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Adaptive watersports


H2Idah0

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We purchased a boat last fall, haven't had a boat for 20 years. Used to ski a ton, just ran out of time for a while.

My wife has had trouble with her left ankle and foot for about 7 years and in December, the Dr told her it was time to amputate it and get on with rehabbing on a prosthetic. So, we went to Hawaii for 2 weeks, returned, she had the procedure, and we have been working on getting ready to move to the next phase.

Yesterday, she took her first steps on her new foot and it was one of the most emotional experiences I have had in a while to see her walking again with no pain.

Which brings me back to the new boat. I want her to be more than the driver. She wants to ski and maybe try to wakeboard.

Do any of you have experiences with this you can share with me? Equipment I can buy? Groups we can join?

An important detail is her amputation is below the knee which makes things a little simpler.

Thanks in advance

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I can't imagine how bad it must have been to reach a decision like that, I can't even get my mind around that. But I'm happy to hear that she's progressing well.

A few years ago I remember reading an article on Wakeworld about a man that was an amputee on a wakeboard. I searched for it but couldn't find it, but I did find this:

Link

A quick Google search also yielded some promising results, so it looks like it's at least possible if not probable. My husband's first suggestion was a Sky Ski. It is a lot of fun to ride, especially once you learn to fly the ski (it gets really quiet & peaceful). But if not that, it sounds like there are possibilities for the other sports.

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Coming from an able bodied guy, SkySki is about a boatload of fun, regardless of your age or ability. Flying above the wake & boat chop is the most fun I ever had behind the boat. And then add the ability to jump or get inverted as you get older.... it's huge.

I live & ride in the Coeur d'Alene area. And there are more & more of us in the area all the time. So feel free to give me a call or email any time. Or I might be able to hook you up with riders in southern ID too. See my profile if your so inclined.

There are also several people with various paralysis conditions that have enjoyed getting up & riding a foil with varying degrees of success. I suspect your wife would do really well because of how low her injury is located. In the past, the people who did well had good strength & mobility from about their waist or belt line...... that ability to sit up & lift your knees is most important.

Good luck with whatever discipline of skiing your wife decides to tackle.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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USA Waterski has a Disabled Skiiing part of the organization where those who are disabled are able to compete. I'm sure if you write them, they would hopefully be able to give you some information about where to find equipment, or even someone in your area who could help your wife get started.

Check out www.usawaterski.org. In the top right corner is a link to Disabled Skiing.

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This organization is out at the private lake I ski at and other local lakes throughout the summer. It's based on sacramento area, but maybe they can connect you with an organization near you or give you some advice.

http://www.dsusafw.org/

I know Clay was helping them out when he lived in Sac, so hopefully he'll see this thread or you can PM him.

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Its so great that you guys have such a possitive attitude and looking to move on. I'm sure your wife will find some great support and kicking your Whistling.gif again in no time. Thumbup.gif

I think the person Tracie is talking about is Billy Tonis and live's in the Sacramento CA area. I have seen him wakeboard before with just one arm and he was pulling off some sweet tricks.

Google Extremity Games,

IMG_6903.jpg

IMG_6861.jpg

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Thanks for all the feedback!

I purchased a Sky Ski last fall cause it looked fun. Now, maybe that will the ticket for her.

The last guy rolling on his wakeboard is amazing!

I also found a local organization that does adaptive water sports here in Idaho so that's good too!

I appreciate all the concern and will share with the little woman. She is athletic and so I'm sure she'll give whatever she tries the old college try!

Kent

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Prosthetics are amazing these days. I was a college springboard diver (over 15 years ago--and things have come a long way since then) and once got beat (as did most of the rest of the field) by a guy with a prosthetic leg. He competed against the rest of the field straight up, no "special" designation. He was awesome. I wouldn't let your wife think that she is in any way limited because of the loss of her foot. Technology and the human spirit can overcome just about anything.

Also, as an aside, I had another college buddy who used to throw a pocket knife into his prosthetic foot (clothed, you couldn't tell it was prosthetic) as a bar bet. I can tell you I never got tired of that gag. You can let misfortune get you down, or you can move forward and turn it into an advantage. I have a feeling I know which path your wife will choose!

Happy skiing! Cheers.gif

Jack

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Coming from an able bodied guy, SkySki is about a boatload of fun, regardless of your age or ability. Flying above the wake & boat chop is the most fun I ever had behind the boat. And then add the ability to jump or get inverted as you get older.... it's huge.

I live & ride in the Coeur d'Alene area. And there are more & more of us in the area all the time. So feel free to give me a call or email any time. Or I might be able to hook you up with riders in southern ID too. See my profile if your so inclined.

There are also several people with various paralysis conditions that have enjoyed getting up & riding a foil with varying degrees of success. I suspect your wife would do really well because of how low her injury is located. In the past, the people who did well had good strength & mobility from about their waist or belt line...... that ability to sit up & lift your knees is most important.

Good luck with whatever discipline of skiing your wife decides to tackle.

That's what I'm thinking. It's more about core strength & balance than anything else. And it's a lot of fun! That's great that you already have one, I would think that that would be a great starting place for her, but it sounds like the sky is the limit in terms of what she really wants to do. Keep us posted on her progress!

