Adaptive Skiing and Snowboarding: Sit-Skis, Outriggers and How to Get On the Snow
Adaptive skiing and snowboarding use sit-skis, outriggers and trained guides so people with a wide range of physical, vision and other impairments can ski or ride, from first lessons at a local resort to the Winter Paralympics. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) governs the competitive side. For the wider picture, see our post on the world of adaptive sports.
Key Takeaways
Inclusivity: Sit-skis, outriggers, snowboard learning aids and trained guides open skiing and snowboarding to people with a wide range of physical, vision and other impairments, from first lessons to the Paralympics.
Three competition categories: Para alpine skiers race as sitting, standing or vision impaired, with a factored timing system letting different sport classes race fairly within each category.
Guided skiing: Skiers with vision impairment follow a sighted guide who skis ahead, giving verbal directions down the course.
Origins: The sport grew from injured ex-servicemen returning to skiing after the Second World War, and featured at the first Winter Paralympics in 1976.
Equipment access: In Australia, Disabled Wintersport Australia members can use adaptive equipment and get concessions on private adaptive lessons at participating resorts.
Para snowboard: The youngest discipline on the Paralympic program, debuting at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
Table of Contents
Adaptive Snow Sports Quick Facts
The first documented adaptive skiing championships were held in Badgastein, Austria, in 1948, with 17 athletes taking part.
Standing skiers compete in sport classes LW1 to LW9, sit-skiers in LW10 to LW12, and skiers with vision impairment in AS1 to AS4.
FIS has governed Para alpine skiing, Para cross-country skiing and Para snowboard since July 2022, when the International Paralympic Committee transferred them.
Disabled Wintersport Australia members get concessions of up to 50 per cent on lift passes and private adaptive lessons at participating resorts.
Australian snowboarder Ben Tudhope has won three Winter Paralympic medals, including silver and bronze at Milano Cortina 2026.
Disabled Wintersport Australia has been helping Australians with disability onto the snow for more than 45 years.
Sources: FIS, IPC, Disabled Wintersport Australia, Snow Australia
How Adaptive Skiing and Snowboarding Work
Adaptive snow sports use modified equipment, specialised instruction and, where needed, guides to make skiing and snowboarding possible for people with disability. Adaptive skiers ride the same lifts and runs as everyone else.
Sit-skiers, including many people with spinal cord injuries, ski in a moulded bucket seat over one or two skis. Standing skiers with limb difference use outriggers (forearm crutches with ski tips) for balance and steering. Skiers with vision impairment follow a guide, and in competition they race full downhill courses. Adaptive snowboarders ride a regular board and boots, with learning aids such as the Snow Wing or Snow Slider where needed. At the recreational level, adaptive programs also cater to intellectual and sensory impairments.
Intellectual impairment is not a recognised sport class in FIS Para alpine, Para snowboard or Para Nordic competition, so DWA works with Special Olympics to support athletes with intellectual impairment on that pathway.
Adaptive Skiing and Snowboarding Equipment
These are the main options used in Falls Creek's adaptive program with Disabled Wintersport Australia:
Sit-skis: A padded seat ("bucket") fixed to skis, with strapping adjusted to the skier. A bi-ski sits over two wide skis, low and stable, and is commonly used by people with higher-level spinal cord injuries. A mono-ski rides on a single ski and is the usual next step as skills grow. Tethers let a guide ski behind the skier and add control.
Outriggers: Crutch-style poles with small ski tips, used for balance and steering. Three-track skiing is one ski plus two outriggers, and four-track is two skis plus two outriggers, each named after the tracks left in the snow.
Two-track skiing: Standing skiing on two regular skis, with or without poles. A ski-bra fastens the ski tips together to help learners control speed and direction.
Adaptive snowboarding: A regular snowboard and boots, with learning aids such as the Snow Wing or Snow Slider.
Guiding: Skiers and riders with vision impairment follow a guide or instructor using agreed communication, and both wear high-vis bibs. In competition the guide skis ahead and gives verbal directions at race speed.
You don't need to own any of this equipment. Adaptive programs and national bodies keep equipment fleets for members and learners to use.
How Para Alpine Skiing Competition Works
Competitive Para alpine skiing runs the same events as Olympic alpine (downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined), with athletes grouped into three categories: sitting, standing and vision impaired. Within each category, athletes from different sport classes race together, and the FIS factored timing system adjusts race times by class so that results reflect skill rather than degree of impairment.
According to FIS, the sport classes include standing classes (LW1 to LW9) for athletes with leg or arm impairments, sit-ski classes (LW10 to LW12) for athletes with impairments affecting the legs or trunk, and vision impairment classes (AS1 to AS4), where athletes ski behind a guide. Classification is carried out by FIS-certified classifier panels, who assess whether an athlete meets the minimum impairment criteria and allocate the appropriate class.
Para snowboard doesn't use factored categories. Riders compete within their sport class, with SB-LL1 and SB-LL2 for lower-limb impairments (LL1 the more significant) and SB-UL for upper-limb impairments, in snowboard cross and banked slalom.
