My new favourite thing… But what is it for?
Teaching adaptive skiing is always interesting. The starting point is to figure out what you want the skis to do; sliding, edging, turning, controlling speed and line. The next part is to figure out what the skier can do – what movements they can make in which direction, if they can balance while they do it and how much control of the movement they actually have. Then, and this is the tricky part, figure out what adaptive techniques and equipment are necessary to help that person ski.
A piece of equipment that has been in my toolbox forever is the ski links (originally called a ski bra). This is designed to help someone with limited leg movement and control to make a plough.
What it does for the skis and the skier is great, however, it is very heavy and cumbersome. I have been looking for a long time to find something lighter and smaller that is still robust enough to use with an adult. Something like an Edgy Wedgy but stronger.
Finally, at the end of last season I found the answer. Small enough to fit in my pocket, strong enough to work for an adult and designed so that it grips well on the ski.
This week I got the opportunity to try it out with a guy who has Cerebral Palsy. It was great – exactly what we needed, not too heavy, compact and strong enough to hold the tips of the skis together as he pushed his feet apart.
It’s satisfying to find something that does exactly what was hoped for. I’m looking forward to using it again next time I’m teaching someone who would benefit from it.