Para-alpine skiing competition is open to male and female athletes with physical disabilities such as amputation, blindness/visual impairment, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users and cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke. Our goal is to educate, promote, and train disabled ski racing in Nova Scotia. Slalom and giant slalom were the only two alpine events at the first Paralympic Winter Games, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Today, athletes with a physical disability compete in five alpine events: downhill, alpine combined, super G, slalom and giant slalom, and use some of the same venues as the women's World Cup circuit.
Categories - Visually impaired
B1 – Totally blind (no sight)
B2 – Partially sighted (visual acuity of 20/60 – limited sight)
B3 – Partially sighted (visual acuity above 20/60 to 6/60 – more sight than B2)
In all visually impaired classes, a guide is mandatory; the competitor and the guide are a team. Blind skiers are directed down the course by guides skiing in front using only voice signals or radio communication.
No physical contact between the guide and competitor is allowed during the race. The distance between guide and athlete in technical events (slalom and giant slalom) must not exceed two direction changes, and in speed events (downhill and super-G) must not exceed one direction change.
In partially sighted classes (B2 and B3), the guide must ski in front of the athlete. For totally blind classes (B1), the guide can ski either in front of or behind the athlete.
All competitors in the completely blind class (B1) must wear approved blacked-out goggles during the competition.
Categories - Standing
LW1 – double above-knee amputees
LW2 – outrigger skiers
LW3 – double below-knee amputees
LW4 – skiers with a prosthesis
LW5/7 – skiers without poles
LW6/8 – skiers with one pole
LW9 – disability of arm and leg
Athletes in certain classifications (for example, single-leg amputees who ski without a prosthesis and sit-ski users) use special poles called outriggers. Outriggers have short ski blades on the end and help the skier with balance.
Categories - Sitting
LW10 – mono skiers (high degree of paraplegia, no muscles in the lower body)
LW11 – mono skiers (lower degree of paraplegia, with muscles in the lower body)
LW12 – mono skiers (lower degree of paraplegia, lower incomplete paralysis)
Some athletes with a physical disability compete from a sitting position using a sit-ski, also called a mono-ski. As the name suggests, mono-skis have a specially fitted chair over a single ski. The chair includes seat belts and other strapping, as well as a suspension device to minimize wear and tear on the skier’s body.
