From left, Hamish McLean (10), of Wanaka, one-legged skier
Rhys Harrison, of Wellington, Ski the World for All
fundraiser Karen Skillen, of San Francisco, Cardrona
adaptive snowsports director Leslie Johnston, of Wanaka,
sit-skier James Littlejohn, of Auckland (front), and
vision-impaired skier Daniel Sharp, of Auckland, at
Cardrona this week. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
More than 100 participants at the New Zealand Adaptive
Snowsports Festival have been carving up the snow at Cardrona
Alpine Resort this week.
Adaptive competitors are tuning their equipment for a day of
racing today, with a giant slalom and slalom races,
Snowsports NZ adaptive director Libby Blackley said.
The annual event attracted about 30 adaptive skiers and
snowboarders to Cardrona this year, along with families and
supporters, while volunteers number about 50, Ms Blackley
said.
Gold medal-winning adaptive skier Adam Hall and New Zealand
Winter Paralympic team-mate Peter Williams skipped the
festival this year, because of training and injury
rehabilitation, respectively.
The adaptive festival usually holds the New Zealand Adaptive
Ski National Championship races, but these have been shifted
to coincide with the able-bodied ski racers and athletes
competing at the National Alpine Ski Race Championships at
Coronet Peak From August 31.
The 2010 adaptive festival doubles this year as a launch pad
for English woman Karen Skillen's "Ski the World for All"
tour - a campaign to raise awareness and funds for adaptive
ski programmes for the disabled.
Ms Skillen and Cardrona skifield have started a fund to buy a
new sit-ski for a learners adaptive ski programme.
On the web: www.disabledsnowsports.org.nz
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