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All this talk about one legged riders reminded me of a guy we hooked up with like 10 or more years ago. He was an Aussie who just happened to be in town & gave us a call. We meet him at the dock & chat a bit, nice guy, talked funny, etc. He never told us he whore a prosthetic leg. So he bends over like he's going to untie his shoe, unbelts his pants, etc. then pulls the whole leg off, jeans & all. He has one massive right leg, and not much more than a stub on the left. So while we're sitting there in shock, he packs the jeans & left leg in his gear bag, stands up & make move to jump in the boat. My brother stands up to give him a helping hand. The guy looks at him & says, "No thanks, mate, step aside". Then just hops the 3' or 4' down & into the boat, doesn't ever need to regain his balance or put his hand down. He has a seat & we're on our way.

The guy was a helluva rider. Nice back rolls, big jumps, had no problem riding our old AirChairs with ease.

Good luck, Kent. And make a point to come join us at the NW Flyin this year. You will learn more in one weekend than all summer on your own.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just bought a Malibu this week and thought it would be a good idea to check out this forum for ideas. Just came across this post and thought you might like some advice.

I had a snow ski accident while competing in Colorado in 1988. After 4 years of surgeries on my leg and 12 hospital stays I finally decided to amputate my leg above the knee and get on with my life. I continued on to snow ski and mountain bike regularly but it wasn't until two years ago that a friend offered to take me water skiing for the first time. It took a few pulls to get me up but I figured it out pretty fast. Then I went home and bought a boat. It was a bit of a surprise to the family. I have a few tricks for setting up the ski properly, adjusting the boot back and the fin up, etc. An "easy up" ski rope works well for the first few times to help keep the ski straight. The HO Burner is a great stable ski to try as well. If you have trouble getting up fast just put the rope on the tower.

I know that you are a below the knee amp. which makes getting up with two legs easier but I pay for my own prosthesis and they are ungodly expensive. The last thing I need to do is go diving for it in Flathead lake. I just thought you might like a few photos to get you excited to ski again. With determination you will find it very rewarding to get back to the things you loved to do before.

I think there was a reference to you being in Idaho. I am in Bozeman MT. and I will be in Northern Idaho towards the end of July if you would like to get some first hand help with this.

Cheers

Andrew West

Hmmmm.............Can't seem to figure out how to post pics. Any ideas?

Here we go. Just didn't realize I had to fork over some moolah to the Malibu gods.

post-6392-1209081175_thumb.jpg

Edited by Awest
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Here we go. Just didn't realize I had to fork over some moolah to the Malibu gods.

Here is another shot to get you in the mood to go out and tear it up. Really play with the adjustable fin on the ski to get the tip to ride higher on the water. Since I don't have my back foot in for obvious reasons I push the binding pretty far back on the ski without redrilling any holes.

Hope this helps

AW

post-6392-1209081718_thumb.jpg

Edited by Awest
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Here we go. Just didn't realize I had to fork over some moolah to the Malibu gods.

Here is another shot to get you in the mood to go out and tear it up. Really play with the adjustable fin on the ski to get the tip to ride higher on the water. Since I don't have my back foot in for obvious reasons I push the binding pretty far back on the ski without redrilling any holes.

Hope this helps

AW

Great pic! I noticed you are gripping the handle both palms down, like a trick-ski grip. Have you tried a baseball grip? If not, you may get a little better leverage with a baseball grip. Rip it up.

Cheers.gif

Jack

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Thanks a bunch for the photos. My wife is loving the advice. We had the boat out last week for the first time, it was AWESOME! Didn't get her in the water though - still too cold!!!!

Soon.....

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Great stuff, very inspiring. My wife is a diabetic and there will be some not so pleasant things happening to her as the circulation at her extremeties goes away as it has already started. These type of things give people hope.

Shnitzskis site had a picture of a gentleman who skiied 32' off with one leg. You might contact him on some tips as he does some coaching and should have some good tips.

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Thanks a bunch for the photos. My wife is loving the advice. We had the boat out last week for the first time, it was AWESOME! Didn't get her in the water though - still too cold!!!!

Soon.....

I forgot to mention something about the cold. If your wife decides to ski without her prosthetic leg on then buy her a full wetsuit (I have a farmer john and a jacket) and cut the leg off. This keeps it from flapping around. I then put a zipper in at the end of the pant leg to keep cold water out. Circulation issues make it hard to keep your leg warm. I have modified my snow ski pants the same way. Those blankets from Bakes that hook up to your heater tube work well also.

Cheers

Andrew

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Andrew,

Thanks a bunch for the hints and the inspiration. I was traveling this week and just showed my wife your posts. She loved them. The zipper hint is a great idea.

Thanks again,

Kent

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Shnitzskis site had a picture of a gentleman who skiied 32' off with one leg. You might contact him on some tips as he does some coaching and should have some good tips.

ive got a video of an italian guy running into 38 off at 36mph. Rockon.gif

i know a guy through skiing who lost his leg from the knee down in a farming accident. he recently won worlds in jump i believe here in aus (a place at least :unsure: ). seeing someone on one ski and one leg hit a 5ft ramp and manage to kick it and go 20+meters is freakin cool! i know i couldnt do it..

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