TPS Archives

Reprints From The Professional Skier

Spring 1998 - "Blind Skiers Can Get A Feel For The Bumps" by Gwen Allard and Beth Fox

This article is reprinted from The Professional Skier. All copyrights apply. Please see our copyright and disclaimer notice page.

The weather was rapidly turning sour. Snow squalls accompanied by high winds were descending upon the peak. The tram began to sway and the spectacular view of the mountain range was quickly fading from view. Determined to take "just one more run," my skiing companion and I clicked in and headed toward a mogul trail we skied earlier in the day.

The wind was not as strong under the protection of the cornice, but visibility was nonexistent. The light was flat, depriving us of our depth perception and the ability to separate one mogul from the next. Still undaunted, we were confident that we could ski this run easily and get off the mountain quickly.

The terrain was familiar to us; we had just taken two runs and remembered the "exact" location of the round, gentle bump field. We traversed to where we thought it would be and stopped, hoping to catch one more view of the chosen line. What lay before us was white, whirling snow, flat expanses of it in every direction, with not one recognizable bump or boulder in sight. That was all that registered on the retinaswe were basically blind. Not wanting to stick around while the squall grew stronger, we decided it was time to head to the lodge.

With fear, I used my poles to gingerly push myself into a short traverse before turning down the fall line. The low visibility led me to widen my stance and move my hands farther out to my sides for balance. I became defensive, breaking at the waist and putting my weight on my heels, but all went well for a few feet. I started to become more confident and centered on my skis when suddenly my knees were violently pushed to my chest as I found the first mogul of our run! The back side of the mogul was another surprise (it dropped away forever), and the best I could do was to quickly sit. Where were the round, friendly moguls; the good, fun line? Where was uphill? Where was the fall line?

To ski "blind" in these moguls, I determined that I would have to turn up the kinesthetic feedback that my feet were providing. My ankles and knees needed to be flexed and loose, and my center of mass had to be forward, directed down the fall line. just like regular skiing, only you can't see, I told myself. Now, where was the fall line? I hadn't a clue. If, however, I could climb the nearest mogul and initiate a turn, the fall line would probably become apparent. After two or three practice climbs and turns, I located it.

The next step was to pick a shallow traverse and focus on the shock-absorbing capabilities of my ankles and knees. The meaning of absorption and extension took on an entirely new dimension as I at first bounced but gradually started to absorb the bumps, traversing from one to the other. Gaining confidence, I turned s-l-o-w-l-y and began my descent. As my body became more aware of the subtle variations between moguls, my reaction time improved and my ability to maintain my balance became almost automatic.

At mid-mountain, the weather was clear and my friend was waiting. We agreed that neither of us had exhibited National Demo Team form, but we were pleased with our demonstration of skiing "blind" in the bumps. Later over drinks we had a spirited discussion relative to teaching people who are visually impaired or totally blind how to ski in the moguls. Based on our experience that day, my friend and I determined that the key to introducing blind skiers to the bumps is to help them focus on their internal kinesthetic feedback system - how their body is moving - so they can be aware of and respond to these internal signals.

It is important to take the time to make sure the student is skilled enough to tackle bump skiing; an individual who is not ready for the task could become frustrated or lose self-confidence. A visually impaired or blind student who would like to ski the bumps should be at least a level 6 skier who is comfortable with using pole plants to initiate turns. The guide should have a strong skiing ability as well, at least a level 8 skier.

There are many different skill development exercises to help skiers who are visually impaired learn to negotiate mogul fields, and what helps sighted skiers will generally assist blind skiers as well. One teaching option is to begin with some dryland activities such as having the student practice on a balance or bongo board (an 18-inch board centered on top of a free-standing cylinder) to fine-tune his or her balancing skills and ability to stay centered and flexed. The instructor can assist by standing in front of the student, holding his or her hands at ski pole height to steady the individual and reduce anxiety.

Another skill development strategy is introducing a series of jumping exercises to increase the student's awareness of ankle and knee flexion, absorption, and extension. The series usually takes place on dry land with the instructor acting as a spotter, and it includes having the student:

These jumping exercises, which can also be performed with skis on groomed beginner to intermediate terrain, consist of having the student take small jumps or hops (approximately 11/2 inches) while you spot him or her. One way to help the student perform these exercises on snow is to ski alongside the individual, holding the basket of his or her pole while the student holds the pole grip. This technique helps reassure the student and allows you to communicate with each other verbally and physically.

Other suggested on-snow exercises that can be performed on intermediate groomed slopes are hockey stops (to promote upper- and lower-body separation) and hop turns (to help the student develop balance and the ability to flex his or her ankles), making sure the student's body faces down the fall line.

Some students can skip the previous exercises and start their "bump training" by traversing small moguls. The decision to take this route will depend on the student's ability, comfort zone, and whether you think he or she is capable of entering a small mogul field without losing confidence. Tell the student to keep his or her shins in contact with the boots and concentrate on remaining centered and balanced.

One approach is to start the students in shallow traverses over mini-bumps, with each traverse increasing in pitch and bump size. A variation on this theme calls for you to add verbal instructions to this exercise, calling out the command "turn" while the student practices at slow speeds. This auditory input reinforces what the student is feeling.

If your area has a terrain garden with a spine - a long ridge of snow that parallels the fall line-have students practice skiing up and then turning down the back side of it. Skiing on a spine can elicit many of the same kinesthetic-oriented movements that are useful when bump skiing, i.e., loosening the student's stance, getting the individual to flex his or her knees and ankles, and acquainting the student with what it feels like to ski on uneven terrain. In addition, a student who is blind has time to readjust his or her body position before skiing back over the spine.

As in all ski lessons for students with visual impairments, effective guidance is the key. Whether you opt to guide from the front or the back will depend, as always, on what the student is comfortable with and what is safe. Terrain is another factor to consider. Your skiing ability must always exceed the level of terrain that is selected. You must be so comfortable skiing the terrain that turning should be automatic.

Although your primary concern is the safety of your student, you must also focus on keeping the student in a "good line," one that matches the student's ability and is challenging but not intimidating, a line that can be skied comfortably without picking up speed. Remember, you and your visually impaired student are a team. You see for the student, and you work together to explore the mountain environment.

Totally blind students, as well as those who are partially sighted, agree that the ability to "feel and know when to turn" in the bumps must come from within. It takes time, practice, and teamwork between the instructor and student to develop this kinesthetic feedback system, but the efforts prove worthwhile when your student masters the moguls. As professional ski instructors who experience "blindness" every time we are caught in a whiteout on the mountain, we know that bumps, under any conditions, can be challenging and fun.

Gwen Allard is the chairperson of the national Adaptive Committee and the executive director of the PSIA-E Education Foundation. A pioneer of adaptive ski teaching, she is the chief adaptive examiner in PSIA-E.

Beth Fox is a certified Level III alpine instructor and an adaptive examiner in PSIA-RM. She works for the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Colorado's Winter Park Resort.