 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking for  s collective knowledge as I am struggling to find out on the net.
Does anyone know which N American resorts are well set-up for teaching novice adaptive skiers? I've got a 12 yr old patient who is looking to go skiing with his parents and who is a nearly full-time wheelchair user due to cerebral palsy. Having looked at his feet and ankles I don't think that there is any chance of getting them into ski boots (short achilles tendons with fixed plantar flexion deformities).
The parents are mooting Fernie as a possibility but there is no search facility on the Fernie site to check if it is offered.
Has anyone any experience of the teaching available for adaptive skiers?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Nick. I should contact Winter Park in Colorado. They are generally acknowledged as having best facilities in U.S. having the National Sports Centre for the handicapped. General info about resort and ski school contact at skiwinterpark.com. Also advantage that reosrt is only a short transfer from Denver and transfer by rail is easy.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nick L, I'd second skivor's comment about Winter Park. Excellent facilities for adaptive skiers, and great skiing for everyone.
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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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Thanks skivor and T Bar, I will follow both of those up.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nick
If you search I instigated a thread on same subject as my daughter has CP. The world leaders for adaptive skiing I think are Winter Park or Whistler, Canada which is not to say there are not worthy places in Europe, for example, Oxygene is La Plagne. I haven't taken my little girl -YET. http://www.whistleradaptive.com/ is one website that might help for the organisation inwhistler.
I think my thread or someone elses is arhived in trips under useful resources.
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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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Nick L, I have been very impressed with the stuff I have seen in France. Lots of very dedicated people around. Knowing the North American attitudes to disability, I would imagine their set up would be just as good.
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Nick L, although it's a few years since I was last in Fernie I would be surprised if they had much in the way of the required facilities there. However life is full of surprises so you never know. Try contacting Rob Crowder, he hasn't posted a lot here but if anyone would know I think he would. robcrowder@fernie.com
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kimberley - just up the road from Fernie - definitely geared up for it and lots of positive role models - the Aussie paralymplic team were training there last time I was there (fortunately they seemed to be able to overcome their main disability
.......of being Aussie  )
Google is your friend
http://www.amputee-coalition.org/inmotion/sep_oct_04/skischedule.html
Link to Canadian Adaptive Ski Association at bottom
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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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Late reply...
Big Bear, California and Alpine Meadows at Tahoe both have adaptive programmes.
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Challenge Aspen - always helpful!
Winter park is supposed to be a centre - I copped abuse from some guy I spoke to there... I'd avoid it myself! Not my idea of where I'd take a disabled person to get them hooked on the sport.
Whistler - less than helpful. Again not my choice.
One of the problems in NA(as I see it anyway) is they want you to go to seperate places to everyone else. Hence the abuse at WinterPark - "we don't deal with YOUR type - get lost"
Again this was the problem I ran into in Whistler. (and I know some other disabled skiers had identical experiences) At home I am used to an inclusive system which I much prefer. meet at the same place for lessons and can book a race lesson or whatever I wish. (Whistler refused to book anything above a beginner lesson and wanted 2 months notice!)
The place in Canada the aussie guys go to train sounds awesome - Steve is the trainer. He is native to area. Cannot remember details atm.
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You know it makes sense.
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That thread ran concurrently in 2 forums... It got solved in the other version 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| little tiger wrote: |
The place in Canada the aussie guys go to train sounds awesome - Steve is the trainer. He is native to area. Cannot remember details atm. |
answered in donzo's thread
Steve Bova!
My buddy skied there with him and had a ball!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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little tiger, Sorry to hear you had a bad experience in whistler. There is a big program here called WASP - Whistler Adaptive Ski Program. I find it very unusual that you feel that you weren't welcome to ski wherever you liked. there is no lift in whistler that will turn away a disabled athlete, possibly the T-bars, but only after you have a few goes and can't get up.
I am not sure about the booking lessons aspect, but maybe it was due to the popularity that you needed to book 2 months in advance. There are a lot of disabled skiers that live here in Whistler who give their time (along with other coaches) to help disabled athletes of all levels. A lot of the Canadian team lives or trains here. There is definitely advanced coaching available.
If anyone is curious about the program , here is their website, not the whistler blackcomb one
http://www.whistleradaptive.com/index.php
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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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wbsr, No it was due to (AIUI) a lack of funds from Intrawest to fund the disabled ski school. The folks in the disabled ski school were nice but so short of staff that ALL lessons needed to be booked well ahead. Whistler Blackcomb refuse point blank to allocate anyone else to teach (including one of my regular instructors from Australia - so you cannot say they were worried about finding a suitable instructor) despite this shortage. They also refuse to allow any discounts to disabled skiers NOT booked into lessons with the disabled ski school - which they cleverly keep so short you cannot book a lesson unless you know you will be there at that date/time months in advance.
