Adaptive skiing
Goodbye to a great ski season at Alyeska Resort
Yesterday was an incredible day of skiing for my family at Alyeska. The sun was shining, the temperatures were warm and the mountain was full of our friends from Challenge and the Alyeska Ski and Snowboard Club.
Challenge Alaska closed for the season (why they don’t remain open for the full ski season is a topic for another day) but we arranged private access. Another family that we ski with all season had done the same and were hosting a birthday party for their daughter who has autism. The building was full of music, the great smells of a bar-b-que, and many friends. We had fun being together, reminiscing about the great season and sharing the mountain on a beautiful spring day.
As much as I enjoy the warm weather and long days of spring and summer, I am always sad to see the end of another ski season. Skiing brings my whole family together. We all share a love of the mountain and it’s a gift to be able to share that with my children. When summer comes along, my kids will all get involved in their own individual interests and we will spend less time together. It’s good for each of my kids to develop their own individual interests and gain independence, but I will miss our days together. I will miss my younger children watch Quincy do what they do and be impressed with her attitude and toughness. I will miss snowball fights, building snowmen, eating snow cones made from fresh fallen snow, and hot chocolate and cold beer after a long day of skiing.
The mountain is officially open through next weekend, but the snow is probably too soft to tether Quincy. My boys will surely brave any conditions imaginable to get in a few more days but the girls are hanging up their boards. Thank you Mother Nature, Alyeska Resort, and Challenge Alaska for our best ski season yet. Now, I wonder if it would be to much to ask Mother Nature to bless us with a warm, dry summer? I will keep my fingers crossed…
US Alpine National Championships, Alyeska and adaptive skiers
We are heading to Alyeska again this weekend to watch the US Men’s and Women’s Alpine ski teams compete at the US Alpine National Championships. This is the third time Alyeska has hosted this event and I can tell you from experience it is really fun to watch.
Two years ago when this event was held at Alyeska we were lucky enough to have most of the Men’s US Ski Team walk in to the Challenge Alaska Ski School and spend about an hour just hanging with our kids and seeing what adaptive skiing in Alaska is all about. It was an amazing experience. The guys were incredibly gracious to the disabled athletes, patiently signing as many autographs as requested and posing for endless photos. It was access that most other people did not have the opportunity to enjoy. We have photos of Quincy and her brother and sister with great athletes like Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso, and Marco Sullivan. Afterwards anytime they saw us on the mountain they would high-five us and say hi to Quincy. She was a rockstar for a day! It was probably a little thing for them to do, but meant so much to Quincy and I am still touched by their kindness.
If you love ski racing as much as we do, grab your boards and join us. It’s going to be a really fun weekend! Plus, Alyeska got about 40″ of fresh snow in the last two days so the skiing is going to be amazing!
Adaptive skiing with a bi-ski at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska
It’s been a while since I have posted any photos and I thought it would be fun to share our most recent pictures of skiing with Quincy. Lucky for me my brother, Ron Niebrugge, is a freelance photographer, and with his help we were able to get some really good shots of skiing with Quincy. 
Both of these photos do a great job of showing just how unique it is to use a bi-ski. As you can see, Rob does an enormous amount of work. He is an expert skier and is also very strong. These photos are taken on a fairly gentle slope, but we often take Quincy on much steeper terrain. It takes a highly-trained adaptive ski instructor to make the bi-ski arc and carve across the fall line. My job is much easier. I am the shadow and my role is basically traffic control. I am usually off to the side of Rob and Quincy and I block skiers who may be getting to close to Quincy and I warn people ahead on a run that the bi-ski is coming. The bi-ski cannot react as quickly as a skier to sudden situations, so it’s up to me to keep Quincy protected from out-of-control skiers and other hazards. My other job is to assist loading the bi-ski on the chairlift. It takes two people to lift it as the chair lift slides under. We then attach it with a safety harness to the chairlift so it cannot slide off. So, although my role doesn’t have as much glory as Rob’s, I take comfort in knowing that I am an integral part of the operation and without me they would just be stuck in the lift lines!!
The unpredictable nature of activities with the disabled
Some days are easier than others. No matter how well you plan out your day, the whole thing can go to Hell in a handbag quicker than you can snap your fingers. Yesterday was a day like that. Nothing terribly traumatic happened, but it turned out to be a day more of effort than fun.
My son had a ski race scheduled at 11:00…the weather was insane, snowing a foot and in the mid-20’s. Couldn’t ask for a better day on the mountain. We decided to take the girls up in the morning to ski a few runs and then take Quincy in the bi-ski over to finish line so the girls could watch their brother race. He would be doing two slalom runs, but we thought the first run would be the best for all of us to watch.
