Stay Active Skiing
Picture courtesy of Phil Smith of Snowworks
John, a retired teacher from Fochabers, was diagnosed with MS nearly 20 years ago. In his early days he led an active life with cycling, athletics and football. Later on he took up golf and skiing. For 18 years he organised skiing trips to the Cairngorms, only 50 miles away. When he found he was falling over more frequently and experiencing balance problems, he reluctantly accepted that golf and skiing would no longer be part of his lifestyle and visits to the Cairngorms would only be by car.
The opening of the funicular railway on Cairngorm provided the means to again reach the Ptarmigan, an eating place 3,600 ft above sea level, where the skiing groups had enjoyed many good times. On returning to the car park after his first trip on the railway he discovered the office of the Uphill Ski Club and was delighted to find that there was a charity that provided access to snow sports for people with a disability.
There are various adaptations which are used to cope with different levels of disability. For those with mobility problems, there are two types of seat skis. The first is the mono-ski, which is a seat mounted on one ski with two hand-held outrigger skis. The second is the bi-ski, which is more toboggan-like, with two skis under you. This is used more by people who have problems with balance or limited upper body strength. Kit can be hired and a helmet and boots are also required. Soft thermal boots are used instead of ordinary ski boots, which are too heavy.
Tuition is carried out by British Association of Snowsport Instructors who are aware of the different levels of ability. Motion is controlled by the instructor either by 'bucketing', ie controlling the direction and speed by holding the back of the seat, or by 'tethering' which controls the speed but allows the skier to initiate and control the direction by using weight transfer. Each skier is accompanied by an instructor and a helper on the hill. This is necessary for assistance for the uphill part, eg tows, lifts and the gondola. They also help with protection from others on the slope and help upright the skier should excessive ambition cause a tumble!
Picture courtesy of Phil Smith of Snowworks
John says: "I had my first experience of two hours on a bi-ski in March 2003, followed by a further two hours in February 2004. In March 2004 I joined the Uphill Ski Club on a trip to Rhormoos in Austria for a week's skiing. This was fantastic! The experience of gliding at speed over the snow, choosing the path down the hill and the exhilaration of controlling the natural elements took me back to the good times in the past. Seeing my wife, who was also again skiing for the first time in 20 years, gave me a feeling of relief that she too was enjoying something we had both experienced before. We also enjoyed sharing the satisfaction of the other members of the group."
John plans to spend his 67th Birthday mono-skiing on the slopes of the Rockies in Colorado, USA.
Disability Snowsport organises different types of skiing at artificial snow slopes and centres around the UK.
There are ski centres abroad that have facilities for adaptive skiing. Two examples are:
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Centre, Colorado, USA and the Oxygène Ski School, La Plagne, France.