No more ‘slut strands’?

I was glad to hear women athletes speaking out against calling the strands of hair women athletes wear outside their helmets “slut strands.” It’s never landed on my ears in a way that sounds self-affirming. Instead it sounds like it’s mean teasing or shaming. Sports culture can be pretty bro-like. But I’m not a snowboarder and snowboarding culture is pretty removed from my world.

“American snowboard star Chloe Kim has called for a highly-derogatory term used to describe the hairstyle of female winter sports athletes to be changed. Female skiers and snowboarders will commonly wear two strands of hair outside of their helmets, framing their face in a sign of femininity.” See ‘Hate it’: Winter Olympics hero hits out over ‘sl*t strands’ term.

What are they?

See ‘Those 2 strands of hair bound us all together’: Here’s what the popular women’s snowboarding hairstyle is all about.

“The women’s snowboarding events have come to an end at the Beijing Olympics, and anyone who watched is likely forever changed by all that big-air bravery and beautiful group-hug sportsmanship. Not to mention the winning hair-strand game. As even the most casual viewer may have noticed, pretty much every woman competing in a snowboarding or freestyle skiing event rocked the same look: strands of hair pulled out of their helmet to frame her face — strands that stay where they’re put, beautifully, no matter how many 360s or double corks she executes. Cheekily known as “slut strands,” they’ve been the look on the slopes for many years now, embraced, no doubt, since the sport had always been dominated by men.”

Now not everyone dislikes the term. Here’s the slut strand society‘s definition and defense:

“Slut Strand (N.) :Two strands of hair commonly used by the ladies of skiing & snowboarding to express femininity under all dat gear. No, they do not make someone a slut. And no, we do not support slut shaming. They are of comparable importance to your bindings themselves, a true staple to the lifestyle. We’re here to embrace em.”

Or maybe you prefer a different hairstyle altogether!

What do you think? Pro or anti the term “slut strands”? Commentators on the blog suggested some alternatives: Power Strands or Sister Strands. Which do you prefer?