As soon as we got to the Challenge Alaska building we got our first taste of how things were going to go. The place was so jammed packed with clients (which is a fabulous thing!) that there was no place to park, no place to gear up, no place to move. Strike one. We finally squeezed the van behind someone else’s vehicle, found a teeny corner to gear up and got on our way.
The mountain was soft and the snow glorious and Q was having a blast. But, before we headed to the race course we decided to take her water bottle with us so she could have some drinks while she waited. That’s when we realized we forgot lunch and her water. Strike two…
We headed to the race course anyway and figured we could still catch the finish before she got too hungry or thirsty. The race was scheduled to begin at 11:00. It started at 12:30 and my son was bib number 98. Strike three…
Quincy got totally cranky and hungry by 1:00 (we were up to about racer #45 at this point) and Rob had to hike her back to Challenge so he could go back to the condo and get lunch. He missed my son’s finish. My son finished and was mad because his Dad wasn’t there. The girls were mad because they were starving and we had no food. How did it all go downhill so quickly? It is what it is, I guess. We do our best to plan for everything when we head out with Quincy, but some days are better than others.
The final footnote to the story is that my husband got to catch my son’s second run of the race (I missed it), everyone was happy after they ate and the day was salvaged. Quincy and I missed some great skiing on some fabulous powder, but there will be other days for that. In Alaska, one thing you can count on is lots and lots of amazing days to ski in March and April!!
Photos of an adaptive bi-ski in action in Alaska at -5!
Well, my plan to ski once the weather improved was a good one but it hasn’t played out quite as I anticipated. A massive front of high pressure is keeping frigid Arctic air over Alaska and there is no end in sight. We actually went home for a couple days but found that the Wasilla temperatures were close to -20 and that was worse than -5 in Girdwood. So, we did what most Alaskans do…we toughened up and decided to make the best of it.
Despite being -5 at the base and almost -10 at the summit today we bundled Q in every concievable layer and article of clothing, from hand and toe warmers to balaklava’s and went skiing. The mountain is actually in incredible condition…the groomers are smooth and the snow is really fast. And, the upside to miserably cold weather is that there aren’t any lift lines to stand in.
We would do a couple runs and then get inside to warm up and then head back out for a couple more…our day went that way and it was great. Quincy had a blast! But, the main reason I share all this is because I wanted to follow up my last post by showing photos of the bi-ski in action. After several attempts I got a great shot of what Rob and Quincy do to ski together.
Rob uses the tether lines to steer the bi ski. A little pressure on either line will cause the bi ski to carve an arc across the slope. Quincy’s bi ski is manufactured by Enabling Technologies which can be found at superlite.org. Woody and his team were fantastic to work with as we designed a ski to fit Quincy’s needs. They are true professionals and I would recommend them to any disabled athelete interested in obtaining adaptive equipment.
Our holiday vacation is quickly coming to an end and we have enjoyed it thoroughly. My only regret is not writing quite as regularly as usual. I plan to do better once we get back into our regular routine. I am looking forward to all that 2009 will bring to our lives and wish each of you a very healthy and happy New Year!
What does a bi-ski used by a disabled skier look like?
I hope the holidays have been full of blessings for each of you and your families. During the past week we have been relaxing and enjoying our time together. The days prior to Christmas were just perfect for skiing and we hit the slopes daily…it was a blast. Unfortunately, Alaska has been hit with one of it’s famous cold snaps and it was -6 today on the mountain. We braved the bitter cold to watch my son participate in a slalom race and it was nearly impossible to keep warm. Unfortunately, these temperatures are just too cold for Quincy. We cannot keep her safe and warm and it’s simply not fun for her to ski. So, we will take a break for a few days and hope it warms up soon.
But, this is a great opportunity to show you some images of the bi-ski that we use. This first photo is the ski with wheels that are used for transport. The wheels allow us to move it around without scratching up the skis.
This next photo is the ski with the outriggers in place of the wheels which is how it is used on the mountain. The outriggers allow for balance as the ski arcs a turn.
My plan was to follow up these photos with some images of Rob tethering Quincy down the mountain, but I obviously didn’t anticipate the weather conditions. Next time we are out, I promise to take some photos.
This last one is Quincy just before we headed out for our last awesome day of skiing…
By the time she is all bundled up and strapped in she will be impatient to get outside and start skiing. But, it’s important to take the time to gear up properly, both for warmth and safety, and Quincy has learned to be patient.
Great mittens for the developmentally and physically disabled!!
If you have ever tried to push someone else’s hands into a pair of mittens you know just how difficult that task can be. Children with disabilities often hold their hands a certain way that isn’t always conducive to sliding into a glove or mitten. They may also be somewhat uncooperative during the process. It can be as aggravating for the caregiver as it must be for the person.
