Blind Riders Clinics in Italy

In 2007 Italy started to test snowboarding for blind riders. The results were great from the first try and, in 2008, the clinics saw 10 new blind youngs trying snowboard for their first time. Follow a short story and some pictures from the Blind Snowboard Clinincs 2008 in Italy

Ski Club Fanano Adaptive Section organize every season a week for the introduction to winter sport. The idea is to bring up the mountain young disable people and their family to enjoy sports and nature. Since the begininng of this project there were alpine ski, nordic ski and ice hockey but from 2007 also the snowboarding was included in the program.

Chiara is the first italian blind rider

The first test in 2007 saw to blind youngs trying snowboarding: Chiara and Stefano. Assisted by local teacher Pierfrancesco Provittera and from the adaptive rider from Italy Gian Paolo Galli, amputee BK. Since that first test we got feedback from Chiara about how snowboarding was more easy than skiing for her.

The adaptive rider Gian Paolo Galli supporting Stefano during his first snowboard lesson.

During winter 2008 the Blind Clinincs were repeted with more teachers and more partecipants: 10 new riders were trained that days. Thank to the regional teaching program, the blind clinics 2008 became a possibility for both teacher than blind riders to lears something new.

Pierfrancesco with Chiara, at her second snowboard lesson

First hiking for to find the first snowboarding line

After a few emotional moment, with most of the teacher close to start crying, the clininc went on and the new riders start learning snowboarding very quickly. Not even one hour and all the riders already got the frontside and backside turns.

Some shots from the clinincs 2008.

After the lessons we took our time to interview the partecipants…

so did yuou enjoy snowboarding?Of course! Much better than skiing! Next year only snowboard and not skiing at all!! What’s the difference beetwin skiing? Snowboarding is more easyer and funnier!“

New riders at their first snowboard lesson.

For the second time we verify that is easy for a blind to ride snowboarding.

Happy new riders at their first day of snowboarding

World Snowboard Federation and its member nations are still working on the development of blind and adaptive riding, in cooperation with the International Paraolympic Committe and with many other disable organization world wide.

Let’s go for another slope!

For more information about WSF Adaptive and Disable snowboard project contact marco@worldsnowboardfederation.org

by Marco Sampaoli
Pictures by RaggiEleonora.com e Marco Sampaoli