I am an avid, experienced skier and last year I went up to the snow with my friend. On the first day we went down to the ski hire store to organise our equipment. The boot and ski fitter went straight to help my friend (she is thin, no surprise there) so I wandered around looking at the skis. I picked out the ones I wanted to hire–I was even considering buying the set so I wouldn’t have to hire next to time. They had an awesome design and they matched my outfit so they were perfect. Plus they were for more advanced skiers like myself.

Finally, the guy came over to help me and after helping with my boots he said he needed to weigh me. I was dubious about this but went ahead. He made a rude face when he saw my weight (well over 100kg, although I excercise regularly and eat healthy) but otherwise said nothing. He went over to select skis for me when I said “actually, I’ve already chosen a pair.” And what did he say to me wanting the fashionable, well made skis? “Those aren’t for you”–emphasis on the ‘you.’ He then handed me an old, scrappy set of skis without even asking me what level of skier I am–just assuming I am a bad skier because of my weight.

He assumed my level of skiing competency, assumed I don’t care about style, because I am fat. Of course, my thin friend got the skis I wanted.

So this was a terrible start but I kept my head high. My friend and I walked up to the lifts and we put our skis on. With people obviously making faces at me and avoiding going on the lift with me because clearly I was going to break it (or something ridiculous like that), we went up the mountain. At first everything went fine but the skis were badly waxed and were sliding a bit too much. I was too afraid to say anything because my thin friend would just assume I was being petty. And then, towards the end of the run I went to stop but instead the skis kept sliding and I smashed into another person. Both the skis came off and I hurt my arm. The man I crashed into was furious and yelled at me for “being on the wrong run” and telling me to “go back to the kids runs.” If it had been my thin friend, I’m sure he wouldn’t have reacted in that way. But I had crashed because I had been given a badly maintained set of skis that had been deemed all I was worth of.

Thin Privilege is being given the right equipment and being ensured safety because you are being properly attended to.

Thin Privilege is being allowed to be fashionable and selective of styles. Thin Privilege is assuming a fat person would never have a style preference.

Thin Privilege is not automatically being seen as a terrible skier, or any sort of athlete for that matter.

Needless to say, I immediately took the skis off and returned them. I didn’t hire a new set–I didn’t ski for the rest of the holiday . And the best part? My thin friend couldn’t understand why.