STRAIGHT LINE “Annelise Loevlie at the top of the gondola at the tiny Sahoro Hokkaido ‘resort’ in Japan. There wasn’t new snow this day, but there were some fresh stashes waiting for us after we hiked to the top.” Photo: Crystal Sagan t’s mid-August and Loevlie is in Toledo, OH, of all places, giving a presentation to Icelantic’s original investors. “We’re healthy,” she says. This year was the fourth year in a row that Icelantic had turned a profit and growth was happening quickly. The com-pany had just revealed a new line of skis and launched a new collection of clothing. But when Loevlie said “healthy,” she doesn’t just mean profits. “I feel like everyone I work with right now is owning their roles and taking complete accountability for what they’re supposed to be doing. Everyone is just really open and the culture is so healthy,” Loevlie says. “People are talking about their feelings and just being real. It’s a real nourishing place to be. I can just be me.” That’s not to say it’s all calm and Zen and powder turns. Things go wrong regularly. Loevlie has to react quickly and she’s extremely busy. Not only is she in the middle of reorga-nizing the company’s structure, but she’s also working with the Colorado state government to bring the outdoor industry into conversations about health. She sits on the advisory council for the state’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, a department launched by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2015. “It doesn’t mean that shit isn’t changing or going wrong—that still happens every single day—but I feel like I’m very grounded,” Loevlie says. I When she came back to work after the Buddhist retreat, change was not immediate, but rather happened in small steps to recalibrate the course. “Self care is honestly the most femi-nine quality that I’ve brought back into my life and the lives of everybody I was around,” Loevlie says. Meditation, therapy, exercise, eating well, acupuncture, yoga, energy healing, slow walks, gardening—Loevlie does it all. Dancing is her best form of self care. Skiing also took on new meaning. “I do really feel like I love the sport more than I ever have. It’s just getting into my body for-real, for-real. Now, more than ever, [skiing] is a real authentic expression,” she says. “I’m skiing the way I want to ski.” At the company, Loevlie’s feminine approach is percolat-ing through the ranks. Icelantic’s slogan, “Return To Nature,” is as much about going outside as it is about developing emo-tional intelligence. When challenges arise between coworkers, Loevlie wants employees to feel they can express their anger, frustration and sadness. “I have definitely seen people open up about way more shit,” she says. “I’ve learned that the quicker you process emotions, the quicker they leave.” Recently, Loevlie hired a new customer service rep. During training, she explained to him the company culture. “Basi-cally, I want everyone who comes into contact with Icelantic to feel loved,” she told him. He responded, “I got you, girl.” 102 The Ski Journal
The Ski Journal Volume 12, Issue 3: Page 102
