Handiskiers

Without internet for 2 days! Now that was tough :) But worthwhile, and this is why:

About 40 km south of Grenoble, in the Massif Vercos, there's a sort of Poiana Brasov and Aspen combined: both close-to-home and a 5* ski resort! France doesn't cease to amaze me... Beautiful peaks, amazing panoramas, slopes that were so well connected and on top of all, the abounding powderish snow.... That was at Villard de Lans.

Anyways, I was almost as fast as the little mushrooms (4-5 year-olds that barely know how to walk... but are like ... born on skis!!!) but nowhere near as fast as the "handiskieurs": 

It was then when I found out this is a Special Olympics sport, and there's also a World Championship. Apparently, people have been skiing like this since the '50s, but only now it's getting more popular, thanks to the technical evolution but also the growing number of cable cars or chairlifts that are modified to fit special needs.

Here's a short movie to illustrate the 3 types of handiskiers that participate at the Olympics: the blind, the paralyzed and the amputated.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78dhPdxJrdo

Stay tuned!

OoY