Adaptive Snowboarding

What is adaptive snowboarding?

Adaptive Snowboarding refers to a modified version of the sport, with changes in equipment, rules, and technical specifications that enable persons with physical disabilities to participate in both recreational and competitive activities.

Pipelines, shredding, jibbers, and boardercross are all part of snowboarding fun.  Adaptive snow sports centers across the U.S. and beyond are offering lessons, equipment rentals, and designated slopes and woodlands to keep snowboarders happy.

Adaptive snowboard events include male and female athletes with a physical disability such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, amputation, and visual impairments. Athletes compete based on their functional ability, allowing athletes with different disabilities to compete against each other.

A sling-shot Snowboardcross format provides a combination of both race and freestyle elements, while challenging the athletes regardless of their disability. The sling-shot format consists of a “best-of” 2 or 3 time trial runs. Adaptive snowboarding athletes compete and use the same venue as able-body Snowboardcross events at the provincial series level. The event format is also conducive to a classification process, which will be finalized by the adaptive snowboarding International Federation which has been yet to be determined.

In general, snowboards are chosen on the basis of the rider’s height, weight, and ability level, with the upright board’s length usually between the rider’s chin and nose. While designs are similar, details separate choices into three styles - freestyle, freeriding, and alpine and race boards. Some adaptive riders use outriggers to help balance themselves while they board, but many don't use any special equipment. Also bindings on the board can be moved to help with balance.

Prospective snowboarders with amputations or limb discrepancies will be reviewed according to their functional abilities as well as the type of prosthesis worn to determine which becomes the lead foot on the board.

As with any adaptive sport, equipment may either be rented or purchased, depending on the supply carried at the site where lessons are held.

The Canadian Snowboard Federation (CSF) has developed a comprehensive adaptive snowboarding program called the Canadian Adaptive Snowboard Program also known as CASP. The CASP consists of athlete development camps, adaptive snowboarding competitions, and training opportunities for coaches.

Although Adaptive Snowboarding has garnered enough attention from other snowboarders, the sport is still in its earliest stages of development. It may take a while before it gets included in the roster of games in the Winter Paralympic Games, but with the help of organizations willing to aid its development, it is not at all impossible for it to become a part of the world paralympic stage.

In much the same way that disabled athletes mastered adaptive ski equipment and techniques to bring their sport to a Paralympic level, it’s likely that adaptive snowboarders will also be producing glitzy moves and gravity-defying tricks suitable for international competition. This sport offers hope to those who feel that their physical disabilities hinder them from taking any form of physical activity ever again in their lives.

Further Information Regarding Adaptive Snowboarding

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