SkiBike Adaptive

Adaptive..

This section exists as an informational and inspirational resource for existing and prospective adaptive snowriders. The exemplary balance and control characteristics that make the skibike a favorite of the able-bodied, also create an excellent platform for riders with certain types of disabilities. The opportunity exists for many people, who may have thought that their skiing days were over, to be able to get back out on the slopes and play...

This section was originally conceived by Dr. Jeffrey Cain, an adaptive skibiker from Colorado, in the early 2000's. He initially was available for consultation, but has since gone incommunicado.

--Dr. Jeffrey Cain
Adaptive SkiBiker

Correspondence ******************************************************************************

From: Mark Potter, Attorney at Law, Center for Disability Access 10-20-05

Note: This letter is in response to ongoing correspondence with Dr. Cain regarding skibike access in California. Mr. Potters firm is willing to take an appropriate case to trial that would set a legal precedent regarding adaptive skibike access to ski areas.

~~~Yes, I am very interested in pursuing a case with the right facts regarding ski bikes. If you know of anyone with a disability that is denied use of a ski bike in CA, please send them my way.

From: John Lincoln, Maine Handicapped Skiing Program 10-18-05 *Excerpt
Jeff,
~~~You may not remember, but we did meet at last year's Ski Spectacular and did talk about the Ski Bikes. As a result of our discussion and my viewing of them on the mountain we purchased two for our program (Maine Handicapped Skiing) at Sunday River Ski Resort. We also use them at Sugarloaf USA (also in Maine) where we operate the adaptive program. I agree with you that they are very useful and we had instant success with several participants. Our mountains do not allow the devices for the general public, but were more than willing to allow us to use them as adaptive devices, especially as we had trained volunteers skiing with our participants.
~~~I look forward to continuing this dialog.
Regards,
John Lincoln

From: Scott Kelly, Program Director, Adaptive Sports Association, Durango Mtn Resort, CO
3-25-2005 *Excerpt
Jeff-
~~Griz, here - Program Director for the Adaptive Sports Association in Durango. We met several seasons ago and you introduced me to the idea of adding skibikes to our program.
~~I am proud to say that we have finally jumped in with both feet. We have trained on the bikes and are now training our instructors to provide lessons for people with disabilities.
~~We have had nearly a dozen successful students, most notably people with MS. Great lessons with folks with MD and CP. I can't tell you how excited I am to have finally gotten the ball rolling - it has opened up a new world of possibilities for many people who would have traditionally fallen into a frustrating void between stand-up and sit-down skiing.
Scott "Griz" Kelley
Program Director
~~Thanks for considering this and for pointing me in the direction of snowbikes. We missed you at the festival.
Happy Trails-
Griz

From: J Weil, Amputee Advocates (253-839-2831) 4-27-2006
Hi Jeff,
~~Thank you for leading the way. I read the article in the archives of In Motion magazine and you introduced me to a glorious return to the slopes. It took about an hour to introduce myself to the mechanics of body centering, weight shift and applying edges. I made 8 chair runs the first day. On my second outing I was able to descend a slope that was so steep I returned to that "on-the-edge" thrill that was absent for 25 years. Your example and encouragement is prompting me to introduce this sport to our amputee community in the area. I am a volunteer activist in our area. Unfortunately, amputees sometimes fold within themselves and accept restrictions on their body use. Some amputee pals snow ski and I admire their courage and grit.
~~They don't know what they are missing and I intend to introduce them to skibiking. I am going to spend the next 9 months accumulating 4 more bikes. I want to use the same means that got me hooked. Ron Mickelberry loaned me a bike, gave me lessons and encouragement. I intend to introduce the sport to some of my amputee pals. I must have some bikes to loan to get it introduced. I bought 2 Stalmach's from Roy Meiworm and I have written to the Stalmach group and asked for a good deal on 2 more bikes that I intend to use to introduce skibobbing to amputees on .
