Adaptive skiing at the Sebastien Rung Challenge.
This month has been the biggest of the year for Alpine skiing. The FIS World Championships took place in Val d'Isere for the first two weeks of February and crowds of thousands flocked to the resort to see their heroes compete in the various disciplines.
Currently running in the resort of Gangwon-Do is the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Alpine Skiing World Championships. These games, like their FIS counterparts, have Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super Giant Slalom, Super Combined and Downhill races for both men and women and aim to find the best adaptive skiers in the world.
A trip to Korea to see adaptive skiers battle it out wasn't necessary last weekend as Chamonix played host to the Sebastien Rung Memorial Challenge, a competition for all disabled skiers that attracted a crowd of sit-skiers, blind skiers, deaf skiers and amputees.
The competition is now in its sixth year and was founded after Sebastien, a ski instructor and physiotherapist from Chamonix was killed in an avalanche. Sebastien had wanted to combine his love for skiing and the mountains of Chamonix with his physical rehabilitation work and in memory of his dream the Association Sebastien Rung was established.
Every year the association holds a day of races in Chamonix. This year despite many of the top athletes competing in Korea a number of haniski clubs arrived eager to meet with old friends and compete on the Plannards piste in what proved to be beautiful, warm sunshine.
The special slalom course was set and the various different categories battled it out for a place on the podium.
The sit-skiers sit in a bucket seat which is mounted on a frame with suspension. This frame then fits into a conventional binding and ski. For additional balance the skiers use short poles with skis on the bottom. For anyone who had never seen a sit ski in action it was a sight to behold as with great skill and at great speed the skiers made their way down the run.
The ESF Les Houches ESF Les Houches have equipment and instructors to accommodate disabled skiers and for those interested in Adaptive ski clubs in the UK as well as trips to European ski resorts for adaptive skiers contact the DSUK .
