Disabled Snowsports NZ
A history of adaptive snowsports in New Zealand
DSNZ has been in existence for more than 30 years. In 1974, physiotherapist Gillian Hall became interested in teaching people with disabilities to ski while working as a ski instructor in Europe. Support from the New Zealand Ski Instructors Alliance (NZSIA) enabled Gillian to visit the main ski areas of New Zealand in 1975 and 1976. She also visited organisations working with people with disabilities in the main cities and found support for the concept of teaching people with physical disabilities to ski.
The New Zealand Association for Disabled Skiers was formed after a small group from the Christchurch ski community met with some skiers with disabilities in the spring of 1976. The Association later became an Incorporated Society and Charitable Trust.
In 1977 funding from the Ministry of Recreation and Sport and the J.R. McKenzie Trust enabled visits throughout New Zealand and ski weeks for people with disabilities at most larger ski areas. Later the Lotteries Board and various private trusts supported the Association's work.
In 1977 Roz Service helped with the increasing instruction load and in 1978 David Boyd became Chief Instructor. Both Roz and David have continued to support DSNZ over the years. In 1980 David took a small team of racers to Norway for their first international competition. By 1984 DSNZ racers were winning New Zealand's first ever medals for adaptive skiing in international competition. This racing success has been repeated by other skiers and the NZ Disabled Ski Team (NZDST) attends either the Paralympics or World Championships every two years.
By 1979 DSNZ were training people to work on adaptive ski programmes as volunteer helpers and since 1980 we have trained instructors through our Adaptive Instructor Course which has the professional support of the NZSIA.
Between 1995 and 2002 changes in both snowsports and sport administration in New Zealand has led to changes in the programmes DSNZ offers. We are increasingly involved in education of volunteers and instructors, our branch structure is changing, and preparation of elite athletes has become extremely professional. A big demand for Adaptive Teaching skills saw twenty-eight ski and snowboard instructors take our Adaptive Instructors Courses in 2001.