| Many times those with developmental mental or | | | | above, adaptive snowboarding allows partially disabled |
| physical disabilities are discriminated against in our | | | | sportsmen and women to participate in their sport. |
| society. They are discriminated based solely on their | | | | Although Adaptive Skiing has been around for a while, |
| disability, not on what they can and cannot do. Happily, | | | | many people are just starting to become aware of |
| in the sports arena, those with disabilities are getting a | | | | Adaptive Snowboarding. |
| chance to display their skills. | | | | The sport is relatively new but manufacturers are |
| For those that still believe that the loss of a limb makes | | | | already beginning to develop specialized snowboards |
| someone unable to play sports, I strongly recommend | | | | and equipment built around the sport. Counts vary as |
| that they see the film "Murder Ball", a little seen 2005 | | | | to how many adaptive riders there are in the country |
| documentary about wheel chair rugby, where athletes | | | | with no one having a hard number, but everyone |
| missing one or more limbs go all out in full contact | | | | agrees that it's popularity is growing rapidly. The short |
| mode to win a championship. I guarantee that anyone | | | | term goal is to eventually have Adaptive |
| after seeing this movie will have a lot more respect for | | | | Snowboarding included as an athletic competition in the |
| those with disabilities among us. | | | | Winter Paralympic Games, possibly as soon as the |
| Snowboarding is widely considered an "extreme sport." | | | | 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Whistler. |
| It gained mass exposure and popularity in the U.S. | | | | One organization at the forefront of teaching the sport |
| during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Park City, | | | | of Adaptive Snowboarding is the non profit U.S. |
| Utah. Snowboarding can be a difficult sport to master | | | | Adaptive Recreation Center at the Bear Mountain Ski |
| as it combines elements of surfing, skateboarding and | | | | Resort in California. They have a full staff of |
| skiing. Yet, these days, we're finding more and more | | | | recreational therapists on board to lead and monitor |
| people with disabilities on the snowboarding slopes. | | | | the training. They accept people with disabilities of all |
| A prime example of organizations working with | | | | types including blindness, autism, spinal cord injuries, |
| disabled persons to help them achieve their full | | | | missing limbs, partial paralysis, and many others. |
| potential is Challenge Alaska which has worked with | | | | Adaptive Snowboard Training, consisting of |
| disabled athletes in Alaska for over twenty years. | | | | one-on-one sessions, costs less than $100 a day which |
| They are a non-profit organization that provides sports | | | | includes the cost of lift tickets and equipment. |
| and therapeutic recreation opportunities for those with | | | | Organizations like the Adaptive Recreation Center and |
| disabilities. This past winter, they worked with | | | | Challenge Alaska are true to the idea that we can do |
| developmentally disabled students of all ages, | | | | anything if we put our minds to it and that our |
| instructing more than one thousand lessons, to teach | | | | capabilities are more than our physical limitations. They |
| them skiing and snowboarding skills. | | | | have proven that snowboarding and other extreme |
| A type of snowboarding that is becoming more | | | | sports can be enjoyed by people with a wide variety |
| popular for those with physical disabilities is Adaptive | | | | of disabilities if they are simply given the confidence to |
| Snowboarding. Similar to the rugby sport mentioned | | | | try and the equipment and opportunity to shine. |