First ever Adaptive Snowboarding World Championships
Adaptive Action Sports (AAS), a California based non-profit that creates action sports opportunities for physically disabled individuals, hosted the official Adaptive Action Sports United States Adaptive Nationals Snowboard Team, which included amputee, paralyzed and vision impaired snowboarders, to compete at the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) National Competition at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado this March 31st through April 7th 2008. AAS founders, Amy Purdy and Daniel Gale, were on site to help the team prepare for competition. Purdy is a double leg amputee, avid competitive snowboarder and Gale is board sport enthusiast.
This year's event was extra special as it was the venue for the first ever Adaptive Snowboarding World Championships. AAS, USASA and the World Snowboard Federation (WSF) partnered together to present this one of a kind event. Athletes from across the globe including, Bibian Mentel from the Netherlands and Tyler Mosher from Canada came to compete in a slingshot timed boardercross to find out who would be crowned the worlds first Adaptive Snowboard World Champion.
For the men, Rob Nelson, a rider from the US with arm paralysis from a motorcycle accident, finished the day with the fastest time and took home the title of Adaptive Snowboard World Champion. Leg amputees Chris Brodbeck and Keith Deutsch, both from the US, took home the silver and bronze. On the women's side, Bibian Mentel was crowned the female Adaptive Snowboard World Champion. This was Mentel's second 1st place finish this season, with her first being at the Adaptive Snowboard World Cup in Canada which took place early March '08. Nicole Roundy and Amy Purdy, both from the US, took home the silver and bronze.
Next winter AAS will work hard to support the first AAS USA Adaptive Action Sports Snowboard team to compete once again at the 2009 Adaptive World Championships at Copper Mountain, at the Canadian Adaptive World Cup, and at the first ever Italian Adaptive World Cup. All of these events will be sanctioned by the WSF and are the first official steps in achieving adaptive snowboarding as a Paralymic Sport.
With a potentially history making Paralymic Games on the horizon, now more than ever, AAS needs the help of others to support the growth of a National Adaptive Snowboard Team. This is a wonderful opportunity to help support individuals living with permanent physical disabilities achieve their potential and possibly represent the United States at the 2010 Paralymic Games.
Adaptive Action Sports would like to say a special thank you to those individuals and industry sponsors who made generous contributions towards our winter programs. With your help we have achieved the most successful USASA Nationals to date and the first ever Adaptive Snowboarding World Championships!
Thank to:
Windells Snowboard Camp
Cole Headwear
Vans
Spy Optics
Barrett Christy and Mervin Manufacturing
Nike 6.0
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Summitt County Mountain Mobility
Mark Mcmanis and the Frisco River House
SNL Productions
Lynda Flemming
The Latapie Family
The Horn Family
Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 @ 08:43 AM.
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