Adaptive Skiing

So, Adaptive Skiing. Ever heard of it? Again, I will be reporting all of this second hand, as I did not venture to the 3,000 meter mark where one could actually watch the adaptive skiers in action. But I was fascinated enough by the descriptions Jeff and the children gave off all of the adaptive skiers on the mountain to google a bit and thought I would share.

Skiing for people with disabilities became popular after WWII with the return of injured veterans.  It is both a recreational pastime and a competitive sport open to those with any manner of cognitive and/or physical disabilities. Adaptations include the use of outriggers, ski tip retention devices, sit-skis like monoskis and bi-skis, brightly colored guide bibs, ski guides, and inter-skier communication systems or audible clues for blind skiers. A guide skier can assist the sit-skier from behind, this is known as "bucketing".

Here are some photos, swipped from the internet.

Tinges is apparently quite supportive of Adaptive Skiers, and hosts the British Disabled Ski team for training sessions. In doing a bit of reading about the programs offered in the US and Europe, it seems the general aim is for Adaptive Skiers to ski right along with the crowds anywhere. Equipment is modified for individual needs, and there are volunteers for people who require additional assistance.

If you're interested in more specifics, I found this as a description of the various "categories" of adaptive skiing; Jeff and the children saw mostly the bi-skiers in action at Tignes: 

• Guides for blind skiers - The guides are considered "equipment" and they are generally volunteers.
• Bi-skis - These are for people with significant lower extremity or trunk weaknesses and for others with difficulty standing and balancing. It's a sit-down ski that lets even those with severe balance impairment experience the thrill of skiing.
• Two-track skis and snowboards - These are for any skier who stands on two skis but who might need tethers to aid in leg strength. These are good for people with visual and hearing impairment and for those with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
• Three and four-track - These are for skiers who can stand on skis but need additional support to remain balanced. They are best for students with leg amputation, cerebral palsy, arthritis, spina bifida or a traumatic brain injury.
• Ski Bike - The latest piece of adaptive skiing equipment is similar to a bicycle with skis instead of wheels, the ski bike has been used in Europe and now adaptive programs have recently discovered that it can be an ideal way for many people with disabilities to enjoy skiing. SInce the ski bike takes the majority of a person's weight off of the legs and feet, it can fill a frustrating void between stand-up and sit-down snow skiing.

And, of course, Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games. In addition to the Paralympic Games, elite disabled ski racing includes the Disabled World Alpine Skiing Championships (held every four years from 1980 to 2004 and every two years beginning in 2009) and the IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup, an annual international racing circuit.

Interesting stuff.

Tomorrow: 1 Day, 5 Hours

Comments

[Gwynna Smith]

Yay for adaptive skiing! NH's entire ski industry (um, okay, all of it that I know about, anyway) is VERY supportive of adaptive skiing. We send racers to the Paralympics and Championships every year. We also have a strong Special Olympics program using adaptive skiing.

Did you know there are other adaptive winter sports? Such as hockey. UNH had a nationally ranked adaptive hockey player - I think he used a mono sit-skate. Amazing stuff.