Nine-year-old Oskar Alan of Marquette had a strong desire to pursue Nordic skiing, but his balance, coordination and strength are compromised by cerebral palsy, preventing him from engaging in the activity from a standing position. Undeterred, and with support from the Superiorland Ski Club (SSC), he tested a borrowed commercial sit-ski last winter and was hooked after his first run. Now more children with disabilities have an opportunity to participate in the sport, thanks to the efforts of Northern Michigan University Engineering Technology faculty. They built four sit-skis for the SSC, saving the nonprofit money and advancing its initiative to promote inclusion and belonging among youth skiers.
“It's such a wonderful gift to have adaptive equipment available for a small group of kids to be able to sit-ski together,” said Oskar's mom, Melissa Alan. “I get emotional just thinking about his first time trying it because it was so incredible. After he received help getting fitted and buckled in, he didn't wait for a boost; he just took off with a big smile on his face and was eager to keep going. Oskar even competed in the 1K adaptive race at the Noquemanon a week later. When he finished, some high schoolers waiting for their race to start gave him high-fives. Seeing the community rally around him and really make him feel proud was super cool to see. I'll never forget it.”
Oskar told her that the sit-ski erases any worry about falling over, so he feels more in control and can just focus on gaining momentum to carry him down the trail.
“His physical therapist had told me he's an athletic kid,” Melissa added. “That was really eye-opening; my mind hadn't gone there. But I realized we just have to meet him where he's at for him to be an athlete on his terms and to the best of his ability.”
NMU Technology and Applied Sciences adjunct instructor Kevin Carr is a board member and Para Nordic coach with the SSC, which offers programs for youth ages 5 and up. He assisted with Oskar's initiation to the borrowed sit-ski and supported him in his first Noquemanon race. Carr approached two NMU colleagues in Engineering Technology about using their skills and expertise to help more athletes participate.
Instructor Joe Routhier drew a sit-ski in a computer-aided design (CAD) program, then sent it to professor Cale Polkinghorne, who secured donated materials from Superior Extrusion and built the equipment. The seats were developed by a prosthetist. The four sit-skis complement the two commercial models previously purchased by the SSC.
“It's pretty monumental what Northern has done,” said Carr. “It has helped our ski club become one of few in the nation with an integrated Para Nordic program. There are a fair number of stand-alone Para Nordic programs, but we want our adaptive athletes to be able to ski with their peers. Casey DeVooght, an adaptive athlete who trained with the U.S. Paralympics Nordic team and now coaches with the SSC, agreed that it's rare. This is truly life-changing for kids who normally don't have the opportunity to be part of a team.”
“Oskar sees his friends from school who are there for Ski Cats and it's nice that he can be a part of that and not be separated,” Alan added. “It's really important for kids who do things a little bit differently to still be included with their peers.”
Polkinghorne, who recently took up Nordic skiing and will compete in his first Noquemanon later this month, has supported his non-disabled daughter's participation in the SSC from a young age. She is now a member of the high school team, and was one of the skiers who lined up to cheer for Oskar and shower him with high-fives after his first Noque race.
“My daughter loved that,” Polkinghorne said. “I happened to be there watching that day and Kevin [Carr]—who is amazing for how much he volunteers for the SSC—said he would love for me to make some sit-skis for the club. I told him that was definitely doable. I have a great appreciation for the fact my two kids are not living with a disability, and I have a soft spot for kids who struggle with physical or mental challenges. It's easy to get involved in something that allows everyone to participate in a sport.
“This is not a one-time deal; it will be a continuation. Kevin and I started talking about the second phase of building the next size up so that when kids grow out of the smaller version, they will grow into the next. I'm going to try to get my manufacturing processes class involved as well. Their final class project may be to build the next-size adaptive ski system.”
Routhier also plans to use the sit-ski as a lesson for one of his classes to demonstrate the important role of reverse engineering in production. Students will produce drawings of individual components, weldments and assemblies, which may be helpful in building more of the systems.
Carr said the hope is that the ski club will be able to support the level of adaptive athlete interest with enough equipment and coaches. He added that Oskar “defines the SSC's goal and will be a lifelong athlete by showing his positivity and determination.” Oskar has become an ambassador for new adaptive athletes who join the club, including three Ukrainian adoptees, all with Down Syndrome.
“It's been a great leadership opportunity for him, and he just stepped right up,” his mom Melissa added. “We decided to do a test run of the sit-skis recently. After the kids got into them, Oskar went out in front, saying he would teach the others the basics. He's so happy and full of joy when he's on those skis and wants to share his excitement with others. For living in a smaller town, we're getting some pretty amazing opportunities through programs like this.”
The effort by NMU Engineering Technology also aligns with the university's strategic priorities of engaging in outreach that strengthens NMU's connection to the community, and facilitating inclusion/belonging as a way to promote well-being.
Learn more about the Superiorland Ski Club here.
