Hail the Festival Week

By George Duffield

For many people, the start of winter means three to four months of reduced mobility. Perhaps long hours spent indoors, a great deal of inconvenience when going out of doors, and most likely a general lack of freedom. The snow and ice create hazards that no one likes or looks forward to. Then there is the daily threat of slush, freezing rain, cutting winds and all other aspects of winter that greet us and are accepted as a part of Canada. It is a pretty bleak picture: one capable of depressing even those stoutest of the heart. However, it does not have to be that way.

There is a way to enjoy the challenges which winter places in our way, and to actually relish them regardless of age or disability. Since it’s formation in 1976, CADS, the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing, has turned winter into spring for thousands of people with disabilities. The majority had not even considered skiing as a possibility, since the image portrayed by the sport is one of extreme physical action that can result in a grave injury if the skier does not have superb coordination.

If CADS has done nothing else, it has taken a giant step by dispelling that image. Of course, it has done much more, including opening horizons for people of any disability in Canada and around the world, who were of the opinion that skiing was impossible for them. Skiing is possible for the great majority of people with disabilities, and the place to begin is at the annual CADS Festival.

The event takes place annually in late March or early April. It brings people with a myriad of disabilities together for a week of ski lessons and good fellowship. They come from all parts of Canada, the United States and from other countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. In fact, most ski nations around the world have been represented at one time or another at the CADS Festival.

What is the draw to the Festival of skiing in the Mountains of Canada? The short answer is that CADS has demonstrated the highest level of instruction and the most innovative approach of any other multi-disability ski organization in any country in the world. While others were thinking of programs that were disability specific, CADS developed its curriculum with the attitude that a new skier can learn more, and gain more confidence by seeing and interacting with people of various disabilities all working towards one common goal...to be able to ski down any hill on any mountain or on any cross country ski trail, in control and at the highest level of enjoyment.

To a great degree, CADS has achieved that primary goal, but there is still much to do. There are many people with disabilities who have yet to know the joy of joining friends on a ski weekend and to experience skiing as a full participant. The best chance to experience skiing is to participate in the CIBC Disabled Ski Championships and festival.

The 1992 Festival takes place April 4-11, at Silver Star Ski Resort, a picturesque mountain resort with a strong western flavor just outside Vernon, British Columbia. Silver Star was selected as the site for the Festival for several reasons. Staff at the resort have good awareness of the needs of people with disabilities and the resort is accessible. The ski terrain, both alpine and cross country, will appeal to skiers of all abilities, from beginner to international racer, and the community of Vernon is very active and will get firmly behind the event to make it a lasting experience for those involved.

The mandate of CADS is to present an opportunity to any person who has a disability, whether it be physical, mental, or sensory to learn to ski, and be able to enjoy it at a recreational level. Often, the intent of the individual goes beyond recreational skiing and the goal becomes competition and desire to represent one’s country in international events.

Across Canada, regional groups within provincial associations work with skiers with disabilities to produce provincial teams in both alpine and cross country disciplines that compete in the CIBC Disabled Ski Championships against the best disabled skiers in the world. As in any sport only the most highly motivated skiers achieve National Team status, but the presence of high profile international racers provides a motivation for Festival participants that helps turn “non-skiers” into skiers over the course of five days of ski training.

Lessons and tips on ski equipment are provided by certified instructors who have completed a stringent training program developed by CADS. Most instructors are also CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance) or CANSI (Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors) members as well. With this wealth of experience they will assist new skiers to overcome the feeling of initial awkwardness that plagues all skiers. Through quality instruction and assistance with the selection of proper equipment, a newcomer to the sport of skiing will soon have the feeling of comfort and security that only comes with confidence.

Whether your interest is cross country or alpine skiing, once you experience it at the CIBC Disabled Ski Championship and Festival, you will wonder why you waited so long to get involved. The fun you will have and the friends you will make from around the world will earn the Festival a permanent place on your calendar of events.