Amputee Ski Biking
Karl Entenmann
Description
Collection
Title:
Amputee Ski Biking
Creator:
Karl Entenmann
Date:
2/4/2007
Text:
Hello Esteemed Colleagues,
Have any of you heard of ski biking? I had not until one of our patients, J. Weil, who is also an ACA peer advisor, came in all excited about this sport. It's basically mountian bikes with skis. Greg Davidson, CPO and J. Weil have both ski biked quite a bit last winter and they are putting together a ski bike training session this winter near Seattle. Any amputees or clinicians who might be interested can contact me, J. Weil or Greg Davidson, CPO for further information. No clinic advertising or coersion will be allowed by my company or any other participant. This is strictly for fun and not for business. A larger ski bike festival will be held in Colorado this winter. Below are letters from J. and the fellow in CO.
Karl Entenmann, CPO
Greg Davidson, CPO
Preferred O and P
Federal Way, WA
(253) 952-3887
OUT OF THE BLUE.... Roy Meiworm the director of the 5th annual ski-bike festival in Durango, CO. He has been kind and encouraging in my efforts to create a ski-bike school for amputees. Roy knows and respects Ron who has attended the event 3 times. Ron and I have elected to attend the festival sometime between February 21-25. Roy is serious about conducting the first adaptive sports ski-bike race as part of the festival. Read the attached e-mail about Roy's dedication to this event. Mind you, the event is for ski-bikers and venders and the adaptive race is just one of the festival features. The attachment I have included is a letter from Scott Kelley, Griz. He is the former adaptive sports director of Durango Mountain.
I HAVE A DREAM, Roy has offered to help us find very inexpensive lodging and he will offer super prices on the lift-tickets. I know by late February we could encourage more than a few amputee ski-bikers and some normies to join us. We cannot wait until early February to commit. I have a full festival schedule I will bring to the office tomorrow. I must obtain the addresses and telephone numbers of amputees that may want to join our ski-bike school. I need to send the likely participants my introductory e-mail package. I will wait to introduce the festival. We need to get as many ski-biker amputees addicted to this sport before the festival. I am agar to show the ski-bike community and the amputee community that we are dedicated to introducing the ski-bike as an adaptive device.
I am going to depend on Greg an Carl to help me develop interest in your amputee patients. Let's make this happen, Durango is a resort town close to the NM border. The event is known as PURGATORY INTERNATIONAL SKI-BIKE FESTIVAL. Do a Google search and you will be encouraged to participate, if enough of your patients go you could probably write it off.
All this is happening smoothly, as it is supposed to be... pal, j
J Weil
AMPUTEE ADVOCATES
253-839-2831
----- Original Message ----- From: Roy Meiworm
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 5:02 PM
Subject: Howdy
Hi J,
My good friend Scott Kelly Griz has just resigned from the Adaptive Sports Program here at Durango Mountain Resort and before he left he emailed me this letter to use when I'm talking to other ski area's. He said you could use it if you needed it. I hope you don't mind, but I've been bragging about you down here.
I would still like to work something out with you regarding the festival
this season. Like I mentioned earlier I was already planning on introducing the adaptive side of ski-biking this season with Griz's help from the Adaptive Sport Program but now that he is leaving I could use some help. There are a coupe of other instructors from the Adaptive Sports crew that really enjoy using ski-bikes but they don't have the contacts around the country like Griz had. They said they would be willing to help. J, I'm already going to have the Duel Slalom and the Multi Course setup and reserved just for the festival that we could use to put on the 1st Annual National Adaptive Sports Ski-bike Race or what ever you would like to call it, I'm open. If you go to any ski area in the country or the world it would cost you a fortune to close a course and have sno-cats come in and build a special course just for your event. BUT, I could offer it for free at Durango Mountain Resort. How can I do that you say? I'm also the cat driver that builds the
course for the festival so I donate my time. My department owns are own sno-cat that I use to clear snow away from the lifts that I use to build the courses. If I had to call in the other sno-cats to build these special courses they would charge me $1500 - $2000. Then the Race Department wants money for closing the courses to the public. But again I have worked out a deal with them not to charge me anymore. This is a great opportunity to put on a national event for little to no money at all, it's already done. All we have to do is add it to my event calender and start promoting it. The only thing I can think of that might cost some money are the awards. I just need someone to take lead on this and I think you would be perfect for it. That's what Griz was going to do for me before he resigned. This festival is the largest event in North America. It already has a great reputation and everyone already knows it's going on every year. Please think about it? All
of your friends around the country would have until the end of February to learn how to ride at their own resorts and then they could all meet up at the festival and ride together at one area at one time. How cool would that be, I would love to see that come together. That would be a great goal for a lot of people. Don't you think? Your friends would also have the opportunity to check out all of the ski-bike manufactures that attend the festival. It's really the only place in the world I've been told that you can test ride so many ski-bikes in one place, just ask Ron. We could plan this every year from now on or change resorts each year depending on costs. I send a letter out every year to every ski area in the country that allows ski-bikes inviting them to the festival. I plan on mailing these out by the end of October. If we could put a plan together by then I could send out the same letter to all of the adaptive sports programs inviting them to join us
also. Let me know what you think? If we can't do it here, just let me know what I can do to help somewhere else.
