Downhill skiing - weight restrictions?

[Katja]

Question for adaptive downhill skiers - is it common for there to be a weight restriction for monoskiing?

A friend who is an MS quad was told by an adaptive program in Canada that they could not help her because she weighs over 200 lbs. She's crushed - it took months for her (a former avid downhill skier) to get to the point where she could accept that an adaptive form of the sport wouldn't be second best.

[NW-Will]

Over 200 lbs
not being funny, but how much over.

I take part in a ski program and all the helpers volunteer, l'm no light weight
At 220 lbs and it's a damn mighty workout for 3 burly guys who help me.
When you're on the side of a mountain and it's blowing a blizzard and they have to man
Handle you upright to get going, I can totally see I am pushing their
Limits and would hate to think I am causing anyone an injury. So
I can totally see there would be a weight limit. Just for everyone's safety.
Just my 2 cents.

[Katja]

Originally Posted by NW-Will

Over 200 lbs
not being funny, but how much over.

I take part in a ski program and all the helpers volunteer, l'm no light weight
At 220 lbs and it's a damn mighty workout for 3 burly guys who help me.
When you're on the side of a mountain and it's blowing a blizzard and they have to man
Handle you upright to get going, I can totally see I am pushing their
Limits and would hate to think I am causing anyone an injury. So
I can totally see there would be a weight limit. Just for everyone's safety.
Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for your response. I'd guess she's around 210-220. What program do you ski with?

[new dimension]

We have a friend here at Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont that is probably 220 and he has no problem. I do think the ski may be a tighter fit..but other then that I know of no problem.

[Katja]

I thought I'd follow up on this with what little I've learned.

I surveyed all the adaptive programs I could find here in Colorado. The majority have a 200 pound weight limit. Breckenridge has a 220 pound weight limit. A couple of them didn't say.

I've been offered the following two explanations:

1. It's for the volunteers' safety, limiting the amount of weight they will have to lift either onto the lift or after a fall.

2. It's a restriction due to program equipment; the monoskis and biskis owned by programs may not have adequate springs for heavier participants.

[graybeard]

I looked into a ski program here in Va.

Wintergreen Ski resort. Thier website doesnt mention a weight limit, yet when I emailed them inquiring the specifics, I was told that they had a 185 lb limit. Shoot...havnt seen that weight since I had hair.......

Didnt say if it was an equipment limit,or for teh volunteers' backs..
Whichever, it killed my hopes of gettn on the slopes.

[brian]

A lot of the weight restrictions come from the equipment manufacturers. Freedom Factory sets a limit of 220lbs for all of its skis. I imagine that at a certain point the rider would bottom out on the spring sitting still.

And as NW_WILL points out, there is also a safety issue for the instructors. Mono instructors have to work very hard with a first-timer and asking one person to try to control a 300lb load (skiier and ski) going down a hill is a lot to ask.

[DeadEye]

Originally Posted by graybeard

I looked into a ski program here in Va.

Wintergreen Ski resort. Thier website doesnt mention a weight limit, yet when I emailed them inquiring the specifics, I was told that they had a 185 lb limit. Shoot...havnt seen that weight since I had hair.......

Didnt say if it was an equipment limit,or for teh volunteers' backs..
Whichever, it killed my hopes of gettn on the slopes.

Are you serious? I skied with them for several years and I'm certain I was either at, or above, 185. It never came up that I'm aware of. You being a para, your weight shouldn't be a problem. Want me to call them for you? I served on their board for 4-5 years. Let me know, I'll be glad to help because it is an awesome experience and the snow up there should be the best it's ever been.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by DeadEye

Are you serious? I skied with them for several years and I'm certain I was either at, or above, 185. It never came up that I'm aware of. You being a para, your weight shouldn't be a problem. Want me to call them for you? I served on their board for 4-5 years. Let me know, I'll be glad to help because it is an awesome experience and the snow up there should be the best it's ever been.

Hell yeah give'em a shout! I would really like to give this a shot...thanks

[kbailey]

Originally Posted by graybeard

Hell yeah give'em a shout! I would really like to give this a shot...thanks

I was hooked after my first lesson four years ago with Michigan Adaptive Sports. I now have my own ski and absolutely love it. If the volunteers where you go are anything like the people at MAS, you'll be in good hands.