(Photo courtesy of Oregon Adaptive Sports)
Saturday, March 12 at Mt. Bachelor, there will be a festive parade of folks putting tracks down the hill in their best-animated outfits. It could be bananas, it could be furry, have a tutu or it could be an astronaut!
This popular event is Oregon Adaptive Sports’s (OAS) very own Junior Racers event, a free event designed for participants under the age of 18 who have physical disabilities (such as Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Quadriplegic to list a few), which require the use of sit-ski equipment.
OAS’s sit-ski equipment enables youth and adults to experience the freedom of skiing regardless of their disability. On this particular day, approximately 17 children and teens will get to speed down on a sit-ski, a device balanced by small outrigger skis while a trained OAS instructor or volunteer follows behind, guiding them in their wildest get-up!
Junior Racers is OAS’s annual free event full of sit-skiing fun for youth ranging from never-ever to confident intermediate skiers. Families will be coming across the state of Oregon and areas of Washington to participate. The skiing will kick off at 9:30 am on Saturday, March 12 at Mt. Bachelor in the Sunrise Lodge. Junior Racers will be wrapped up with a pizza party at 2 pm followed by awards and a stellar costume contest!
Oregon Adaptive Sports has been breaking barriers in Central Oregon since 1996, providing people with disabilities and their families an opportunity for outdoor recreation. Our goal is to nurture the human spirit and foster self-confidence and independence. We currently offer instructional programs in alpine and Nordic skiing and snowboarding, at both Hoodoo and Mt. Bachelor ski resorts as well as summer programs throughout the greater Bend area. To prevent cost from being a barrier to participation, we rely on the support of hundreds of volunteers, businesses, donors and sponsors. www.oregonadaptivesports.org
