 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone here involved, or had involvement, with them? I've just requested some info. and am wondering what sort of use I'd be.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hyweljenkins, I am on the same quest as you. I would like to give them a week next season if I can be of any use.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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BernardC, cool - see you there, where ever that is!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hyweljenkins, Hopefully some snowHeads have direct involvement and can inform.
Can we share info? I requested the skier info. pack & have some friends involved. Awaiting the pack with 'usefulness' criteria.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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BernardC,
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Of course. I've requested the skier and the helper packs, so I'll drop you a PM when they arrive.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd be very keen for you to post on your experiences with Disability Snowsports UK, I guess there are a number of people on snowHeads who'd be interested and would like to know what it actually involves.
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I interviewed a number of people last year who were directly involved, and spent several days with them on the Tignes glacier. I'd be happy to share the limited experience and info I gained.
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PG, I know you spoke to the athletes - did you speak to any helpers? I have this picture in my mind of a disabled skier rescuing me - a prospective helper - from a snowdrift 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yes - including the chairwoman, or CE, or at least it was someone in authority - I still have the taped interview, yet to be transcribed  . Plus another chap who helps out, as well as the former athlete now manager who joined snowHeads shortly after, whose name escapes me momentarily - also on tape.
There were a couple of serious accidents over the first couple of days in fact. You certainly needed to be an accomplished skier to assist at those times (the glacier was sheet ice), although on the whole it was for more mundane tasks.
Just about everyone there, sit-skiers, visually impaired, stand-ups, were so skilled that they put me to shame.
A great group of individuals, great atmosphere, inspiring. A lot to teach the rest of us, and I can't imagine anyone failing to benefit from being involved, as well as giving something in return.
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PG,
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I interviewed a number of people last year who were directly involved, and spent several days with them on the Tignes glacier. I'd be happy to share the limited experience and info I gained.
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Yes please! Would also be interesting to digest the interview when you transcribe it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hyweljenkins, & BernardC, it's nice to see such a specialist interest emanating from the Snowheads camp. Some years back (1994) I worked as a Grade 2 guide for the British Ski Club for the Disabled ( I believe these days we are named ski buddies). This entitled me to ski with people with various disabilities which included Sensory Deprivation, Amputee and Partial loss of limb, Paraplegics, stroke victims and people with learning difficulties. Most of my guiding was with the Visually impaired and Paraplegics. Although I only spent 3 seasons with the BSCD, I still will remember that time as being one of my most rewarding ski experiences. I got just as much pleasure out of it as my ski companions did! These days there are a number of charity organisations specialising in ski trips for the disabled, but unlike the BSCD, many of them don't include all types of disability or tend to prioritise one type of disability, so the interested party would be advised to shop around. The internet is an ideal vehicle for that. They accept any competent skier or non skier who is willing to commit themselves unreservedly in giving up some of their valuable time in helping a disabled person to improve the quality of his life. When I worked for the BSCD, they were after two types of persons; which would be trained as a Ski Guide, a Ski Buddy that would accompany the disabled skier throughout the entire skiing day; a Helper, that would accompany the disabled person during the morning hours before skiing and during the eveing hours after skiing. The ski buddy would be responsible for the well being of his companion on the slopes, and the helper would take over the responsibilities off the slopes.. So you see how essential it is to have a ski buddy and helper in equal amount when embarking on such ski trips. But in either case, the commitment is enormous. But when all that clicks together - the reward is enormous.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Stephen Neal, It's GREAT that you are here - a belated welcome to  's
Great post. I shall certainly cast the net a little wider now.
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Thankyou for those kind comments, Bernard & many thanks to hyweljenkins for starting this thread. Continuing to contribute to hyweljenkins's post.. In the near future I will give an account in how a skier is trained to become a ski buddy for a disabled skier. And how a disabled skier learns and wants to put all his/hers entire trust in their ski buddy. I will also give an account of the frustration, determination, self doubt and anger endured by both parties during such training sessions.
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You know it makes sense.
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Maybe not so useful for BernardC due to location, but the Lions Ski Club who ski at XScape in Leeds were asking for volunteers to be taught how to be ski buddys at XScape.
http://www.lions-skiclub.co.uk/
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm sure you've all at some time spotted them from the vantage point of your chairlift - attired in green flourescent bibs with Blind Skier & Blind Guide emblazoned across them in bold capitals. And you've all probably wondered how on earth does the blind skier manage to ski so fluently, so confidently, without hesitation down a steepish red run? What you don't see are earphones tucked under the blind skier's helmet and a tiny microphone protruding from the guides helmet. If you zoomed in closer to the guide, you would notice him talking continuosly into his mike. He would be describing the immediate surroundings to his skiing companion. The guide would be very descriptive when mirroring the layout of the piste, the impressive landscape surrounding it and the volume of skiers having fun on it. Weather and atmosphere patterns would be monitored carefully. The guide would be naming and describing the chairlift you were riding on as they skied under it. He would be warning the blind skier of impending obstacles and of varying ski terrain. He would be cautioning the blind skier when approaching bends, bottlenecks, dips, pistes that crossover and from reckless skiers and SCGB reps. Every now and then the guide would break off his patter to administer vital directional instructions. And if at any time the guide stops talking for a duration of 3 seconds, the blind skier would automatically execute an emergency stop!
my next post will explain how a skier is trained to become a guide for the visually impaired and the relationship of trust that comes with it..
