Adaptive skiing and therapeutic recreation

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 | Adaptive skiing, Caregivers and providers, Disability Awareness and Sensitivity, Equipment

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we skied with Quincy. It was so much fun! Our local mountain got nearly 20″ of powder every night of the four-day holiday. It was skiers paradise and a perfect way to kick off the season!

My husband and I have been trained on how to use a bi-ski and that is what we use with Q. Rob has his Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Level 1 adaptive certification, so he really does know what he’s doing. The bi-ski (also called a sit-ski) is a device that has a bucket seat attached to two skis with two shorter outrigger skis on the back to keep it balanced. It is operated by a very skilled skier who holds two tether lines and by using those lines can make the ski carve turns to either the right or left.

My role is to assist loading the bi-ski onto the chair lift and then to shadow Rob and Quincy, blocking any stray snowboarder or novice skier who may wander into their path. A collision with another skier is just one of the many hazards we must avoid. Rough, tracked-out conditions can create a bumpy ride and just like with any skier if the bi-ski catches an edge it can tip. It can tip going too slow, it can tip going too fast. I am quite proud to say that we have never, ever dumped Quincy. And that is incredibly important. She places full trust in our abilities and if we fail her it will be very difficult to earn it back. When we trained on the bi-ski we started by using sandbags instead of a child…we dumped plenty of sandbags. Then, we practiced on able-bodied people…it’s always good to experience the equipment first hand so you have a clear understanding of what the ride is like, what is scary, what is fun, etc… We finally began with Q and we’ve been skiing with her on our own for nearly three seasons with a perfect safety record. It’s not to say that Rob and I haven’t suffered through plenty of bumps and bruises…but we suffer them happily for Q. There is no more perfect freedom that being completely independent on the mountain…cruising where we want when we want without anyone’s assistance.

If you ever have the opportunity to volunteer at any therapeutic recreation program, be it skiing or swimming or anything, please try it. There is no better reward than the smile on the face of a child who experiences something they have never done before.

Tags: Adaptive skiing, developmental disability, disability, physical disability, skiing, therapeutic recreation

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