We have tried a million different ways to keep Quincy’s hands warm in the winter. For quick trips outside my best option has been to simply slide a pair of fleece socks over hands. I still have to take care of all her little fingers, but at least socks are stretchy and soft and I don’t have any finger or thumb holes to fight with. However, if she is outside for any extended period of time, like when we go skiing, socks simply aren’t warm enough.
We have purchased super over-sized mittens and cut the cuffs but we find that if something is too easy to put on then it is too easy for her to throw off. We have tried socks over her hands and then trying to slide them into mittens but that can be incredibly bulky.
Finally, a solution from my favorite company! Check out these thumbless mittens with zippered cuffs from Adaptations by Adrian:
These are so great….they are really warm and soft inside, but have a waterproof exterior. The zippered cuffs allow them to be snug on the sleeve so Quincy can’t throw them off. But, best of all, I can just lay Quincy’s hand in the mitten and zip it up! No more pushing hands into little mitten holes! So, thanks again to Adrian for another great product! Keep ‘em coming!!!
To be effective, caregivers must build and protect a relationship of trust
I have a great deal of respect for anyone who chooses to focus their career on working with the disabled…it is rarely something anyone does for the high salary or the glamour. For the most part folks who work with the developmentally disabled have big hearts and genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others. However, all the good intentions in the world will not replace proper training.
Proper training isn’t just about the use of adaptive equipment, medical equipment, or administering meds, but must also include disability awareness and sensitivity. I have noticed that often this seems to be lacking. Caregivers, be it therapists, teachers, personal care attendants or even therapeutic recreation instructors must create trust with those that they are working with…they must create trust and they must protect that trust. Children who cannot communicate or use their bodies to protect themselves or control themselves must feel completely safe in the hands of those they rely on. If you betray that trust you will have broken a bond that may never be repaired.
I have seen Quincy shut down on people quicker than you can flip a light switch. As soon as she is put in a situation that scares her or hurts her she is simply finished. More than once over the years we have had to replace therapists because we know all too well that once Quincy doesn’t trust someone she simply will not work for them.
Last week an adaptive ski instructor took a young client down a particularly difficult run at our ski resort and dumped him. The instructor’s general attitude was that of a typical, healthy young man…no pain, no gain. It’s not fun if you don’t push the envelope. I wonder if that instructor has ever strapped himself into a bi-ski, strapped down his arms so he couldn’t use them, put himself entirely at the mercy of some hot-shot instructor who thought it would be cool to jump into a black diamond run and possibly dump him? I doubt it.
The developmentally disabled process experiences differently than the rest of us. Their trust is built differently, their fear is felt differently, and their ability to recover from something frightening is different. You must understand that trust is everything and it should not be taken lightly…it must be protected and respected.
Rob and I have never, ever had an accident with Quincy in the bi-ski and I truly doubt we ever will. We are too well-trained, too cautious, too overly-protective and, most importantly, we absolutely understand that if we scare her we may never get her back on the mountain again and that would be heartbreaking for all of us.
Adaptive skiing and therapeutic recreation
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.
Adaptive skiing Alaska
It’s time to start what I expect will be one of many posts about an activity that has brought great joy and fun to my family…adaptive alpine skiing. Every day I check the webcams at Alyeska ski resort and count down the days until Nov. 26…opening weekend!! Alaskans are unique…we live in a place of brutal winters and yet we simply love winter. And, what’s more, we love to play outside in the winter. Rob has been a downhill skier since he was a kid and I’ve learned to love it once I started living with him, so our children didn’t stand a chance. Unfortunately, when we realized that Quincy would probably never develop the ability to walk we thought we would have to give up skiing. But, lucky for us Alaska happens to have one of the finest on-mountain adaptive ski programs in the country. Challenge Alaska ski school changed our lives. We were able to use the facility to learn about the equipment and skills necessary to take Quincy skiing. We’ve been part of the Challenge family for at least seven years…first as clients and eventually on our own. We purchased Quincy her own bi-ski and spent hours on the mountain being trained on how to safely use it. Rob has earned his Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Level I Adaptive certificate and will soon be Level II. On the mountain we have complete freedom…this little family of mine can ski all day long without any one’s help or assistance. Of course, my other children learned to ski about the same time they learned to walk and they have incredible talent. Both of my children are members of the local ski team and spend their weekends honing their racing and free skiing skills. So, every weekend once the mountain opens you know where to find us…tearing up the slopes at Alyeska. Rob, Quincy and I aren’t hard to spot…we are the ones with the bi-ski and the huge smiles on our faces!!
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