Saturdays News - Para-Alpine/Nordic Skiing

Para-Alpine/Nordic Skiing From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

• Ski Downhill Skiing (Alpine), 
• Cross Country  Skiing (Nordic or XC-Skiing),
• Many other style: Telemark, Freestyle, Snowboarding, Skjoring, Heliskiing, ...

Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. The sport evolved from the efforts of disabled veterans in Germany and Austria during and after the Second World War. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee Sports Committee. The primary equipment used includes outrigger skis, sit-skis, and mono-skis. Para-alpine skiing disciplines include the Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super Combined and Snowboard.

Para-alpine skiing classification is the classification system for para-alpine skiing designed to insure fair competition between alpine skiers with different types of disabilities. The classifications are grouped into three general disability types: standing, blind and sitting. A factoring system was created for para-alpine skiing to allow the three classification groupings to fairly compete against each other in the same race despite different functional skiing levels and medical issues.

Alpine skiing was one of the foundation sports at the first Winter Paralympics in 1976 with Slalom and Giant Slalom events being held. Different disciplines were added to the Paralympic programme over time. The 2010 Winter Paralympics para-alpine skiing events were held at Whistler Creekside. The disciplines at Whistler included Downhill, Super-Combined, Super-G, Slalom and Giant Slalom.

History

Skiing as a sport for people with disabilities traces its origins back to the Second World War, which produced large numbers of wounded soldiers. In Germany, Franz Wendel, an amputee who had lost a leg, successfully attached a pair of crutches to short skis. Sepp "Peppi" Zwicknagel, an Austrian veteran who had lost both his legs to a hand grenade, taught himself to ski and eventually became a ski instructor at Kitzbühel, founded a division of the Austrian Ski Association for handicapped skiers. By 1947, annual races were being held in Austria. Ludwig Guttman, a key figure in the history of paralympic sport, helped organize ski events. In the United States, Gretchen Fraser began teaching skiing to amputees in army hospitals. By the 1960s, a number of organizations had been founded. For a long time, disability skiing was restricted to amputees, but in 1969, blind skier Jean Eymore, a former ski instructor before he lost his eyesight, began a skiing program in Aspen, Colorado for blind skiers. The first international competition, the World Disabled Alpine Championships, was held in France in 1974.

See the full article Para-Alpine/Nodic Skiing From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Note:  1) Especially see Equipment, Disciplines (Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom,
                   Slalom, Snowboard) and Classification (and stroke disability for racing).
             2) In Edmonton/Alberta is the Rocky Mountains From Wikipedia, the free

                  encyclopedia. If you like skiing or just see the view, Rocky Mountains is right here.

Length of Rocky Mountains
4,800 km (3,000 mi)

Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks,
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. 

See as well:

• Adaptive Skiing,
• Adaptive Downhill/XC Skiing,
• Challenge Magazine XC-Skiing,
• Adaptive Cross Country Skiing For People With Disabilities.

Watch the Slider - Adaptive Ski Equipment 

by Kim Hale 1 year ago

The Slider is an integral part of many adaptive skiing programs, enabling people with disabilities the opportunity to ski beginner (Green) to intermediate (Blue) runs with a trained instructor/volunteer. Disabilities commonly using the Slider:  stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Post Polio, spinal cord injuries, and amputees.



Watch the Slider - Adaptive Ski Equipment from Kim Hale on Vimeo.

Skis are Built for the "Beginner":

(SSTattler: The videos are a part in the series.  I put it in a seperate window but you have to "kill" the window because otherwise it will continue to the next part in the series).

• Adaptive Karhu Skis are a hybrid of snowshoes and Nordic skis with built-in skins on the bottom of each ski.
• Built-In Skins. Adaptive skiing with built-in skins on the bottom of the skis helps people who need more balance and support going both up and down hill. 
• Clothing. Proper clothing is crucial for adaptive skiing to maintain an appropriate body temperature and for protection against the elements. Dress in layers. 

Bob Skiing After Stroke

One year after a major stroke, which left Bob with no use of his left arm, and just OK walking ability, he hits the slopes at Mt Hotham in Victoria Australia. His ski coach is Bradden, who spent the whole week helping Bob to get skiing again.

Anik Waterman P'tit Bohneur 6 Months After My Stroke

A nice sunny day, Xmas eve, just a little over 6 months after my stroke. After being paralized on the right side after the the stroke 6 months ago, I never gave up thinking that I would ski again. I was a ski instructor for 15 years, and working hard at getting back to it. It's only P'tit Bonheur is only a green run but it feels like a black to me. I am one step closer to getting back at going flying down the Expo at Tremblant, Quebec and still looking good. So this is my "P'tit Bonheur" (Little Happiness)!

Une belle journée ensoileillé, la veille de noel, un p'tit peu plus que 6 mois après mon AVC. Après avoir été parraliser du côté droit il y 6 mois, j'ai jamais perdu l'idée que je n'allait plus skier. J'ai été une monitrice de ski a Tremblant pour 15 ans et je travail fort pour y retourner. La P'tit Bohneur est seulement une piste verte, mais moi j'ai l'impression d'une noire. Un pas de plus proche a être de retour de descendre l'Expo a Tremblant. Voici mon P'tit Bohneur!

Disabled Wintersports Australia Development Camp 

Sit Skiing Thredbo Australia. (SSTattler: See the last frame -- skiing like being in heaven - even sticky out his tongue!).

Maine Handicapped Skiing Makes Dreams Come True. 

When Tim Giggey had both legs amputated below the knee, skiing was probably the last thing on his mind. Simply surviving the horrendous infection that almost took his life, and his limbs, was foremost for Tim and his wife Maryanne, of Yarmouth, in 1995. Tim spent weeks in an induced coma to stave of the infection - during which he suffered a stroke; doctors gave Maryanne a 1% chance for his survival. Despite this grim report and the gangrene that had set in Tims extremities, Maryanne kept hope and insisted that Tims legs and arms not be fully amputated when doctors proposed this radical procedure. I couldn't have him waking up like a trunk, said Maryanne Giggey.

Tim did not speak for a year and a half, his recovery was long and included re-learning to walk on prosthetic feet after his bilateral amputation below the knees. Its a miracle I'm still here, said Tim.

Seeing Tim ski is another miracle. I started skiing at age four, I grew up skiing on May Mountain (a ski hill in Island Falls that closed mid 1990) in the shadows of Katahdin. I went on to race in college at University of Maine at Farmington, said Tim.

About four years ago (after the amputation), I started dreaming vividly of skiing again, Id wake up and realize it was just a dream, said Tim.

Tim Giggey took a leap of faith and contacted Maine Handicapped Skiing at Sunday River, and after being fitted for special prosthetic ski feet that fit into a traditional ski binding, he was ready to try the sport that he had always loved so much, and thought was gone forever ...

See the full text of the article Maine Handicapped Skiing.