~~On my second skibiking adventure I invited Greg Davidson, my prosthetist to go with me. Greg created a ski-foot that fit into a skibinding. Like most amputees, I had an extra foot hanging around. Greg was thrilled with the adventure and reflected how important this sport could be to amputees. He proposes to write an article in his professional O & P Journal about the user-friendly nature and positive exercise with low impact on residual limbs. Greg called Roy M. and ordered a Stalmach the next day.
~~I read about the British Disabled Veterans experience on skibikes and they have made the sport part of the recovery protocol. And thank you for your tips on opening closed minded ski areas I have one area that needs to experience skibobs.
~~Jeff, you have been significant to my addiction, I intend to keep your e-mail in my address book. I want to keep you informed and occasionally ask your opinion. This is all new and yet I feel welcomed by the skibiking community. Thanks so much, j

From: J Weil, Amputee Advocates (253-839-2831) February-2007

Dr. Cain and the ASA:
   As I write this it seems a shallow way to express my gratitude for the way you have helped bring ski-biking to a bunch of amputees in the Northwest. Over a dozen amputees have been touched by the thrill of being with friends and experiencing an adventure on the snow. This kind of experience was never a possibility before the introduction of adaptive ski-biking. Although some amputees can still ski on those long boards bound to boots, that experience is more fatiguing and stressful than ski-biking. Most above-the-knee amputees (AK) ski on one leg, riding a ski-bike can wear a prosthesis. Andy, a former downhill racer who lost his leg in a skiing accident was instantly back into downhill racing on a ski-bike. Mykke, a middle aged lady with both legs amputated below the knees and had never skied before mentioned this was the most fun she could ever remember having.
   Each amputee ski-biker has a story about their loss and the joy of their experience with ski-biking. Without your help, encouragement and advice this uplifting, joyous experience wouldn't be available to these amputees. This weekend we will introduce this sport to 3 amputees, another 3 will be joining us for the third and fourth time.
   This ski-bike forum, community and you have made this opportunity for amputees possible. Other amputees throughout the world have used these ski-bikes for what is called "adaptive-skiing". I urge you to encourage amputees to try this sport, the dozen I have taught are hopelessly addicted and I am becoming the Northwest pusher. Thanks, J

From: J Weil, Amputee Advocates (253-839-2831) December 26,2007

Hi JC... A couple of weeks ago Snoqualmie ski areas opened. We've been up a couple of times. We amputees are seldom peggers, Greg has helped design an adaptation to the foot-ski that makes it easier to use. I was having difficulty walking in the lift-line and on the approach to the chair. Those foot-skis kept sliding and I couldn't angle them to get purchase. He cut a 1" strip of Lexon, then he cut some "teeth" in the strip. They faced so they slide forward without significant resistance but they also gripped the snow in attempts to walk forward. The teeth provided purchase in the snow. This simple adaptation has eliminated another problem I had encountered....We have installed the strips on all the foot-skis. The "regular" ski-bikers like the idea.

Greg and I are still trying to reinvent the ski-to-bike bracket that will allow anyone to create their own ski-bike or Xbike. I have an Aluminum, 20", BMX frame with a bananna seat and I am going to mount a bracket with a shock absorber incorporated in the design. Our preliminary testing shows the control and comfort of the ride is significantly better than the standard ski-bike...more information to follow.... Pal, j

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Personal Stories ******************************************************************************

Riding at Snowbasin, UT
March 10, 2005

Hello Friends,

