Winter Sports

DWA Sit-Skiier.jpeg

INTRODUCTION | Skiing

Para-alpine skiing is a modified version of alpine-skiing for athletes with a physical disability. It was started by German and Austrian war veterans who returned from World War II injured, but still wanted to participate in winter sports. Alpine-skiing was in the first Paralympic Games, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. It has been a prestigious winter sport ever since. Men and women compete separately across different disciplines. Para-alpine skiing is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

All images © to Disabled WinterSports Australia

Mark Soyer. Disabled Wintersport Australia - Front - Perisher.jpg

Introduction | SnowBoarding

Para-snowboard emerged much later as a competitive winter sport. It was added to the Paralympic Winter Program in 2012 by the IPC. Para-snowboard made its debut at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, held in Sochi, Russia.

All images © to Disabled WinterSports Australia

How to Participate in Winter Sports 

How to Ski

Skiing is a recreational and competitive winter sport that involves gliding down a snow-faced mountain on a pair of skis. A ski is a relatively narrow strip of material, attached to each foot by bindings that lock in the ski boot. The bindings release the athlete under certain pressure to minimize the chance of injury should they fall or hit an obstacle. In competitive skiing, athletes are timed as they race down a course outlined by a series of poles. The aim is to get a faster time than your competitors.  


There are four major disciplines in para-alpine skiing: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G and Downhill. Slalom has the narrowest course and thus the shortest turns. Giant Slalom has a wider course and longer turns than Slalom. A Super-G course is bigger than Giant Slalom. Downhill is the fastest discipline as it has a very long course but few turns. 

How to Snowboard

Snowboarders ride down the mountain with a snowboard attached to their feet. A snowboard is a thick board approximately the length of the rider’s body. Snowboarding differs to monoskiing because of the stance of the user. Monoskiiers ski with their feet in line with the direction of travel. Snowboarders ride with their feet transverse to the longitude of the board.  

Para-snowboard features two disciplines at the Paralympic Games; banked slalom and snowboard-cross, with giant slalom to make its Paralympic debut at the Beijing 2022 Games.. Each boarder completes three runs down the course with their finish time of their best two runs determining the final order based on ascending time. There is only one rider on the course at a time. The event takes place on a man-made course constructed from a variety of terrain features like bank turns, various types of jumps and rollers etc. 

Who can Ski

Impairment Type

To be eligible for para-alpine skiing athletes must have a physical impairment (such as limb loss or limb deficiency, spinal cord injury, nerve damage, cerebral palsy) or vision impairment.

However, to participate at a social level, people with any disability are welcome to join in on the experience. Disabled Wintersport Australia is the National Sporting Organisation for Adaptive Alpine Skiing and tries to be as all inclusive as possible. They encourage people to find their freedom on snow and involve themselves wherever and as much as possible with the fantastic experience.

Classification

Every skier is classified based on their type of disability. There are three disability classes:

  1. Standing

  2. Blind

  3. Sitting

The standing class includes athletes with amputations that have enough functionality to ski standing up with the assistance of adaptive equipment such as outrigger skis that support balance. There are 11 sub-classes in the standing category (LW1 – LW9.2).

Athletes with vision impairment compete in one of three blind classes: B1 Totally Blind, B2 Visual acuity of less than 2/60, B3 Visual acuity of 2/60 to 6/60. 

The sitting class includes athletes with quadriplegia or severe limb deficiencies who compete sitting down in a wheelchair-like ski called a mono-ski. There are 5 sub-classes in the sitting category (L10 – L12.2). 

Athletes are given a time handicap for each run depending on their classification. 

WHO CAN SnowBoard

IMPAIRMENT TYPE

To be eligible for para-snowboard, athletes must have a physical disability that impairs the upper or lower limbs. Para-snowboard does not include athletes with a visual impairment, like para-alpine skiing. 

CLASSIFICATION

Athletes are separated into three functionality classes:
SB-LL-1 Boarders with significant lower limb impairment in one or both legs. Athletes may use prosthesis as required. 
SB-LL-2 Boarders with lower limb impairment one or both legs with less activity limitation. 
SB-UL Boarders with upper limb impairment in at least one arm.

How Do I Get Classified?

Please contact Disabled WinterSport Australia (DWA) if you have a physical or vision impairment and want to 'get classified' to ski/ride against other athletes with a disability. They will be able to provide details of opportunities to get classified.

E: info@disabledwintersport.com.au
P: 1300 265 730

Where can you Participate?

AUSTRALIA


Resources

Videos

Intro to Alpine Skiing and Para-Snowboarding from Paralympics Australia

Documents

International Rules from World Para Alpine Skiing

International Rules from World Para Snowboardd