Creating a Radically Inclusive Community

A creation of Selema Masekela and Zeb Powell, Culture Shifters brings together BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) change-makers to build a community of riders that represents what we hope the future of snowboarding will look like—diverse, inclusive, and empowering.

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SELEMA MASEKELA

“Culture Shifters, for me, is one of the ways to grow and expand the landscape of what it looks like to be a snowboarder.”

Event Visionary & Member of the Burton Board of Directors

ZEB POWELL

“I feel like the simplicity in the quote, ‘seeing is believing,’ is real. Seeing about 50 black people riding down the mountain together is pretty unreal.”

Event Visionary & Burton Team Rider

ASHLEY LAPORTE

“All of us have a right to the outdoors. Like that is a universal human right to feel safe and comfortable and find joy outside.”

Burton SVP of People & Impact

JACQUE QUINENE

“The last few days I’ve gotten to sit in a room and be one of many people of color. And that’s not something that I get to do in this sport very often.”

Director of Shred at EDGE Outdoors

GEORGE BURTON CARPENTER

“I think the ultimate goal of Culture Shifters is to not have to call it Culture Shifters. To create a future not just in our sport, but in the world where diversity is not only celebrated and encouraged but is just the norm.”

Family Business Owner

READ MORE ON THE BURTON BLOG

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Part of a Bigger Shift


2025


Ebony (UVM: 226,878) 5.13.25 | Link: I Traveled to Aspen and Discovered Black Snowboarders Exist and They're Really Good

Snowboarder (UVM: 84,404) 5.5.25 | Link: Five Fits With Zeb Powell, Selema Masekela Talks Jazz, and More

Travel Noire (UVM: 1,192,910) 4.30.25 | Link: CULTURE SHIFTERS: HOW BIPOC CHANGEMAKERS ARE REDEFINING SNOWBOARDING

Chronicle 5 - WCVB (Youtube) (UVM: 34,700) Link: Programs push for access for all to the outdoors

Esquire (UVM: 12,434,648) 5.2.25 | Link: Five Fits With: Snowboarding Star Zeb Powell

AOL (Esquire syndication) (UVM: 228,318,711) 5.2.25 | Link: Five Fits With: Snowboarding Star Zeb Powell

Ebony (UVM: 1,031,647) 5.12.25 | Link: I TRAVELED TO ASPEN AND DISCOVERED BLACK SNOWBOARDERS EXIST AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD

BET (UVM: 1,144,278) 11.12.25 | Link: Next Up: Zeb Powell Is Bringing Color, Culture, and Creativity to the Slopes


2024



GQ (UVM: 6,091,671) 5.10.24 | Link: “There's a Whole Crew Now”: Inside the Effort to Bust Snowboarding's Barriers

ABC News (UVM: 31,669,681) 2.27.24 | Link: Reclaiming nature: Breaking barriers for Black athletes in winter sports - ABC News

Forbes (UVM: 58,739,060) 3.25.24 | Link: Grace Warner Makes Space For Female Snowboarders With ‘Grace’s Getaway’

Snowboarder (UVM: 84,404) 4.7.24 | Link: Watch: Planet Zebulon and the 2024 Red Bull Slide-In Tour

Aspen Public Radio (UVM: 5,654) 4.11.24 | Link: Culture Shifters event aims to ‘make the mountains more colorful’ by diversifying snowsports | Aspen Public Radio

Rocky Mountain Community Radio (UVM: 25,637) 4.11.24 | Link: Culture Shifters event aims to ‘make the mountains more colorful’ by diversifying snowsports | Aspen Public Radio

Blavity (UVM: 798,314) 5.3.24 | Link: Zeb Powell Is Helping Snowboarding Become More Inclusive Through His Success And Initiative

Yahoo Sports (Blavity Syndication) (UVM: 130,527,613) 5.3.24 | Link: Zeb Powell Is Helping Snowboarding Become More Inclusive Through His Success And Initiative

Dopest (Sweden) (UVM: 30,927) 5.6.24 | Link: Melina do Rosario om att åka snowboard med Burton på Åre Sessions - Dopest

Snowboarder (UVM: 83,552) 5.9.24 | Watch: Planet Zebulon – Burton Culture Shifters 2024

The Bomb Hole (UVM: N/A) ZEB POWELL'S RECAP FROM THE 2024 BURTON CULTURE SHIFTERS

GQ (UVM: 8,925,467) 5.10.24 | Link: “There's a Whole Crew Now”: Inside the Effort to Bust Snowboarding's Barriers

Yahoo Life (Snowboarder Syndication) (UVM: 3,532,420,965) 5.10.24 | Link: Watch: Planet Zebulon - Burton Culture Shifters 2024


2023


Snowboarder (UVM: 75,200) 6.5.23 | Link: Selema Masekela Empowers BIPOC Riders at Burton Culture Shifters Event 

Snowboarder (UVM: 75,200) 10.2.23 | Link: NFL's Kenny Stills Finds Inspiration and Inclusivity in the Mountains of Aspen at Culture Shifters Event

The Momentum is Real

2025 Shorty Awards - Bronze Honor

Link: Culture Shifters: Shaping the Future of Snowboarding Together

2025 Drum Awards - Nominated

Link: The Drum Awards Festival 2025 - Social Purpose Results

2024 Anthem Award - Gold

Link: Surf Eat Shop Outdoor

Link: The Hollywood Reporter

Link: Variety

Link: Snowboard International

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