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Adaptive skier program coming to Mt. Ashland By Tony Boom Dec 16, 2022 12:45 AM A A An athlete in a sit ski cruises through the snow with a volunteer close behind. [Photo courtesy Oregon Adaptive Sports] Adaptive skier lessons will be offered on an ongoing basis at Mt. Ashland Ski Area this winter for the first time. Bend-based nonprofit Oregon Adaptive Sports has hired Ashland resident Joe Jackson, who has worked as a volunteer in adaptive sports for 15 years, to lead the program. Lessons will begin Jan. 20 and be offered Fridays and Saturdays through March. Jackson is looking for volunteers to assist with lessons. “We are going to try to accommodate every disability,” said Jackson. Each lesson will be individually tailored to fit the needs and goals of the athlete. There are several different types of skiing equipment available to help those without lower limb mobility. Lessons also will be offered for visually impaired skiers and for amputees with one leg or those with two but who need assistance. The first three lessons are offered at no cost to athletes who have not previously taken alpine lessons with OAS. A new partnership with Toyota is supporting the free lessons. After the first three lessons, there will be a $75 charge per lesson at Mt. Ashland, but scholarships are available for individuals. For the first year, only downhill alpine skiing lessons will be offered. There will be a total of 50 half-day lessons available. The hope is the program will expand to offer cross-country Nordic lessons and snowboard lessons next season, Jackson said. OAS decided to establish the pilot adaptive program at Mt. Ashland this year after operating a successful one at Hoodoo Ski Area about 30 miles north of Mt. Bachelor, where the program began in 1996. Jackson was motivated to assist others after spending two years as the caregiver for his friend Matt Thomas of Medford, a world-class kayaker who was paralyzed in a mountain bike accident. “One of my big takeaways from my time I spent working for Matt was how little access there is for people with disabilities — things that are so accessible for me … the things I take for granted,” said Jackson. Jackson has worked as a volunteer in adaptive sports off and on for 15 years, first in the Los Angeles area. After moving to Ashland in 2011, he assisted with a program offered at Mt. Shasta for a couple of years. In 2014 he began working with former Mt. Ashland general manager Hiram Towle and Development Director Michael Stringer to bring lessons to Mt. Ashland. OAS brought demonstration programs to the mountain a couple of times and donated two sit chair ski setups to be used for lessons. The apparatus has seen varying degrees of use over the years when requests were received, with Jackson often assisting with the instruction. Most recently Jackson and one-legged Ashland skier Pete McAfee, who is featured in Warren Miller ski films, instructed an individual McAfee met at his gym who wanted to try snow sports. Volunteers should be pretty good skiers in the strong intermediate category or above, said Jackson. “Every single lesson can be different, so a good volunteer has to have a specific skill set and be really passionate about it,” said Jackson. “It can be tough to find volunteers.” Training on the mountain for volunteers will be Jan. 14. About one or two volunteers are needed per lesson. General assistance will be taught the first half of the day, but those who want to grow skills level can attend an afternoon session. An initial meeting at the Mt. Ashland office Dec. 8 drew eight individuals. Another organizational meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Jan. 5 at the business office. OAS provides the equipment for the training. There are bucket seats with skis underneath them where the skier uses handheld outriggers with smaller skis attached to steer and balance. The devices can also be steered by volunteers. Slide devices incorporate frames attached to skis that allow a skier who can stand to use their own skis and boots while providing stability. From Dec. 11 through Dec.18, Jackson will be in Bend. He has seven days of on-the-slopes training at Mt. Bachelor and one day in the OAS office. The training includes three days of working with and shadowing instructors of volunteers and four days in the OAS program to become a certified instructor. Volunteers can contact Jackson about the program at [email protected]. Skiers can register for lessons by going to the OAS website, oregonadaptivesports.org. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].