Earlier this December, Staci Manella, former ASF Race Team member and two time US Paralympian tried out the SkyTechSport Ski & Snowboard Simulator at Windham Mountain.
Windham Mountain and the Adaptive Sports Foundation have collaborated to bring the SkyTechSport Simulator to Windham Mountain. The SkyTechSport Simulator provides real skiing and riding in virtual reality. It is cutting-edge technology that reproduces the exact sensation of going down the slope.
The simulator caters to a wide spectrum of clients; children, beginners, advance skiers and riders and racers. From being able to experience World Cup & Olympic courses from around the world to the 100 turn challenge, the simulator is fun for all ages and abilities. The Ski & Ride Simulator is located in the base area, just beyond the patio and is open to the public.
Below is Staci’s experience on the simulator in her own words:
I was excited to make turns at Windham Mountain in the early season, however, as we all know, early season skiing in the northeast can be, well…variable. However, the new SkyTechSport Ski and Snowboard simulator recently donated to the Adaptive Sports Foundation allowed me to keep turning even when Mother Nature had other plans.
At first, I was quite intimidated by how large and powerful the machine seemed to be. I was worried I would do something wrong or somehow ‘crash’ because we all know finish rates have never been my strong suit. However, after a few minutes of working out the kinks, I started to get really comfortable on the machine. Though I had to get used to the fact that I was staying in one place (I occasionally thought about jumping into the screen to move forward into the new turn), once I got the hang of it, I had a blast feeling like I was linking turns again. After a few minutes on the machine I started to remember what it is like to stand on my outside ski. I even got a chance to try skiing some slalom. The gates were rather challenging without a guide, but I am looking forward to continuing to work on the simulator with my ASF guide and coaches while I am Windham Mountain. Overall, the simulator was a fun way to warm up my muscles and get ready for some races this season.