Story
The 2006 Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing SKImprovement (SKIMP) Family Festival and Canadian National Disabled Alpine Ski Championships received $10,000 from Hosting BC. The week-long event, held at Mount Washington Alpine Resort, was attended by 3,000 spectators daily who watched 95 competitors from Canada and the U.S.A.
Funds supported a five-day training and development program for disabled skiers and boarders. Special equipment purchased for the event, such as course-setting gear and safety netting, will be used at future Paralympic ski events. The event also provided a forum to field test new adaptive equipment for disabled athletes. There were 125 volunteers trained - creating a pool of resources for future national events in the Comox Valley and for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The event led to the launch of a new organization, the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society, a forum for community awareness and fundraising for athlete development.
