Snow Skiing

Skiing has become one of the fastest growing sporting activities in Ireland in recent decades. In the past groups of novice skiers travelled to Austria with the NCBI, Ski Club of Ireland and RTE for a week of fun and physical sport.

Many people really enjoy the exhilaration experienced when combining the speed of skiing, the fear of falling, mastering and overcoming the new skills required and the energy sapping physical demands of the activity. Parents and children can enjoy different challenges during a week of skiing but all can see big improvements with only a week of lessons under the belt.

Strong legs, control of fear, good balance and co-ordination can all benefit from learning to ski. The renowned ‘Apres Ski’ social aspect of ski holidays also helps to make skiing a great sport for all the family to enjoy.

Lessons can be had prior to travelling to the ski resorts at the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan, co. Dublin. All needed equipment can be hired, as can all the clothing. A good jacket is the most important item of clothing but boots, pants, hats/helmet, gloves and sunglasses are all necessary to kit oneself out for the slopes. These can all be gathered gradually over a number of years or are available for hire.

Like many sports the majority enjoy skiing as a recreational activity but for the more competitive individual there is the possibility of ski racing. Athletes in the Winter Paralympic Games Alpine Skiing events must combine speed and agility while racing down slopes at speeds of up to 100km/h. There are five events – Downhill, Super-G, Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom. Male and female athletes with blindness/visual impairment are included.

Visually impaired and blind athletes are divided into the IBSA sight classes for these events. They are guided through the race course by a sighted guide teammate using voice signals to indicate the course to follow – visit www.ipc-alpineskiing.org for more information.

“Alpine (downhill) skiing is one of the rare opportunities available which allows the blind individual to move freely at speed through time and space. An opportunity to embrace and commune with the primal force of gravity, thus experiencing the sheer exhilaration of controlled mass in motion, in a physically independent setting.”
Brian Santos, Visually Impaired former Paralympic Champion

If you would like to get involved in skiing, or to become a volunteer please contact us at the details shown.

Contact

Irish Blind Sports
1 Christchurch Hall,
High Street,
Dublin 8.

Tel: 085 8500193

info@ibsports.ie