Tetraski Adaptive Skiing

[Adapt-Cannon]

Hi All,
I want to share with the group an amazing opportunity for adaptive skiing. Pictured below is the Tetraski! The Tetraski is a joystick or sip and puff controlled sit-ski designed for higher level disabilities. The Tetraski is a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment designed to allow people with higher level spinal cord injury or progressing muscle weakness disorders the opportunity to ski with a high level of independence. Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country at Cannon Mountain is hosting the only tetraski in the North East this winter. If you would like to learn more about this amazing equipment or would like to schedule a lesson in the tetraski you can message me through pugski or email me at [email protected] You can also learn more at tetradapt.us

 

[pchewn]

Amazing device and program to help people enjoy the outdoors! Fantastic!

One weird question based on the photo above: Why would the skis need bindings, and what DIN setting would be appropriate?
Maybe the skis could be directly attached to the mechanism without bindings?
Maybe the bindings facilitate swapping skis to try different models, or even to try rental skis?

 

[slowrider]

Looks like a wide track bi ski. Nice peice of equipment. Bindings are used so skis can be changed.

 

[Adapt-Cannon]

Amazing device and program to help people enjoy the outdoors! Fantastic!

One weird question based on the photo above: Why would the skis need bindings, and what DIN setting would be appropriate?
Maybe the skis could be directly attached to the mechanism without bindings?
Maybe the bindings facilitate swapping skis to try different models, or even to try rental skis?

Hi pchewn

Many of our sit skis use a traditionally binding so you can use different skis for the conditions you will be out in. The tetra ski was invented and built in Utah and they ski it with wide powder ski. It also helps for having the skis tuned and transporting the ski to different mountains. Thanks for the question!

 

[Adapt-Cannon]

Looks like a wide track bi ski. Nice peice of equipment. Bindings are used so skis can be changed.

Hi slowrider
It does have some similarities to a more traditional bi ski but the control and way it is skied is very different. The tetra ski is built in the tessier snow kart which uses two handles to control the ski. due to the skis wide footprint it is a very stable ski which is great for participants who can’t balance a traditional bi ski or mono ski.

 

[slowrider]

Thank you Adapt-Cannon for enabling people with special needs to enjoy skiing.

 

[BTaylor]

The University of Utah (ongoing developers of the Tetraski) had two of these bi-skis on the hill at Breck last month, as part of the Hartford Ski Spectacular week. It was amazing to see the Utah team successfully adapt the the ski system to the physical capabilities of Ski Spectacular participants with various special needs. On the first morning, the Tetraski team adapted the joystick controller to the needs of a young woman who had manipulative capacity only through her toes. By lunch, this young woman was ripping it on the Silverthorne trail at Breck!

It's amazing/inspiring to see the collective benefits on the ski hill of emerging bio-engineering technology, the aspirations and persistence of special needs athletes, and the various support organizations that help participants safely experience the freedom of skiing.

 

[Adapt-Cannon]

The University of Utah (ongoing developers of the Tetraski) had two of these bi-skis on the hill at Breck last month, as part of the Hartford Ski Spectacular week. It was amazing to see the Utah team successfully adapt the the ski system to the physical capabilities of Ski Spectacular participants with various special needs. On the first morning, the Tetraski team adapted the joystick controller to the needs of a young woman who had manipulative capacity only through her toes. By lunch, this young woman was ripping it on the Silverthorne trail at Breck!

It's amazing/inspiring to see the collective benefits on the ski hill of emerging bio-engineering technology, the aspirations and persistence of special needs athletes, and the various support organizations that help participants safely experience the freedom of skiing.

BTaylor
Thanks for sharing your story about the Tetraski. I was out at ski spec and on the lesson you mention! It was an amazing moment and experience. The Tetraski has the potential to help so many people. I hope everyone on Pugski can help spread the word so we can get anyone who will benefit from the Tetraski in it

 

[Castle Dave]

Curious to know how much it weighs compared to the Praschberger for example or can the pilot self load?

 

[Adapt-Cannon]

Curious to know how much it weighs compared to the Praschberger for example or can the pilot self load?

Hi Castle Dave

The Tetraski empty wights about 74 pounds. It has a piston that will assist with lifting up to about 110 pounds. The rest of the lit is provided by the instructors on the lessons. Tetraski has a weight limit of 220 pounds. Below is a link to a video of the tetra ski at Cannon Mountain from last year that shows how the lift works.

 

[Adapt-Cannon]

Tetraski update!

lessons are going well and we have more request for lessons than we can handle(we are working on a solution to this!). I hope everyone will continue to spread the word about the Tetraski so we can get more and more people in this amazing ski!