Adaptive Snowboarding - The New Sport for the Disabled

Read More About Extreme

Many times those with developmental mental or physical disabilities are discriminated against in our society. They are discriminated based solely on their disability, not on what they can and cannot do. Happily, in the sports arena, those with disabilities are getting a chance to display their skills.

For those that still believe that the loss of a limb makes someone unable to play sports, I strongly recommend that they see the film "Murder Ball", a little seen 2005 documentary about wheel chair rugby, where athletes missing one or more limbs go all out in full contact mode to win a championship. I guarantee that anyone after seeing this movie will have a lot more respect for those with disabilities among us.

The sport of snowboarding garnered massive exposure during the 2002 Winter Olympics which were held in Park City, Utah. It is considered an extreme sort and can be difficult sport to master, even for regular athletes. It combines elements of surfing, skateboarding and skiing. Yet, these days, we're finding more and more people with disabilities on the snowboarding slopes.

Challenge Alaska is a perfect instance of an organization which has worked with disabled persons in order to assist them in achieving their full potential. They have been involved in working with disabled athletes in Alaska for more than twenty years. They are non-profit and they provide sports and therapeutic recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. In fact, last winter, they worked tirelessly with developmentally disabled students of all ages to teach them skiing and snowboarding skills. All in all, they instructed over one thousand of these lessons.

One type of snowboarding that has become very popular for people with physical disabilities is Adaptive Snowboarding. Adaptive snowboarding is very reminiscent of the sport of rugby. It allows partly disabled sportsmen and women to participate in the sport of snowboarding. Many people are just starting to become aware of Adaptive Snowboarding, even though it has been around for years.

The sport is relatively new but manufacturers are already beginning to develop specialized snowboards and equipment built around the sport. Counts vary as to how many adaptive riders there are in the country with no one having a hard number, but everyone agrees that it's popularity is growing rapidly. The short term goal is to eventually have Adaptive Snowboarding included as an athletic competition in the Winter Paralympic Games, possibly as soon as the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Whistler.

One organization at the forefront of teaching the sport of Adaptive Snowboarding is the non profit U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center at the Bear Mountain Ski Resort in California. They have a full staff of recreational therapists on board to lead and monitor the training. They accept people with disabilities of all types including blindness, autism, spinal cord injuries, missing limbs, partial paralysis, and many others. Adaptive Snowboard Training, consisting of one-on-one sessions, costs less than $100 a day which includes the cost of lift tickets and equipment.

Organizations like the Adaptive Recreation Center and Challenge Alaska are true to the idea that we can do anything if we put our minds to it and that our capabilities are more than our physical limitations. They have proven that snowboarding and other extreme sports can be enjoyed by people with a wide variety of disabilities if they are simply given the confidence to try and the equipment and opportunity to shine.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

For additional snowboarding tips such as learn to snowboard and womens snowboard bindings, please visit our website.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Extreme Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Sports | Extreme

Tips For Waxing Your Snowboard - By : Jim Garza
Snowboard Waxing Preparation - By : Jim Garza
Taking The Best Paintball Gun - By : Gina G. Stewart
Getting The Best Paintball Protective Gear - By : Hugh J. Lara
Study street based self defense moves & techniques! - By : Mike Lawson
Sydney Seaplanes will keep you mesmerized - By : Rajkumar Jonnala
Learn Street Fighting Moves To Destroy and Dominate Any Attacker! - By : Mike Lawson
Having Fun On Your First Ski Trip - By : Aaron Jochum
Why Wearing Snowboarding Helmets Is Important - By : Jim Garza
Michelin Bike Tires Prove Themselves In Touring Races - By : Betty Jo Belvedere

Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready

Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap

New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service