Carol Fisher-Linn
Sometimes you need to paddle so others may ski. Huh? Let me explain.
Imagine yourself being a healthy, energetic sports enthusiast and suddenly finding yourself physically sidelined. Well, that’s what happened to a National Ski Patrol member and ski enthusiast at Holiday Valley in 1982 when Bill Lounsbury lost his leg to cancer. Being the tenacious sportsman he was, and with the help and encouragement of his Ski Patrol family, he fought back. He taught himself to ski on one leg with adaptive devices on his arms. Bill succumbed to his cancer, but he inspired so many people, especially his friends on the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol, that in 1988, to honor his memory, the Bill Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) was born at Holiday Valley.
Valley ready for some headfi rst, belly tickling fun on the
lower slopes of Yodeler Mountain. Yep, just like a penguin.
Here is an interesting statistic from Statista 2021: “A disability is any condition, physical or mental, that significantly impacts a person’s life activities. The most common types of disability affect mobility, hearing, vision, and cognition. As of 2021, around 13.5 percent of the U.S. population had some type of disability.” The good news is that both of Ellicottville’s ski resorts offer adaptive ski/snowboard lessons for riders of all ages. What’s really outstanding about democratizing access to our mountains is the simple empowerment of those individuals finally able to get out and enjoy winter sports just like everyone else. The LASP motto is “de-EMPHASIZE the dis-ABILITY”. If a person wants to ski, they will find a way to get them on the mountain, even if it takes one, two or even three volunteers to coordinate the exciting event.
Naturally, it takes money to run a program like the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program. This is where the Penguin Paddle comes in. It’s LASP’s biggest fundraiser. Thankfully, seed money for this program came from donations that flowed into the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol in Bill’s memory. They started the program with 4 instructors and 14 students with the first pieces they purchased with the donations. The range of equipment for adaptive skiing includes various types of skis, leg supports, and other accessories. There are mono-skis and tandem skis (specialty chairs on skis), outriggers which are likely what Bill used, knee supports, leg covers, accessories … the list is endless, and the price tag makes one gulp! Example – sit skis can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000 for a child’s and 8,000 to 10,000 or more for an adult. And that’s only one piece of equipment!
Currently at HV there are 40+ specially trained volunteer instructors with 20 or more of them certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA). They collectively teach over 250 lessons during the season. Please bear in mind that education and training costs time and money and once certified, these volunteers must continue training to keep up their certification. The monies brought in from the Penguin Paddle help these volunteers stay certified, pay for new and continued upgrades on the adaptive equipment, and provide scholarships for those unable to pay to ski through the program.
So, why am I telling you all this? Because on Saturday, February 24 you can help by showing up at Holiday Valley ready for some headfirst, belly tickling fun on the lower slopes of Yodeler Mountain. Yep, just like a penguin.
Here are the details:
RAFFLE TICKETS can be purchased any time from any LASP instructor, or on the day of the event at Yodeler (along with Penguin Paddle buttons) until the drawing at 3pm.Winners will be announced at the end of the races. Tickets are $5, or 5 for $20. Prizes are: Season’s Pass from Holiday Valley; $400 Gift Card from Villaggio; A pair of skis from The City Garage and more.
Registration is open from 10am-1pm at the base of Yodeler. $1 donation.
10am to 2pm – Silent Auction and Wine Wall at base of Yodeler. Auction check out starts at 3:15.
11:30-1:15 Lunch in the Lunch Tent. $8 donation. Eat early. Supplies limited.
1pm – Penguin Races begin by age groups – Helmets required. Garbage bags provided.
3pm – Raffle Drawing. Will you win one of the big prizes?
LASP is a 501©3 non-profit organization and a member of Move United. Go to www.lounsburyadaptive.org for more information about the program, or follow them at @LounsburyAdaptive on Facebook and Instagram for more information about this year’s Penguin Paddle fundraiser.
Continuation Caption: The range of equipment for adaptive skiing includes various types of skis, leg supports, and other accessories. There are mono-skis and tandem skis (specialty chairs on skis), outriggers which are likely what Bill used, knee supports, leg covers, accessories … the list is endless, and the price tag makes one gulp! Example – sit skis can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000 for a child’s and 8,000 to 10,000 or more for an adult. And that’s only one piece of equipment!