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Teaching a kid how to ski when he has a physical disability?

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C.Wood
Posts: 2524 - Karma: 180
Alright so first off i dont think this is a repost.
And no one complain or bitch i have nothing wrong with  the kid or people who have disabilities.

I'm just curious because tonight i had to teach a kid in a school group and he had a physical disability. He was a beginner and first thing to get him to do was snow plow stops obviously, but the problem was is that he could only stay on his toes and could not feel the backs of his skis move outward for the snowplow shape, nor could he use his own legs to push them out. So i thought to get him to stop, hockey stops would be easier, so i get him to try that, problem was is the he could not control his legs to keep them wide enough so he would stay balanced. by the end of an hour i got him to turn one way but the problem was because of his narrow stance he would continually fall over, and could not complete the turn. the kid was trying really hard and i give him huge props for trying to ski.

so why i made this thread is because i might teach him again next week and I'm asking other instructors on NS if they have any ideas i could use to help get the kid off the bunny hill and be able to go on other green runs with his friends.


thanks NS
Jan 20 2010 9:27PM
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jeremy.g
Posts: 4931 - Karma: 459
props to you man. im not an instructor or anything and dont really have any idea.
Jan 20 2010 9:35PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,902
That's a tough one but props to you for not giving up.  Did you try outriggers?  I would try that next.  Also, don't try to get him to hockey stop.  He may never get that, but he may be able to learn to stop by just turning out of the fall line.  I would also suggest that you check to see if there are any adaptive ski programs in your area and see if they have any better ideas. 
Jan 20 2010 9:36PM
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BikeMlatt69
Posts: 1947 - Karma: 60
I'm not trying to hate or anything, i give you mad props for trying to teach this kid but what I'm having trouble trying to get past is there is some ignorance on the part of this kids parents or teachers if they didn't give you a heads up or anything. Parents who have a child with a disability who wants to ski and let the kid go ahead without any thought into it or anything is just ridiculous. I have nothing against this kid, it is just an odd situation.
Jan 20 2010 9:53PM
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C.Wood
Posts: 2524 - Karma: 180
well thats what i was trying initially then we got and he was doing better when he was trying them and he ended up just turning practically

Outriggers? does that keep the skis apart?
i have just never heard of it so I'm not sure


and thanks for the ideas
Jan 20 2010 9:56PM
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smooticus
Posts: 1798 - Karma: 27
I taught a kid that could bearly hear, he read my lips the whole time. He had some balance issues, so i just spent more time working on body position.
Jan 20 2010 10:37PM
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sneezin
Posts: 632 - Karma: 430
my uncle tought monoskiing in the adaptive program at attitash

ever seen those poles with little skis at the end? those are outriggers. they're very common in adaptive skiing, whether monoskiing or not.
Jan 20 2010 10:40PM
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brandon_
Posts: 807 - Karma: 15
wow mad props to you man, i'm not an instructer so have noting productive really to say. But you most likely made this kid's week. 
Jan 20 2010 10:43PM
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smooticus
Posts: 1798 - Karma: 27
Oh and get yourself an edgie wedgie, its an instructors best friend, and should help him snowplow. But its kinda hard to help if we dont know his disability
Jan 20 2010 10:45PM
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onearmwanderer
Posts: 1153 - Karma: 31
what exactly is his disability? something to do with his legs i would assume?
Jan 20 2010 10:46PM
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Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9092 - Karma: 3,022
bahaha do you have one arm? cuz that'd be awesome and ironic
Jan 20 2010 10:48PM
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Justin.B
Posts: 2257 - Karma: 721
If youve ever heard of an edgie wedgie they work magic, and they basically force him into a snowplow and they can have fun with it, asking them what theyre favourite color gummy worm is and tell him to strech the gummy worm.

This is an edgie wedgie btw:
http://www.ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qPM7Jl9YL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
Jan 20 2010 10:53PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
^ I dont think an edgie wedgie will help cause he has too narrow of a stance.

Me personally, I'd get him to traverse a easy slope and tell him to open his legs like he is riding a horse, then get him to put his hand on his uphill knee.
Jan 20 2010 10:58PM
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onearmwanderer
Posts: 1153 - Karma: 31
hahaha yes i do actually, i clicked on this thread hoping i could lay down some advice but it doesnt seem that this kid he's teaching has one arm.  oh well, guess im still the only one haha.
Jan 20 2010 11:08PM
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skiskate
Posts: 787 - Karma: 823
I had to teach a kid who couldnt walk without cruches and had almost no hearing in an 8 week group lesson. Worst class ive ever had, I had two apprentices basically teach my class while i held his hands skiing switch. If i let him go he would fall over. his parents gave me a fat tip though
Jan 20 2010 11:13PM
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Rez4frederick
Posts: 4740 - Karma: 40
Teach him to slideslip down a slope