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Poster: A snowHead
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Stephen Neal, Great stuff...look forward to it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stephen, cheers for the info, I look forward to hearing more.
I saw a blind skier at Westendorf - he and his guide were using a continuous audible pinger, with the guide shouting "Hup!" at each turn.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ian Hopkinson, there's a bloke that sits behind me at work that shouts "Hup" every now and then. He seems to have random, one-off, hiccups.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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BernardC, I received some info. from them today, including a CDROM containing a "promo" video. There doesn't seem to be anything in there aimed at helpers or skiers, but seems to be holiday brochure and a bit of history about the club. PM me with your address and I'll send it on to you if you want.
To those of us that have ever sat on a chair lift wondering why "that skier doesn't get lessons - their technique is awful", this video might be for you.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Disability UK is the parent charity for the British Adaptive Ski Team. Their site is well worth browsing, and there are some brief details of what is needed in terms of helpers here.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hyweljenkins, I have had a series of chats with them.
They like you to do a training camp (week long) before you go out as a helper, where you get to try out the different types of ski equipment by day and have talks by evening. It sounds quite intensive. Last season they ran 3 training weeks and went to Tignes twice pre season and then to Andorra at Easter. One of my daughters is very keen to do it and I shall go with her. We couldn't do last season, but are hoping to go with them to train as helpers in 2007.
If you are serious about it, you should probably find it best to have a chat with them about their exact requirements.
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hyweljenkins, Thanks - I have also received a similar pack and will get to look at it over the weekend. Sounds like a good idea Ray Zorro, - will give them a call next week.
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BernardC, sorry, my last post was wrong. It was Zermatt that they went to last year twice in November.
They sent me a leaflet on being a helper, here are a couple of extracts from it...
"These weeks, although hard work, will probably be one of the most rewarding weeks that a volunteer will spend. To witness the pleasure and restored confidence that their assistance can give to a disabled person will stay in their memory for years to come".
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A brief itinerary for the (training) week is as follows:
Each day our instructors will deliver training on snow. This will cover all the different disciplines which you may encounter on one of our trips and use of the various types of ski equipment designed for skiers with disabilities eg bi-ski, mono-ski, outriggers etc. Training will be tailored to the skiing ability of the volunteers attending.
In the evening there will be informal lectrures giving more detail of what is expected on our activity trips and also about volunteering with our various groups around the country at artificial slopes.
The instructors issue and work with a log-book that is given to each volunteer. This enables the volunteer to work through the syllabus at their own pace."
If you don't have it already, their number is 01479 861272
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ray Zorro, thanks for all that. I am serious about it, but just haven't got around to ringing them yet - I figured there'd be some sort of "interview" as I'm sure they can't let just anybody go.
Will do this week, though, and I'll let you know how I get on, as will BernardC, I'm sure.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Back in the 90's, the initial training programme for a BSCD Guide covered one weekend (fri-sun) and the training would take place at Hillingdon Dry Ski Slope. The programme would be split into a number of categories. Pre-assessment: This would include examiners evaluating your basic skiing skills, flexibility & confidence in using a dry ski slopes for specialised purposes and activities. One of the exercises involved is asking the trainee to ski the entire slope, executing as many turns as possible while lugging skis and poles on your shoulder, the more turns executed the better the grading when it comes to your final assessment. Lugging heavyish and awkward equipment up and down the ski slopes would be the norm for a ski guide especially when skiing with paraplegics & amputees. Equipment Training (self explanatory). Communication Skills & Role Playing, this will involve learning basic sign language skills, articulating with clients having sensory deprivation & learning difficulties, being able to apply advice and instruction in a sensitive and effective manner according to each type of disability. Lectures would include films and slide shows. Final exam assessments. The succsessful applicants would then become a Grade 3 Guide which will only entitle the person to use the Grade on Artificial ski Slopes. To attain a Grade 2 Guide, he or she would be required to accompany the Charity on ski trips abroad as a trainee guide (ski Buddy) and prior to which the Grade 3 Guide would be expected to participate in regular attendance for at least a year at dry ski slopes working with clients with every type of disability. Which will include people recovering from coronary illness, stroke victims and people with learning difficulties. The guides final assessment at the end of his or her's training programme would have ascertained which type of disability they would have been most suited to ski with. In my case, it was the visually impaired. Which heralds an apt cue for my next post.
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FAQ
