A para-snowboarder catches high air in Italy. Photograph courtesy of the World Snowboard Federation.
Since the 1976 inception of the Winter Paralympic Games, only five sports have gained pride of place as official events in its program-alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, and wheelchair curling. Now, snowboarding, which has been an official Olympic sport since 1998, has begun making official steps toward joining the Paralympic ranks. According to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Snowboard Federation (WSF), representatives of the two groups met in mid July to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-operate during the 2010-2011 season to “further develop the sport of para-snowboard.” The MoU also notes that the WSF and IPC may extend their agreement through the 2013-2014 season.
“The memorandum of understanding is essentially a working cooperation agreement for the 2010-2011 winter season,” Danny Buntain, para-snowboard chairperson at the WSF, told The O&P EDGE. “The IPC has recognized that there is a need for some more sports in the winter program, and they’re very interested in snowboarding. However, our sport still has some areas to grow in before we can join.”
According to Buntain, the WSF recently evaluated the current international state of para-snowboarding and has created a business plan to develop the sport toward meeting the IPC’s minimum-criteria guidelines for Paralympic status.
“It’s really key for the continuation and success of the Paralympic movement to target the [athlete development] pathways and provide necessary development programs,” Buntain explained. “Some of our top goals for this season are in recruitment and in awareness of the sport. We’re targeting various disabled snowsport organizations, national Paralympic committees, and snowboard and ski resorts all over the world so that we can really promote this sport and so the athletes…can have the opportunity to compete at the highest level and really showcase themselves to the world.
“The World Snowboard Federation has a membership of about 40-plus national snowboard associations around the world, and the national development programs are run at the national level by [each country’s] national snowboard association or its recognized snowsports bodies,” Buntain added. Below the national level, clubs and resorts work on the ground to recruit and develop athletes. At that level, the WSF aims to develop recruitment and development programs that fully integrate able-bodied and adaptive groups’ resources and coaching.
“Our motto is that coaching is coaching…, ” Buntain said, noting that Canada’s snowboarding programs for recruitment and development have already achieved full integration.
Buntain noted, however, that WSF para-snowboarding competitions currently allow only standing athletes to officially compete.
“The majority of the athletes who come to our programs are amputees, so coaches…and our competition officials are very familiar with [their condition],” she said. “We also have a few incomplete spinal cord injury competitors who have come out…as well as visually impaired athletes…. A few athletes in the sitting category have developed their own equipment, and we have been open to having them compete at our events, though in a demonstration capacity because we haven’t defined the equipment regulations.”
Buntain said that the para-snowboarding’s elite competitions are also ramping up. “In the past, we’ve had competitions in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Italy, and France,” she noted. “This year, we’re probably going to have world cup events in Canada, the U.S., Italy, and France; the Netherlands are interested as well, but they’re thinking that their event will be held in Switzerland and hosted by the Dutch Federation. New Zealand and Australia are also very interested and may host our world championships next summer.”
Buntain concluded, “This season is a really big test to see if, after we’ve focused on key target areas, that we were able to grow the sport to the IPC’s minimum requirements. I think they’ll see our potential to grow and become part of the Paralympic program.”
