get parking and make a full day of it.
Programs and lessons are a great way for the kids to get some separation from each other. Last year we did a multi-week program for Huck, which was great for finding his own love for the mountain. It was a huge pivotal moment for him. We decided to do that again and included Tatum [Brooke’s second child]. It’s great—they meet their own friends and I think teaches them a lot of resiliency since they’re on their “own” away from their parents and their family. They’re able to focus on the play and the love. They don’t have to wait for their little sibling to catch up. So it just helps them find their passion for the sport and what they like.
Sometimes it can feel like women are expected to hunker down once they have kids and turn their focus away from personal goals. Did you feel that pressure, or get support from the brands you worked with?
When I started to do more influencing and working with brands, I was terrified to tell them that I was pregnant. Some were excited to be a part of that, but they weren’t a big portion of my salary. Others, not so much. It took some work to reach out to other brands and show them what I was all about.
As for me, yeah, it can be hard to get out and ski the way I want. We’ll have a few mom ski days where we get to 1pm, and it’s like “I don’t know if my legs can keep up!” You spend most of the season cruising the bunny hill, and you get to skiing hard and it can be difficult to ski the way I want to. But, I know it’s all temporary and I’ll keep adapting.
Do you feel like the industry has shifted to be more supportive of women and mothers?
I think the ski industry is a little slow to catch on to what people are looking for, sort of like a cruise ship. Some companies are trying to turn the wheel, but it just takes so much time. The conversations are happening, and you can see the shift happening. Brands are definitely including more women in marketing, and different kinds of women (like moms!), but it’s taken some time and I think will take more work to have the brands truly reflect this diverse community of skiers.
But it’s not just the brands, it’s a bigger culture shift. When I first started mountain biking, I remember going into bike shops and I was just constantly being talked down to. Sales staff would constantly try to “underbike” me. Like, how dare I think I need or deserve this high-performance gear? We need to encourage women to believe in themselves, and investing in yourself and getting the gear you want is okay. Get the best gear you can afford, because it will make your experience better.
And that’s why it’s so important to have women and mothers in leadership and decision-making roles in the industry. They make the purchasing decisions to reflect the inventory shops carry and help push the culture in that way.
How did you transition to this social media presence? Did you see an audience looking for mom content, or were you just putting yourself out there?
I have to give credit to Caroline Gleich who was/is doing it big time. When I got pregnant, she gave me a lot of advice on how to have a media kit, how to get into Outdoor Retailer (when that was a thing), and make proposals. I think a big part of it was coming in early, and really selling the idea to brands.
With how active you are on social media, is it ever hard to disconnect?
Totally. I wrestle with that. If I’m on during the late night, it’s just garbage for me. I can totally get into the mindset of spinning the hamster wheel and just mindlessly scrolling. I have some boundaries with timing every day, and have some blocks for work. I typically stay off during the afternoon once I pick the kids up from school. It’s all about just committing to some boundaries and trying your best to stick with it.
Everyone with a following on the internet gets some backlash, but you really call it out. Is it hard to see comments about your parenting or what you get up to? What made you decide to respond to negativity more intentionally?
Literally five minutes before we talked, I was looking at a negative comment. Of course, from someone who doesn’t follow me. It was a post about how I use time alone as a way to recharge and put myself first, and I used the analogy of how on planes during an emergency, the adults take care of themselves first before the little one. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, how can you care for someone else? It’s something I believe in.
This commenter was just calling out “bad parenting”. But, the bottom line is these people don’t see the full story. They don’t see the times where I am putting them first, and the things I drop for my kids.
When it comes to calling it out, it’s cool to connect with other parents who reach out and say “I get the same negativity”. It helps us know we’re not alone, and that we’re on the right track.
Tell me a little about your business, Wild Kind.
When I moved out to Colorado, I didn’t know anyone out here. I didn’t have family or friends, and I felt really lonely. After my daughter was born, I sank into postpartum depression, and a lot of that was just lacking community. After I started to build some friends, I realized how important that was for my mental health.
My friend Heather and I talked about creating a space where women can connect and meet. We run different events and retreats for families to get together outside. This year we’re running a Mom focused summer program about rediscovering Type 2 fun, since after becoming a mom, you sometimes lose that challenge and finding that uncomfortable zone in the mountains.
Time for some quick hot-take favorites:
What do each of your kids like to do the most outside (or inside?)
Huck loves skiing and mountain biking. Tatum is our artist and horse girl. Levi, the youngest, is a ski kid and just wants to go faster and faster. Exactly what a tot should be doing.
Favorite portable ski snacks for the kids?
I try to stick with things that don’t freeze, Peanut butter M&Ms are in our current rotation.
Spring skiing or powder?
Before kids, definitely pow skiing. Right now, I’m in my spring skiing moment.
Gaper day outfit?
Right now, it’s probably my mom jeans and bikini top. You know, 90’s trash mom.