Whistler/Blackcomb customer service STUNK. The "manager" was always unavailable as he was "out skiing". Despite many calls from both myself and customer service staff he NEVER returned a phone call to me - nor left a message with his staff - nor called his staff back over MANY days.
I guess it would have been different if I wanted to buy property
I skied in a regular lesson with a CSIA 4 there - she lost 3 out of 6 of her class in 1 run through trees. It seems the emphasis is on "being extreme" rather than "instruction". (She could not se the students as she took another route)
Summary of Whistler experience - love the mountain - Dislike Intrawest severely. Would never send any beginner to this mountain for fear they would be put off.
Extra double super duper would not send a newish disabled skier. Way too hard to "fix" any problems with that sort of customer service attitude.
I can only tell you my experience - they told me point blank they were only set up to deal with "new" skier type lessons - no advanced lessons in the disabled ski school. So even if I had booked they would have been unable to accommodate my needs.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nick L,
Skivor and T Bar are correct. The place to go to is The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) is in Winter Park Colorado. With the Back Up Trust I took wheelchair users there in 2004 to learn to ski, one of them is now in our National Team.
It is a fantastic facility and organisation they have there I hope you managed to sort something out.
www.nscd.org
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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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Just like welshflyer, I'd recommend the NSCD in Winter Park. The Salveson Ski Group are another UK charity that have been using the NSCD for a considerable period of time - we've been going there for about 15 years and go back every year. They look after people extremely well, have some great slopes and everybody is very adaptive aware / friendly so you'd have no problems with lifts etc either. I'll be there in a couple of weeks time too, which I'm looking forward to!
Definitely worth a look though!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Warning - do not try emailing or ringing Winter Park... they will tell you to get nicked as THEY do not want to deal with disabled skiers... I did exactly that... and got promptly told to go away...
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You could also try the ASC (Adaptive Sports Centre) in Crested Butte. It's a great little town and a great programme. I may be biased as I have tought there for a few years! They also have a year round programme doing hiking, biking, rafting, ropes courses etc in the summer. See www.adaptivesports.org. Mention it was recommended by a Brit they know well (Dave) and they will know me! Contact JJ or Chris Read (jj@adaptivesports.org or cread@adaptivesports.org). Crested Butte takes a bit more time to get to (5 Hr drive from Denver or fly into Gunnison) but the trip is worth it. A genuine small ski town and the scenery is stunning.
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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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Lots of good advice above. Here is a list of all the dsusa chapters in the USA.
http://dsusa.org/chapter.html
Don't think that you would be disappointed with any!!
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Whistler (WASP) now fully offer advanced skiing and race training with the "adaptive race program".
$200 for the season, or $25 per session. 1/2 price or below tickets, and also free passes for "assistants"
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Only just joined but thought I should tell everyone about Maine Handicap Skiing at Sunday River in the US http://www.skimhs.org/ this program is totally free to all participants, lift passes, equipment, instruction is all free. I spent the 2010/2011 season volunteering as instructor there, it has a great atmosphere
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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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| paulhothersall wrote: |
Whistler (WASP) now fully offer advanced skiing and race training with the "adaptive race program".
$200 for the season, or $25 per session. 1/2 price or below tickets, and also free passes for "assistants" |
Nice to hear they have got past the "disabled skiing is for beginners" bit... I gather from your post that they are now offering discount lift tickets to all disabled skiers and free lift passes for guides? Well done for them!
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Please do not think that Winter Park is the only good centre in the US. Yes it is a HUGE programme but that in part can be a drawback. It is also one of the easiest to get to from Denver. However, there are also great programmes at Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Salt Lake, Tahoe etc etc.
One of the questions you should ask is whether the programme is "inclusive" of family. You will find some programmes prefer the family NOT to ski with the instructor, some actively do not permit it.
I can personally vouch for Crested Butte as a great programme and family inclusive, though perhaps not the easiest to get to from the UK. I may be a little biassed as I used to teach there for a number of years.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pico - a small resort just outside Killington had loads of disabled skiers out with instructors when we were there some years ago. It's a great resort for this.
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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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Sunday River has a very good and highly regarded adaptive school and the best thing about it, it's free for the participants and you don't have to be US citizen to take advantage of it http://www.maineadaptive.org/
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