~~~After eleven years not being able to ski because of my dystrophy, I found by chance in early February the Brenter Snowbike. I took delivery 10 days ago and today had my second and third run down the SnowBasin mountain. I never thought it would be possible to ski down SnowBasin let alone any mountain again, but I have proven myself wrong because I can on the Snowbike and oh what an exhilarating feeling it is. I'm learning quickly and having so much fun. You cannot imagine what it feels like.
~~~Anyway, I thought you would like to see the attached photos taken today.
~~~Thanks to Roger Hollenbach and Dr. Brenter for their help getting me set up so quickly and Dan and Barry for their support as I made my way down the mountain these past 2 weekends.

Howard

Discovering a SkiBike..

Justin DeBoer 4/08/2003

~~~They say MS is not a painful disease. “Hi Dad. You make the condo reservations.

The whole family wants to go skiing over New Years.” Lisa, my daughter, was

probably infused with an overdose of self-esteem as a child. As a thirty-year old adult,

it is almost impossible for me to say no to her much less win an argument.

Photo: Justin takes a break at the 2003 SkiBike America Festival, Durango Mtn, CO >>

~~~A few years ago when I turned fifty, I did a self-evaluation. I decided instead of being an average participant in a lot of activities, I was going to try to be good at one thing. What could I do well or learn to do well? Skiing. My family liked it. I could ski with my grandchildren probably into my seventies. Great!

~~~MS? “Well, it’s a very hard disease to diagnose.” I have no feeling in my right leg, ‘banding’ around my chest, a numb left arm and numb fingers. “Well this is frustrating. I know when the lights go out on my car, I replace the bulb. If it still doesn’t work, follow the wiring until you find the break. With all this fancy equipment, can’t you do that with nerves?”

~~~“It’s not that easy.” (How much is this going to cost?) “You have the classic symptoms, you’re in your late thirties so you’re the right age and your MRI and spinal tap tell us, unfortunately, that you have Multiple Sclerosis.”

~~~Great! I live in a tri-level house, ride motorcycles, race go-karts, play sports and have two kids in junior high. What now? And how fast will the disease progress before I can’t walk or stand? Think... Think...

~~~It’s almost Christmas. I know! Let’s go to LA for Christmas while I can still walk, take the kids to see Mickey Mouse and take in the sights of southern California. We’ll worry about the house, the car and my adult toys when we get back to Oregon.

~~~I think the doctors screwed up. It’s been a few years since I saw my neurologist and most of my symptoms are gone. Pass that off to a bad, scary experience and get on with life. In fact, I need new skis. If we’re going to go skiing in Idaho every year I’d better have some new equipment.

~~~“Come on dad. We haven’t skied the last two years. I talked to Brent and Kellie. They can go. We’ll have the whole family together. How many more times can we do that? You’ll be fine.”

~~~Yah, great. I’ll be fine sitting in the condo watching Days of Our Lives and Dr. Phil. Shoot me now!! I was skiing great when my symptoms came back a few years ago only now my legs had no stamina and my balance was shot. The last time I skied it was over New Years of 2000. As long as I was moving I was OK but when I stopped I fell over.

~~~MS is a very painful disease. When I fell it was usually on a flat spot or in the ski lift line. My pride hurt and my body hurt. Three or four Advil every couple of hours took care of the pain in my body but it did nothing for my pride.

~~~“Come on Dad. Call over there and reserve a condo. You’re fine”

~~~I guess she’s right. How many more times will we have the whole family together? Besides, who wants to tell her no? I didn’t say it to her but I thought about it the day she had her baby, my first grandchild. I always thought how cool it is going to be to ski with my grandchildren. My first grandchild will be with me in a winter wonderland and all I can do is make snowballs with her. Isn’t that special Dr. Phil?

~~~“OK. I’ll make the reservations but you’ll have to do the rest because if this trip is left up to me to organize, it’s not going to happen.

~~~Read any good books lately? I wonder if they get the Speed Channel at the condo? Days of Our Lives? Dr. Phil? My daughter was too persuasive this time.

~~~It looks like I’m going to the snow country so I’d better make the most of it. I heard about an ‘Adaptive Skier’ program at Vail Resort in Colorado. What the heck is an ‘Adaptive Skier’? It turns out, they use SkiBikes for skiers with disabilities, bad knees, bad backs or bad attitudes. Put me in the latter category now.

~~~I checked them out on the Internet. Pretty neat. Like a mountain bike except there are short skis where the wheels should be. The rider has short skis on their feet. Maybe I can do this. I talked to my brother who is involved with Brundage Mountain Ski Resort in Idaho. “We’ll order two of them. You shouldn’t have all the fun!”

~~~Late December we headed to the condo in Idaho. I can do this. ……..I think. What if I can’t do it? No skiing. Hello Dr.Phil, and my brother is out a lot of money for an ‘Adaptive Skier” device that I can’t use.

