Adaptive Skaters - More Images and Techniques

In honor of faraway adaptive skating friends Oatie and Mel, and those in Massachusetts who are coming out to our adaptive skating programs, here are a few more photos from recent programs celebrating a variety of skaters enjoying the ice! There seems to be no end to the possibilities for creative support techniques!

Power chair users can spin, slide, do donuts, and even simulate bilateral skating if they can lean side to side while in motion.

Members of a high school hockey team assist sled skaters in playing hockey.


Stroller bar handles allow for assistance as needed and can be removed easily for those who can propel themselves independently.

Skilled ice skaters can push a sled or skate alongside for company, or even get in a sled themselves to model techniques. Skating backwards in front of a sled skater can offer face to face instructions and help focus those with attention challenges.

For some who are learning to skate on conventional ice skates, pushing someone else in a sled allows for mutual support!

We've seen strong sled skaters pushing other sled skaters in a train.

I have done my fair share of both conventional and sled skating and even received a ride on a sled as shown here. Some new variation is revealed in almost every program.

A young man in a wheeled stander gets to test out his skating legs.

It is always nice to have families enjoy the ice together! We also see groups from day care facilities, group homes and even rehab hospitals at our programs.

A variety of medical equipment can acquire a sense of fun appeal out on the ice. Last week I observed a young man in a wheelchair, with skates on his feet, alternate between playing hockey from his wheelchair and trying out skating using a walker, with the assistance of a few skaters.

Kids fit fine in adult sized sleds - just make sure to fasten the seat belt! A sliding foot tray is moved to the position closest to the seat so this young boy has a place to rest his feet. A piece of foam could also be strapped or taped to the frame for leg positioning support and also serve as insulation from the cold of the ice below.

A chest strap can help keep a child, or anyone who might need additional torso support, in an upright position.

Blankets can be wrapped around the legs of sled skaters and cover people in wheelchairs to help keep them warmer.