Innovative Activity #9: Adaptive Water Skiing

    Adaptive water skiing is water skiing intended for people with spinal cord injuries or other participants who cannot otherwise stand on their own. Water skiing can be therapeutic because it allows participants a sense of freedom that can only be experience in this way. Participants who usually use wheelchairs to get around have an opportunity to get out of them and experience speed on the open water. Depending on the style of sit-ski used participants will also work on their balance while enjoying the ride. Water skiing is a great activity for many populations including wounded warriors, troubled youth, and people with ADHD all of which may be able to water ski without special adaptations. Participants with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and cerebral palsy may all be able to enjoy water skiing in a sit-ski. People for whom water skiing may not be a good activity include people with heart conditions who have been advised not to participate in activities like this and possibly people with certain mental impairments. With the option of the sit-ski, water skiing is available to many more people, and even though participants may think that they can't do it, there are often ways to make skiing possible.
    Water skiing involves one person on water skis or using a sit-ski  being pulled behind a powerboat on an open lake. The skier can choose just to hang on for the ride, or to maneuver behind the boat. The following are pictures showing different types of sit-skis. In the first, the participant does minimal work, whereas in the second, the participant hangs on to the towrope his/herself.
 
This image is of a wounded warrior participating in an adaptive water sports clinic specifically for veterans.
                        

    Water skiers will need either water skis or a sit-ski, a tow rope, and of course a power boat to pull them. These can all be expensive, but there are many programs throughout the country for people of all abilities looking for ways to ski. It is easiest to learn to water ski one-on-one or with two teachers an one participant for a sit-skier that needs more assistance. There will need to be other people involved no matter who is learning because you need one boat driver and one spotter in the boat who watches to make sure everything is OK. I found several websites with information on sit-skis and adaptive programs that I would suggest other interested people should check out. The following are just a few resources though there are many more.
http://www.spokesnmotion.com/catalog/category.asp?category_id=102
http://www.adaptiveaquatics.org/
http://www.infinitec.org/play/water/waterskiing.htm