Water Ski

Adapted water skiing is simply water skiing for athletes with a disability. Participants compete in men and women divisions for blind persons, multiplegics and leg and arm amputees. Adapted tournaments include the same events as water skiing – slalom, tricks and jump.

Multiplegic athletes use sit skis, which they are seated on a ski that is wider than that of a regular slalom ski. Leg and arm amputees use the same equipment as in water skiing and have the option of skiing with or without a prosthesis.

Classifications

The categories are as follows:

A

Arm amputees

L

Leg amputees without prosthesis

LP

Leg amputees with prosthesis

A/L

Significant arm and leg impairment, arm and leg amputation, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy and other disabilities/conditions where skiers are able to ski upright for slalom.

M

Quadriplegic, paraplegic and double leg amputees

M1

Athletes unable to utilize the majority of their trunk musculature and rise from their knees without arm support. They lack full use of their upper extremities. Typically, they do not have adequate grip strength and may utilize their forearms or wrists to hold the handle. This division is comprised mostly of quadriplegics.

M2

Athletes able to use their upper trunk muscles and raise their body partially from their knees in the skiing position. Typically, they have full use of their upper extremities. This division is comprised mostly of paraplegics, with breaks above T-10 that have poor balance.

M3

Athletes with good use of the majority of their trunk muscles, possibly including abdominals. Typically, they are able to raise their trunk from their knees in the skiing position and have full use of their upper extremities. This division is comprised mainly of double leg amputees and paraplegics with complete breaks lower than T-12.

V

Blind and vision Impaired

V1

No light perception at all in either eye, up to light perception but inability to recognize the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction. V1 skiers are required to ski wearing “black out” goggles.

V2

From ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 and/or a visual field of less than five degrees.

V3

From a visual acuity of 2/60 up to a visual acuity of 6/60 and/or a visual field of more than 5 degrees and less than 20 degrees. Skiers classified as V2 and V3 will always ski in one single category named V2/3