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left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

Photo: Dan Gentile / SFGate

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

Blindness, amputations and paralysis can't stop these veterans from skiing Tahoe

Like most ski camps, the first thing you see when walking out onto the slopes of Achieve Tahoes headquarters at Alpine Meadows is a beginner wipeout and some encouraging teasing from instructors.

The difference between this and any other normal scene at the base of the mountain is in the gear: poles with stabilizing blades offer amputees stability, sit-down bi-skis help those with paralysis make their way down the mountain and orange blind skier vests serve as a reminder that with enough willpower, just about anything is possible.Since 1967, the non-profit Achieve Tahoe has empowered the disabled to learn how to ski. As the founding chapter of Disabled Sports USA (there are now 140 around the country), the group has pioneered the use of innovative equipment and instruction that lets almost anyone safely traverse the slopes, from the blind to amputees to those with cognitive disabilities like autism.Everyone likes to feel this level of achievement. People say stoke or passion -- what you get from being outdoors and feeling the wind in your hair, says executive director Haakon Lang-Ree, who started with Achieve Tahoe as a volunteer 27 years ago. The freedom of choosing your own path down the mountain, everyone likes that feeling, and this is a population that doesnt get too many chances to do that.

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The program works with roughly 700 individuals a year during the winter, plus half of that in summer, all heavily subsidized thanks to their non-profit status. Lessons take place at Alpine, Squaw Valley, Northstar and Sugar Bowl, with adaptive equipment included and free or discounted skis, poles and boots donated by rental shops.

Todays a special day at Alpine Meadows. In addition to Achieve Tahoes regular services, once a year they offer a program specifically aimed at wounded veterans. The Anthem Winter Ski Festival invites former members of the armed services to a three-day camp, typically free of charge (thanks to some generous donors).

During the first morning, the scene outside their headquarters looks a lot like any other resort. People lounge at picnic benches suiting up, newbies glide on the flat snow to gain their balance, and more than one never ever beginner takes a tumble to the ground. Excited skiers joke with each other as they take off on the lift and rise over the treeline. Theres a comradery in the air, and also a sense of determination. Whatever challenges the participants have faced, theres nothing stopping them from enjoying the mountain.

Since Achieve Tahoes inception, the non-profit has been at the forefront of implementing adaptive tech to remove barriers to enjoying both the fitness and social elements of skiing. In the 80s, one of their instructors developed one of the first sit-down ski systems. Although most of the gear addresses issues of stability, Achieve Tahoe is also on the cutting edge of mechanized technology. The company hosts the beta site for a University of Utah program developing a fully automated mono-ski thats controlled via joystick. Motors inside the skis can wedge or edge, essentially reading the slopes like a golf green. They allow someone with quadriplegia who may be in a power wheelchair to have the same mountain experience as anyone else.

It opens up a whole new niche for folks who didnt have any options, says Lang-Ree.

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For some of the wounded veterans, the equipment isnt the key, but rather patient instruction. If it werent for Kenta Otawas orange vest that reads blind skier, hed look just like any other first timer testing his balance on the bunny hills. The young veteran who traveled from San Diego lost most of his vision due to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, but he comes across as optimistic and determined not to let his disability keep him from doing anything (even gliding down a mountain). Hes never skied before, but thanks to the help of one-on-one instruction from Jake Wendell, hes already feeling comfortable after only a half-hour.

Through auditory and kinesthetic learning, we describe the movements and the feelings, then we just ski, said Wendell, as veterans in the distance weave between orange cones on mono-skis. Eventually we talk about a guiding method with verbal cues for the turn shapes. Hell be able to make his own turns, and I just let him know when hes getting off-center.

Im having a blast, says Otawa from behind slick, wrap-around black shades. He sounds just like any other over-confident beginner Im ready to go black diamond!

Dan Gentile is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere

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Blindness, amputations and paralysis can't stop these veterans from skiing Tahoe - SFGate

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