• Snow Skiing

• Accessible by Public Transportation: No
  
  
• Transportation Provided by the Program: No

Holiday Valley's Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, a chapter of Disabled Sports/USA, teaches persons of various disabilities to become skiers and to attain a degree of fitness previous unknown to them. This also increases their confidence by giving them stimulating new challanges and experiencing a freedom and independence that they have never felt before.

Adaptive Techniques and Equipment
Equipment and teaching techniques are modified to suit the needs and situation of each student.

Three Track Skiing uses one ski and two outriggers, adapted forearm crutches with ski tips attached to the bottoms. Amputees or skiers with post polio would use this method.

Four Track Skiing uses two skis and two outriggers. A ski-bra that connects the ski tips to keep them from crossing or wandering may be used. Persons with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis and brain injury can benefit from four track instruction.

In Mono Skiing the skier is in a seated position in a fiberglass shell, attached to a standard ski. A mono skier must possess good upper body strength, balance and trunk mobility. A double amputee or a person with a low spinal cord injury is ideal for the mono ski. A mono skier has the potential of skiing independently.

The Bi Ski is a fiberglass shell mounted above two unique skis, giving it improved stability over a mono ski. The bi ski allows skiers some versatility to ski with either short hand held outriggers or fixed outriggers, which increase the skier's ability to make controlled turns. Because of its greater stability, the bi ski can be used by students with various disabilities.

Persons with visual impairments are taught the standard ski techniques by giving verbal directions. Both the instructor and student wear bright orange bibs so they are easily seen on the hill.

Students with intellectual disabilities are taught the standard ski technique using special learning methods and sometimes adaptive equipment. These students enjoy the lessons and surprise everyone with what they can accomplish.