~~~Day one. A steep learning curve, but I can do this. It is a lot less painful to fall two feet than six. And a whole lot easier to get back up.

~~~Day two. A helmet and more speed. Yippee!! I can go all over the mountain and ‘ski’ with my family again.

~~~Day three. “Get up! Let’s go. The lift opens at ten o’clock.”

~~~MS is a painful disease, but the pain is not regulated by Advil since it does nothing for bruised pride. The pain is regulated by the discovery of new devices that make an MS patient feel normal again.

~~~Dr. Phil, go ahead and start without me. I’m up on the mountain...

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Site Menu

*Photo Gallery*

Personal Stories

Resort Preparation Letters

>Articles

PSIA Adaptive Article (Jeff Cain Profile)

Challenge Magazine Article (DSUSA)

In-Motion Article

In-Motion Article 2

Hartford Ski Spectacular-06 (DSUSA)

Adaptive - Motorcycling

Steamboat Pilot

Billings Gazette: Adaptive Bike Design

Web Links

Adaptive Sports Association

BLESMA

Center for Disability Access

Challenge Aspen

Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA)

Enabling Technologies

National Sports Center for the Disabled

Vail Adaptive Program

Wheelchair Athletes

See the "Ski Areas" section below for resort affiliations and contact information

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Calendar

• The Annual Hartford Ski Spectacular: December 1 - 3, 2020 >Virtual event

Information: http://www.moveunitedsport.org/virtual-ski-spectacular-2020

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News

December 2004: Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA) again held their annual Adaptive Ski Spectacular at Breckenridge, CO. Luke Von Maldegham (K2 Representative) joined Dr. Cain to teach adaptive skiers and riders. The publication of an adaptive skibiking article in the DSUSA magazine, released the first day of the event, provided additional inspiration. Building upon last years introduction, interest was high. At next years event, the DSUSA plans to include on-snow and classroom workshops on the adaptive ski-bike taught by their (certified) PSIA instructors. Dr. Cain was invited to join the Adaptive Equipment Standards Committee, with the goal of creating adaptive skibike standards this year.

The Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers hosted an event at Sunshine Ski Area in Alberta.

On April 6 and 7, 2005, Dr. Cain and Luke Von Maldegham (K2 rep) taught the adaptive use of the skibike. The Association instructors were able to learn about the device, and several areas showed interest in integrating the ski-bike into their programs.

December 2005: Once again, Dr. Cain displayed the ski bike as an adaptive device and taught adaptive instructors from throughout the country at the Disabled Sports USA Ski Spectacular adaptive instructors conference in Breckenridge, CO.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) is hosting the 19th International Congress on Adapted Sport June 15-19, 2006 in Timberline, Oregon (Mt. Hood). For the first time, skibiking is included in the offerings. The operations manager for the organization, Beth Fox, published an article in the Winter 05 issue of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) magazine “The Professional Skier” titled “Bridging the Gap” that describes their use of the ski bike as an adaptive device at her adaptive program. This magazine was mailed to every able bodied and adaptive ski program and instructor in the U.S. You can request a copy of the article from PSIA at: 303-987-9390

Once again, we had a great event at the 06 DSUSA Ski Spectacular (December 3-10) demonstrating the ski-bike for adaptive use.This year BLESMA (British Limb-less Ex Serviceman’s Association) sent a contingent of their veterans with amputation to participate. Three members of their team (including two Above-Knee amps) demonstrated the ski-bike as an adaptive device at the event, along with ASA members Jeff Cain and Jeff Rapp. The Ski Spectacular is the nation’s largest gathering of adaptive skiers and instructors. For the first time at the event, the ski-bike was included formally in an adaptive instructor’s course in addition to its demonstrations on the hill and an educational display.
Photos

Once again, the December 2008 Hartford Ski Spectacular featured on-snow instructional clinics for adaptive ski instructors and participation from a team of skibikers from the British Limbless Ex Serviceman's Organization (BLESMA). This year, the demand for skibike instruction was so high that a second clinic was added. A photo from the event can be viewed in the Gallery.