Take care my friend!
Roy Meiworm
970-759-1046
P.S. I'm not sure if I've told you or not, but the Canadian Discovery Channel will be here covering the festival this year. Could be some good air time for ya. I should have some other media coverage here also.
September 6, 2006
To Whom It May Concern:
The Adaptive Sports Association, a ski & ride school for people with disabilities, began using ski bikes as an adaptive tool during the 2004-2005 winter season. Since then we have increased the quantity and quality of our instructor training, and have found many applications for ski bikes which increase the diversity and depth of our program.
Traditionally, adaptive programs have had difficulty finding appropriate accessible skiing for people whose disabilities prevent them from walking well but do not use a wheelchair. In the past the choices have been limited to 4-tracking and mono-skiing. 4-track skiing is done standing on two skis with outriggers, similar to crutches with small skis on them. The mono-ski is a sit-down piece of equipment, most appropriate for paraplegics. It feels very restrictive to those who do not use wheelchairs. Both 4-tracking and mono-skiing are difficult to learn and the process is typically exhausting.
Ski bikes have done an incredible job of filling this gap and providing another avenue for people with disabilities to get on the snow. Our greatest successes have been with students with Multiple Sclerosis. Often they have struggled with 4-tracking, finding it difficult and exhausting. We knew we were on the right track that first winter. We were working with two women with MS who had been struggling for three days to learn 4-tracking. They were still a long way from leaving the beginner area when we decided to try ski bikes. The rapid success was amazing. After two quick runs at the beginner area, the women were both able to venture to the top of the mountain and ride all the way down, one of them completely independently.
Ski bikes have opened new doors of possibility for many with disabilities. It is an exciting sport which shows great promise for many, many people regardless of ability or disability.
Sincerely,
Scott “Griz” Kelley
Program Director
Adaptive Sports Association
Durango, CO
Have any of you heard of ski biking? I had not until one of our patients, J. Weil, who is also an ACA peer advisor, came in all excited about this sport. It's basically mountian bikes with skis. Greg Davidson, CPO and J. Weil have both ski biked quite a bit last winter and they are putting together a ski bike training session this winter near Seattle. Any amputees or clinicians who might be interested can contact me, J. Weil or Greg Davidson, CPO for further information. No clinic advertising or coersion will be allowed by my company or any other participant. This is strictly for fun and not for business. A larger ski bike festival will be held in Colorado this winter. Below are letters from J. and the fellow in CO.
Karl Entenmann, CPO
Greg Davidson, CPO
Preferred O and P
Federal Way, WA
(253) 952-3887
OUT OF THE BLUE.... Roy Meiworm the director of the 5th annual ski-bike festival in Durango, CO. He has been kind and encouraging in my efforts to create a ski-bike school for amputees. Roy knows and respects Ron who has attended the event 3 times. Ron and I have elected to attend the festival sometime between February 21-25. Roy is serious about conducting the first adaptive sports ski-bike race as part of the festival. Read the attached e-mail about Roy's dedication to this event. Mind you, the event is for ski-bikers and venders and the adaptive race is just one of the festival features. The attachment I have included is a letter from Scott Kelley, Griz. He is the former adaptive sports director of Durango Mountain.
I HAVE A DREAM, Roy has offered to help us find very inexpensive lodging and he will offer super prices on the lift-tickets. I know by late February we could encourage more than a few amputee ski-bikers and some normies to join us. We cannot wait until early February to commit. I have a full festival schedule I will bring to the office tomorrow. I must obtain the addresses and telephone numbers of amputees that may want to join our ski-bike school. I need to send the likely participants my introductory e-mail package. I will wait to introduce the festival. We need to get as many ski-biker amputees addicted to this sport before the festival. I am agar to show the ski-bike community and the amputee community that we are dedicated to introducing the ski-bike as an adaptive device.
I am going to depend on Greg an Carl to help me develop interest in your amputee patients. Let's make this happen, Durango is a resort town close to the NM border. The event is known as PURGATORY INTERNATIONAL SKI-BIKE FESTIVAL. Do a Google search and you will be encouraged to participate, if enough of your patients go you could probably write it off.
