It’s 1996 in Tahoe, CA and Shaun Palmer’s house is overflowing with snowboarders. Loud would be an understatement. Quasar—the secret hardcore punk band formed by the members of the Beastie Boys—is playing on the back deck. It’s quite the after party for the first ever Boarding for Breast Cancer Music + Snowboard Festival, which drew a crowd of over 5,000 attendees to Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort earlier today.
The Beastie Boys playing to an over-capacity crowd of more than 5,000 people at the inaugural Boarding for Breast Cancer Music + Snowboard Festival at Sierra-at-Tahoe in 1996. Over the next seven years, the festival grew to include more bands including but not limited to Blink 182, Linkin Park and The Foo Fighters. Photo: Dawn Kish
Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, along with drummer Amery Smith, playing under the band name Quasar at an after party at Shaun Palmer's house following the inaugural Boarding for Breast Cancer Music + Snowboard Festival at Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA.
Lead by women in the snowboarding industry Lisa Hudson, Shannon Dunn Downing and Tina Basich, Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) was inspired by the untimely passing of Lisa’s friend and cofounder of Bonfire, Monica Steward. At only 28 years old, Monica died from complications with breast cancer that arose due to a delayed diagnosis. Before she passed away, she urged her friends to use their platforms as professional athletes to educate young women about breast cancer.
Monica Steward, cofounder of Bonfire and ripping human being, passed away in 1996 at the age of 28 due to complications that arose from a late diagnosis of breast cancer. Her friends founded Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) in her honor.
Thirty years later, B4BC is widely recognized for both hosting and taking part in countless events across the snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing industries. Through programs like Love Your Peaks Winter Series, B4BC educators have helped over 1 million people how to do a self-breast exam. B4BC’s programming and resources continue to educate and raise awareness around breast cancer prevention, as well as support for people battling breast cancer and survivors.
Cofounder Lisa Hudson educating the importance of early detection at an on slope event.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This year, we’re highlighting B4BC’s important work and invite you to participate in one of their many offerings.
A good place to start is B4BC's #BeHealthyGetActive Wellness & Fitness Fundraising Classes.
Hosted by various instructors around the country (in-person and virtually), there are over 60 classes to participate in. Available programs range from barre, yoga, dancing, Pilates and more. These classes help to raise awareness and funds for B4BC.
Thirty minutes of exercise three to four days per week can reduce your cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent.
B4BC recently launched a free app that provides information to help with self-exams, reminds users of how often to perform self-exams, and more. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Another noteworthy aspect of B4BC is its survivorship programs, led by snowboarder Megan Pischke. The survivorship programs include group retreats and are geared towards providing a sense of community and connection through snowboarding, surfing, skating, and nature to those who are navigating the challenging road of fighting breast cancer.
Strength in unity.
B4BC’s next in-person event will be its 19th annual Skate the Coast going down October 23rd and 24th in Los Angeles, CA with live music and good company.
From our crew to B4BC, thank you for all you do.
B4BC is an embodiment of the notion that snowboarding can be about so much more than simply sliding sideways. With the right people, snowboarding can be about helping to make a community that supports each other, year after year after year. On that note, here’s to 30 more.