Skiing for the Disabled
With all eyes in the skiing world focused on the Paralympic Games in Vancouver it seems fit to write a blog on Disabled Skiing. Ben Clatworthy gave it a go last season, with the help of an instructor; this year James Cove the editor of PlanetSKI.eu tries it for himself. It’s harder than it looks… really!
There have been major developments in the last few years, and now it is a common sight to see a disabled skier enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of a day on the slopes.
For Stefan, my bother, skiing has changed his life. He is a disabled child who never lets his disabilities get in the way. Before we discovered handiski, he used to be left at home when the family went skiing, but now he is also able to join in with the excitement that the slopes bring to thousands each year.
Last season I swapped my skis and gave sit-skiing a go. It was truly terrifying as you can see here in my video reports.
However, our experiences vary in different ski resorts, and even within one ski area. Les Trois Vallees, the
Even the young can have a go!
world’s largest ski area, has 3 different lift companies managing the 183 lifts. In the Vallee des Belleville, Setam and Sevabel manage the lifts of St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. In the past few years, they have adapted most of the ski lifts to make then accessible for disabled skiers.
In the other two valleys, one company, S3V manages the lifts in Meribel and Courchevel. But the attitude to disabled skiers is markedly different between the two valleys. In Meribel there are only 9 lifts that can’t be accessed by disabled skiers, whilst in Courchevel there are 25.
Ski resorts were designed for able bodied people so many hotels, chalets and apartments are unusable.
Last week James Cove, who is the Content Editor for PlanetSKI.eu, a website I write for, gave sit-skiing a go for the first time and found it difficult but very rewarding.
“After several attempts I managed one turn and then after a few more I managed to put 2 linked turns together before crashing over.
I had an enormous sense of achievement. I though was on a basic nursery slope.” Cove wrote in his article for PlanetSKI.
You can read the full report on PlanetSKI here
There is no doubt that skiing for the disabled is becoming increasingly more accepted and wide spread, but some change still needs to happen before all disabled people will be able to take up skiing. Its not easy for the resorts either, often expensive to make changes and sometimes in their eyes not worth the effort.
However this are changing and more and more disabled people are giving the sport a go. The tour operator Crystal is working closely with Disability Snowsport UK to raise its profile and provide help for people with a disability who wish to give skiing a go.
It’s a fantastic sport and well worth a go!
Ben Clatworthy is the ‘Racing and Sports Correspondent’ for PlanetSKI.eu and writes for other ski publications too, including InTheSnow Magazine.