All this is happening smoothly, as it is supposed to be... pal, j
J Weil
AMPUTEE ADVOCATES
253-839-2831
----- Original Message ----- From: Roy Meiworm
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 5:02 PM
Subject: Howdy
Hi J,
My good friend Scott Kelly Griz has just resigned from the Adaptive Sports Program here at Durango Mountain Resort and before he left he emailed me this letter to use when I'm talking to other ski area's. He said you could use it if you needed it. I hope you don't mind, but I've been bragging about you down here.
I would still like to work something out with you regarding the festival
this season. Like I mentioned earlier I was already planning on introducing the adaptive side of ski-biking this season with Griz's help from the Adaptive Sport Program but now that he is leaving I could use some help. There are a coupe of other instructors from the Adaptive Sports crew that really enjoy using ski-bikes but they don't have the contacts around the country like Griz had. They said they would be willing to help. J, I'm already going to have the Duel Slalom and the Multi Course setup and reserved just for the festival that we could use to put on the 1st Annual National Adaptive Sports Ski-bike Race or what ever you would like to call it, I'm open. If you go to any ski area in the country or the world it would cost you a fortune to close a course and have sno-cats come in and build a special course just for your event. BUT, I could offer it for free at Durango Mountain Resort. How can I do that you say? I'm also the cat driver that builds the
course for the festival so I donate my time. My department owns are own sno-cat that I use to clear snow away from the lifts that I use to build the courses. If I had to call in the other sno-cats to build these special courses they would charge me $1500 - $2000. Then the Race Department wants money for closing the courses to the public. But again I have worked out a deal with them not to charge me anymore. This is a great opportunity to put on a national event for little to no money at all, it's already done. All we have to do is add it to my event calender and start promoting it. The only thing I can think of that might cost some money are the awards. I just need someone to take lead on this and I think you would be perfect for it. That's what Griz was going to do for me before he resigned. This festival is the largest event in North America. It already has a great reputation and everyone already knows it's going on every year. Please think about it? All
of your friends around the country would have until the end of February to learn how to ride at their own resorts and then they could all meet up at the festival and ride together at one area at one time. How cool would that be, I would love to see that come together. That would be a great goal for a lot of people. Don't you think? Your friends would also have the opportunity to check out all of the ski-bike manufactures that attend the festival. It's really the only place in the world I've been told that you can test ride so many ski-bikes in one place, just ask Ron. We could plan this every year from now on or change resorts each year depending on costs. I send a letter out every year to every ski area in the country that allows ski-bikes inviting them to the festival. I plan on mailing these out by the end of October. If we could put a plan together by then I could send out the same letter to all of the adaptive sports programs inviting them to join us
also. Let me know what you think? If we can't do it here, just let me know what I can do to help somewhere else.
Take care my friend!
Roy Meiworm
970-759-1046
P.S. I'm not sure if I've told you or not, but the Canadian Discovery Channel will be here covering the festival this year. Could be some good air time for ya. I should have some other media coverage here also.
September 6, 2006
To Whom It May Concern:
The Adaptive Sports Association, a ski & ride school for people with disabilities, began using ski bikes as an adaptive tool during the 2004-2005 winter season. Since then we have increased the quantity and quality of our instructor training, and have found many applications for ski bikes which increase the diversity and depth of our program.
Traditionally, adaptive programs have had difficulty finding appropriate accessible skiing for people whose disabilities prevent them from walking well but do not use a wheelchair. In the past the choices have been limited to 4-tracking and mono-skiing. 4-track skiing is done standing on two skis with outriggers, similar to crutches with small skis on them. The mono-ski is a sit-down piece of equipment, most appropriate for paraplegics. It feels very restrictive to those who do not use wheelchairs. Both 4-tracking and mono-skiing are difficult to learn and the process is typically exhausting.
Ski bikes have done an incredible job of filling this gap and providing another avenue for people with disabilities to get on the snow. Our greatest successes have been with students with Multiple Sclerosis. Often they have struggled with 4-tracking, finding it difficult and exhausting. We knew we were on the right track that first winter. We were working with two women with MS who had been struggling for three days to learn 4-tracking. They were still a long way from leaving the beginner area when we decided to try ski bikes. The rapid success was amazing. After two quick runs at the beginner area, the women were both able to venture to the top of the mountain and ride all the way down, one of them completely independently.
Ski bikes have opened new doors of possibility for many with disabilities. It is an exciting sport which shows great promise for many, many people regardless of ability or disability.
Sincerely,
Scott “Griz” Kelley
Program Director
Adaptive Sports Association
Durango, CO
Citation
Karl Entenmann, “Amputee Ski Biking,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed December 24, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/227742.
