Bill Jennings : Adaptive skiing allows full participation

The moment we unloaded, she was gone. I tucked to catch up, watching her lay down perfect arcs in the spring corn at Schweitzer. She may not be able to walk, but Pat Gorton rips on snow.

Every weekend during ski season Pat and Dave Gorton drive from Spokane to Schweitzer to indulge their passion. I hitched a ride on their latest trip for a new perspective about the freedom and exhilaration of sliding on snow.

“A lot of people who are athletic end up getting hurt,” Gorton said. “I was a skier before I got hurt. You don’t stop wanting to be an athlete. You are an athlete. It’s a mental thing.”

Pat Gorton, a manager at Avista, has mastered the “sit ski,” a custom-made flying chair that sets her free like everyone else on the mountain. Equipment is the only difference.

Gorton’s sit ski is a state-of-the-art “Yetti.” The seat essentially functions like a boot would, so it is form-fitted tightly to her body. An adjustable motorcycle shock extends down at a forward angle from the seat. A block of plastic with heel and toe fittings is mounted on the end.

Gorton uses a single ski with a race stock binding cranked all the way to 24. Heel and toe lock down with cotter pins. She holds outriggers fitted with ski tips to aid in balance and steering.

Under way she leans side to side, rolling the ski on edge to carve sweet, rounded turns. It’s fun to watch.

“I get a lot of comments,” she said. “It’s really fun when someone yells from the chairlift. Then I’ve got to ski so much better. Balance is the most important thing. This year I’ve been working with a trainer and I’m skiing better than I’ve ever skied, from top to bottom.”

The Gorton’s prefer Schweitzer for the mountain’s detachable express lifts. The lifts sit lower than most in the loading area and slow down automatically, making it easier for sit skiers to come aboard.

To load, Dave Gorton, assisted by a lift attendant, grabs a loop on the back of the sit ski and lifts his wife up on the chair. The sit ski design balances on the bench during the ride. To unload she simply leans forward and launches. Then you see her at the bottom.

Schweitzer gives Dave Gorton a ski buddy pass for free. He said another benefit is that the long bench on express lifts allows friends to join them for chats between runs.

“I don’t stop on the hill,” Pat Gorton said. “So we have to talk on the quad.”

Gorton learned to use a sit ski at Mt. Spokane. The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with the mountain to offer an adaptive skiing program since 1980.

Every year an eight-week program for skiing and snowboarding starts the second weekend in January. A two-hour private lesson with rental equipment and lift ticket costs about $40. But scholarships are available and no one is turned away.

Instructors are volunteers. Some have taught for more than 20 years. They teach people who are hearing impaired, visually impaired, stand-up snow riders with balance issues and those who must sit.

Alice Busch, supervisor of therapeutic recreation services at the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, directs the program.

“It’s all about trying to make it work for each person,” she said. “We have gear for all sizes, but when we don’t, we try to figure out where to get it.”

Busch said a unique challenge this year involved a 6-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and a 5-year-old boy with spina bifida. Both were quick learners and adventurous. The smallest outriggers Busch had were too big for the little guys. She contacted the manufacturer and the company turned around custom mini-outriggers in less than a week.

“Once they learn how to do it and have the right equipment, a disability doesn’t stop anyone with will, determination and tenacity,” she said. “It’s also an inspiration for entire families. A mom watching once asked me if all parents cry. I said a lot do, and we do too.”