Ski backwords down a really gentle slope

Teach him parallel stops by sking parellel and then have him turn into the hill so that the hill stops him, i.e. turn uphill and then stop and then start a new turn the other way

have him do on snow 360's just spinning around

Thats fucking rad you are doing that man, keep it up
Jan 20 2010 11:13PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15951 - Karma: 9,451
just an idea but what if you got him to practice the pizza postion just in his boots and then try it on skis
Jan 20 2010 11:19PM
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Scott0_robot0
Posts: 3291 - Karma: 212
im a board instructor otherwise i would help ha
Jan 20 2010 11:21PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
I work with disabled kids regularly, I'm not sure from your post what exactly he has but if you can tell me his exact disability then I can give you a good response by saturday or sunday.

Sounds somewhat like CP to me, but I'm not totally sure. I know a middle-aged guy who has CP and he uses an edgie-wedgie with actually helps him a ton when he's skiing, if you can get one of those for the kid then that would probably help. However it seems like strength is a big issue for him, in which case outriggers would really really help. They basically act as 2 extra legs, and can give somebody who needs it a whole ton of support, allowing them to ski better.

Feel free to PM me for more info, I'd be glad to help. I'll try to go into the specifics of outriggers tomorrow when I've had some sleep.
Jan 21 2010 12:53AM
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nick_v
Posts: 203 - Karma: 10
big ups
Jan 21 2010 3:26PM
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Solipsism
Posts: 67 - Karma: 15
i know CADS (Canadian Assn. for Disabled Skiiers -    http://disabledskiing.ca/  ) do workshops for specifically that kind of thing, not saying you should do a workshop but maybe get in contact with them and they may be able to offer some advice?  Which mountain are you on, maybe they have an equivalent program for disabled skiiers and could offer some advice?
Good on you for being keen and doing some research outside of the class, sounds like the kid's lucky to have an instructor who cares enough to find solutions!!
Jan 21 2010 3:34PM
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petesguitar1
Posts: 358 - Karma: 5
First up, great thread and really good responses. So good to hear guys getting in and learning, not just bitching about a difficult situation.

Second - I taught for quite a while and taught plenty of people with physical and mental disabilities. I think an edgie wedgy would be fantastic for this guy as it tends to engage much bigger muscle groups to effect the 'pizza' (snowplough) position. When you say he can't feel the back of his feet or the tails, it definitely sounds like this would help as there is no rotary steering required. Just push your feet apart. This would also allow you to ski switch in front and use your pole to steer for him at the edgie wedgy. This way he is independently balanced and much more likely to 'feel' the position and hopefully retain some muscle memory.

The only issue will be if the kid is heavy or tall the edgie wedgy might keep coming loose.

Keep it up man, let us know how you go!
Jan 21 2010 3:37PM
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snowvalleylol
Posts: 62 - Karma: 10

you should get one of those harness things that you hold onto and you can steer him around kinda thing

thats how i learned how to ski.

Jan 21 2010 3:41PM
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AEROPLAEHN
Posts: 1353 - Karma: 192
Dope!  I've seen you shredding at Snowbird before - mad props.
Jan 21 2010 3:45PM
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C.Wood
Posts: 2524 - Karma: 180
Thanks for all the replies everyone

the problem with the edgie wedgie is that i will not work at all, he has not control over the back of his skis so when you push out the backs he can not feel what it is like and nor can he do it so an edgie wedgie would just complicate more things.

the outriggers are a smart idea the only problem is that he only rents equipment and if he doesnt ski again i dont want him to go buy some then never use them

but thanks for all the input everyone!
Jan 21 2010 5:14PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Alright, so I work with CADS, and there should be a CADS group in your area which would be a really good resource. Also make sure you tell him and his parents about CADS because its the best way for these kids to learn, as the instructors there are trained specifically for this kind of thing.

I was going to try to go over outriggers, but..... there's too much to write for a single post, and I kind of doubt you'll be able to find someone who will lend you a pair.
Jan 21 2010 5:15PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,902
I was thinking that, if his ski area had an adaptive program that they might have some outriggers that he could borrow.  Those are going to be the best solution for this guy it sounds like.  I've seen people that had a similar problem and many of them actually strapped their legs together, and skied with outriggers.  It was kind of like they were on a monoski ( the standup version; not a sitski), but they could kind of use both skis.  If this guy really wants to pursue the sport, he might want to buy a monoski (again the standup version) and get his own set of outriggers. 
Jan 21 2010 5:32PM
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