A Short History of Adaptive Snow Sport
Adaptive skiing began after the Second World War, when injured ex-servicemen in Europe returned to the mountains. According to FIS, the first documented event was held in Austria in 1948 with 17 athletes, and the first classification systems were developed in the 1960s. Para alpine skiing featured at the first Paralympic Winter Games in Sweden in 1976, with slalom and giant slalom for standing skiers and skiers with vision impairment.
What began as a system for amputee skiers evolved into today's functional classification covering the full range of impairments, including sit-skiers. Para snowboard came later. A group of riders began campaigning for Paralympic inclusion in 2005, and the sport debuted at Sochi 2014. In Australia, Michael Milton became the country's first Winter Paralympic gold medallist when he won the slalom in 1992. Snowboarder Ben Tudhope won bronze at Beijing 2022, then silver in snowboard cross and bronze in banked slalom at Milano Cortina 2026, and was named Australia's Paralympian of the Year in July 2026.
Finding Adaptive Skiing Programs and Lessons
Disclosure: I work at YMCA Victoria, which manages Howmans Gap, listed below.
In Australia, these are the places to start:
Disabled Wintersport Australia: DWA is the recognised National Sporting Organisation for adaptive snow sports. Membership gives access to adaptive equipment such as sit-skis and outriggers, concessions of up to 50 per cent on lift passes and private adaptive lessons at participating resorts, volunteer on-snow guides, and member camps that include accommodation, equipment, lessons and lift passes.
One-on-one lessons: Adaptive lessons are one-on-one with instructors who specialise in adaptive skiing and snowboarding. Resorts including Thredbo, Falls Creek and Perisher run adaptive programs with DWA.
Accessible accommodation: Howmans Gap, just below Falls Creek resort, is a fully accessible facility available to all DWA members. Its Access All Abilities (AAA) Building, built with the Victorian Government and DWA, has en-suite rooms and the only Changing Places bathroom above the snowline in Australia, which the public can also use. The camp is open all year, with accessible summer activities including canoeing, mountain biking, bushwalking and archery. Groups can send a booking enquiry direct to the camp.
A competition pathway: DWA works with Snow Australia to support members from learn-to-race programs through to elite international competition. Snow Australia's Para pathway starts with DWA membership, then race camps and the Para Futures talent identification event.
If you're a parent, private lessons mean the session moves at your child's pace. Snow sports are expensive, but DWA concessions, borrowed equipment and member camps cut the cost of trying it compared with buying gear outright.
Who Governs Adaptive Snow Sports and Where to Find Your National Body
Internationally, Para snow sports (Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard and Para cross-country) are governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which runs the classification system, the Para World Cup circuit and the World Championships, with the Paralympic Winter Games as the pinnacle. Classification across the movement follows the IPC Athlete Classification Code.
National bodies are your practical entry point:
Australia: Disabled Wintersport Australia: the recognised National Sporting Organisation for adaptive snow sports, supporting adaptive snow sport for more than 45 years and covering everything from first lessons and equipment to the para competition pathway alongside Snow Australia.
United States: U.S. Ski & Snowboard: manages the Para alpine pipeline, with classification at sanctioned events feeding the national team program.
United Kingdom: GB Snowsport: the National Governing Body for disabled snowsport, managing British Parasnowsport and the Para pathway. Disability Snowsport UK delivers adaptive ski and snowboard lessons, and Snowsport England has a club and facility finder.
Our post on adaptive sports associations covers how bodies like these turn governance into local programs. For a winter team sport, see our post on sled hockey.
Final Thoughts
At the Y, I see how much easier it is to try a sport when the equipment and coaching are already there. DWA membership does that for snow sports in Australia, with sit-skis and outriggers in its fleet, concessions on private adaptive lessons and volunteer guides on request. The Y can do this for all groups all year, why not book direct with the camp today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is adaptive skiing?
A: Adaptive skiing uses modified equipment such as sit-skis and outriggers, specialised instruction and, where needed, guides so people with disability can ski. Adaptive snowboarding works the same way on a board.
Q: What is a sit-ski?
A: A sit-ski is a moulded, padded seat mounted over one or two skis, with strapping adjusted to the skier. Bi-skis (two skis) are stable and suit beginners and skiers with higher support needs; mono-skis (one ski) offer speed and agility for advancing skiers.
Q: Can people who are blind or have low vision really ski?
A: Yes: skiers with vision impairment ski behind a sighted guide who gives verbal directions. In competition, guided skiers race full alpine courses at speed.
Q: Do I need to buy adaptive equipment to try skiing?
A: No. National bodies and resort adaptive programs maintain equipment fleets; in Australia, Disabled Wintersport Australia members get access to sit-skis, outriggers and other adaptive equipment.
Q: What are the classification categories in Para alpine skiing?
A: Athletes compete as sitting, standing or vision impaired, with sport classes within each category and a factored timing system so different classes can race fairly together.
Q: Is adaptive snowboarding a Paralympic sport?
A: Yes: Para snowboard debuted at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and features snowboard cross and banked slalom events.
Q: Is adaptive skiing suitable for children?
A: Yes: adaptive lessons are typically private, taught by specially trained instructors, and paced to the learner. Contact your national adaptive snow sports body or a resort adaptive program about junior options.
Q: How do I start competing?
A: Begin with your national body; in Australia, DWA runs learn-to-race and development programs with Snow Australia, leading to FIS classification and international competition for eligible athletes.