Winter 07 Adaptive Report

Interest in the ski bike as an adaptive device continues to grow. Adaptive clinics were included in the 07 PSIA summer adaptive instructors course on the Mt Hood glacier. December of 07 brought all three distributers of ski bikes in the (Brenter, Stalmach, and Sledgehammer) to this year's DSUSA Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge . Once again Ski Spec included an instructors’ course for adaptive ski bikes in the nation's largest adaptive instructors event.

Momentum seems to be building, as comments from adaptive instructors have now changed from "what is a ski bike and why should I even think about one" to "the ski bike is really working great in our adaptive program" and "we have heard a lot about using ski bikes adaptively, who is selling them and where can I try one"?.

Once again BLESMA brought a team of amputee ski bikers from to Ski Spec where they were able to share their success with DSUSA, the Wounded Warrior Project, and representatives from the Disabled American Veterans.

Articles about adaptive ski biking are scheduled to be published during the winter of 07 in adaptive magazines that include Active Living and InMotion (Amputee Coalition of America).

Jeff

*Stalmach, a skibike manufacturer from Austria, has developed a tandem (2 place) skibike that is being marketed to Adaptive (and able-bodied) cleintele. This bike would be ideal as an instructional tool, allowing the instructor and student to ride concurrently. For information: stalmach@sbg.at / www.stalmach.com

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Ski Areas

This is a partial listing of resorts that do not allow open able-bodied access, that have been known to allow adaptive skibikers with prior permission, which may entail a written request. For a listing of able-bodied accessible areas, see the "Ski Areas" website section, adaptive access would also be permissible at these areas, under existing guidelines.

COLORADO:

Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Loveland, Vail, Winter Park

OTHER STATES:

Brundage Mountain, ID

Jackson Hole, WY

Known Ski Areas with Full Adaptive Skibike Instructional Programs (skibike provided)

COLORADO:

Aspen at Snowmass: (Challenge Aspen) >970-923-0578 | P.O. Box M, Aspen, CO 81612

possibilities@challengeaspen.com | www.challengeaspen.com

Durango Mtn Resort: (Adaptive Sports Association) >Winter: 970-385-2163, >Summer:

970-259 0374 | PO Box 1884, Durango, CO 81302 | asa@frontier.net | www.asadurango.org

Vail: (Adaptive Ski Program) >970- 479-3264 | P.O. Box 7, Vail, CO 81658

vailinfo@vailresorts.com | http://vail.snow.com/info/mtn.adaptive.asp

Winter Park: (National Sports Center for the Disabled ) >303-316-1540 | P.O. Box 1290,

Winter Park, CO 80482 | info@nscd.org | www.nscd.org

OTHER STATES:

Eagle Mountain, Bozeman MT > 406-586-1781

Sunday River Ski Resort / Sugarloaf USA, Maine. See related letter below.

Sunrise Park Resort, Greer AZ > 928-735-7669 x2306

Also see: Maine Handicapped Skiing ____________________________________________________________________________

< Another new adaptive skibike from Stalmach - the Quan

Adaptive Skibiking Film (2014)

Adaptive in Minnesota

February 7, 2015

I just started using the ski bike this season through a group from Courage Kenny Institute in Minneapolis as an adaptive rider, and I absolutely love it! It is a new piece of equipment for the adaptive ski program, and I am thrilled to be the guinea pig (so to speak) with it. I have a degenerative neurological disorder similar to MS, and it has been emotionally painful to stop the activities I have loved all my life. I had never skied before I started 5 years ago in the Courage Center program, and it has given me a piece of my life back I thought was permanently closed. Each week (it is an 8 week program with the same instructors) I am getting better and more confident, and now I live for Sunday afternoons when I can get out on the hill, ski almost independently and learn how to maneuver the bike. I know the website has an adaptive feature and would love to add to it! The pictures are from a couple of weeks ago; maybe one day I will go out to some real mountains for serious alpine skiing, and I know if I ever have that chance I will be using a ski-bike!

Annie Hickman