Organized by the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snow Sports (VISAS), the Shoulder 2 Shoulder event at Mount Sima allows veterans and first responders to return to a sport they once enjoyed or discover a new winter activity. Participants spend three days skiing or snowboarding at Mount Sima with a friend, family member and a […]
Organized by the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snow Sports (VISAS), the Shoulder 2 Shoulder event at Mount Sima allows veterans and first responders to return to a sport they once enjoyed or discover a new winter activity. Participants spend three days skiing or snowboarding at Mount Sima with a friend, family member and a certified CADS instructor.
“We have two instructors who were certified last year and recertified this year, and we have two others who became certified this year,” Oettli said.
“Our goals are to see growth, more smiling faces using the equipment and our instructors loving every moment. Those certified for the adaptive program absolutely love it. Seeing more people access the mountain is the overall goal of this program,” Oettli said.
Mount Sima began offering adaptive sporting lessons two years ago after Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) reached out to the hill to expand access from British Columbia to the Yukon, Oettli said. The hill looked into including adaptive lessons as part of the snow school a year prior, he added.
According to general manager Sam Oettli, instructors begin with introductions and assessments of the client’s capabilities, sometimes pre-arranged during the booking process. Instructors then customize lessons based on the client’s abilities and goals, creating a personalized, supportive experience.
Mount Sima aims to support its instructors’ skill building through ongoing recertification and training opportunities, Oettli said. He explained that CADS trainers travelling up to Whitehorse can be expensive, but that the hill does its best to bring them up.
“We have more staffing capacity to run the program more robustly. Funding from Jumpstart with Canadian Tire and Nuway Crushing have boosted our ability to emphasize the program and build access for clients who want to use it,” Oettli said.
Clients might be able to make use of equipment like sit-skis or two hand-held outrigger skis, which instructors can control if necessary. Lessons typically start on the beginner hill and can advance to trickier trails as clients grow more confident and skilled, he added.
Efforts are underway to secure funding to support further training and bring in additional trainers, he said. The program is gradually expanding instructors’ capabilities as they grow.
The overarching long-term goal of the adaptive lessons program is to increase participation, expand the program’s reach and partnerships and ultimately provide more access and opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy adaptive snow sports at Mount Sima.
Yukoners with disabilities eager to explore the world of winter sports may benefit from an expansion to the adaptive snow sports program on offer at Mount Sima, Whitehorse’s ski hill.
“We’ve been working with Shoulder to Shoulder, which supports veterans in the CADS program. They use skiing and snowboarding to manage issues such as PTSD and physical injuries from service. There are many ways we want to see this program grow,” Oettli said.
Individualized one-on-one lessons for neurodiverse individuals and individuals with a physical or visual disability can be booked free of charge as an introduction to skiing, snowboarding or sit-skiing sports.
Oettli added that the hill sometimes receives opportunities to send instructors down south for hands-on training at ski resorts where CADS programs are run.
Sponsored by VISAS through support and grants, Mount Sima will be hosting its second Shoulder 2 Shoulder event from March 21 to 23, 2025.
“They came up and, through them, we started looking at different ways to get equipment and training. We secured funding and got ourselves a sit-ski. We also received a second, used sit-ski in great condition from Vancouver Island. We shipped it up and are slowly developing the program to make it as robust as possible,” Oettli said.
A friend, family member or support worker who is an experienced skier or snowboarder can join any lessons, according to the hill’s website. Additionally, two clients with similar abilities who wish to take lessons together must have an experienced skier or snowboarder join to assist the instructor.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.comThe Yukon’s adaptive snow sports program at Mount Sima began with two CADS certified instructors. It has since expanded to four CADS certified instructors, increasing lesson availability and making the program more accessible to Yukoners.
