At the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village, an entire semi-truck trailer filled with adaptive equipment ensures that hundreds of participants can get out on the mountain.
The trailer is filled with sit skis and outrigger poles, as well as rigs for upright stability and products like “active hands” that help participants with their grip.
“Back in the day, we would just duct tape people to things, so we love that we have things like that now,” Jessica Quackenbush said while giving a tour of the trailer.
She’s the adaptive sports and equipment coordinator for the Winter Sports Clinic, and has been working at this event for 10 years.
In just a decade, Quackenbush has seen the evolution toward lighter, faster gear that’s easier to maneuver and maintain. She attributes the progress to a larger movement in support of adaptive sports.
“People are seeing it more, we're getting more notice in the Paralympics, … and so it's great to spring that to the forefront,” Quackenbush said.
Plus, she added, “we're seeing a lot of colleges decide to take engineering programs and develop new adaptive equipment.”
The clinic also maintains gear for other activities, like rock climbing and sled hockey, and there are different iterations for bodies of all shapes and sizes, Quackenbush said.
“We're not big on saying ‘no’ around here,” she said. Whatever someone needs to experience the clinic to the fullest, “we'd really like to make it happen.”
She said that this gear can help folks regain a sense of independence after an injury, and give “the thrill and exhilaration of sports back to people who have probably thought that they've lost that at some point.”
The Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic wrapped up on Sunday.
Stay tuned to Aspen Public Radio later this week for a profile of one of the participants: an amputee who finds peace and joy through snowboarding.
