First “Legends of the Deep” Powder Competition for Skiers & Riders with Disabilities - January 16th, 2009

One-Day Event features some of the best monoskiers, three and four-track skiers, adaptive snowboarders, and blind skiers in the world who will be competing for the title of Best Adaptive Powder Skier in the World .

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (December 1, 2008) :  On Friday, January 16th, Access Anything, in cooperation with Adaptive Adventures, Steamboat Powdercats, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and Teton Gravity Research have joined together to sponsor the 1st  Annual Legends of the Deep Powder Competition for skiers and riders with disabilities; a unique event that will combine the some of the best adaptive athletes in the world with some of the best back country powder skiing in the world.

The event, the first ever of its kind, promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience for athletes and attendees. Steamboat Springs, CO residents Craig & Andrea Kennedy, founders of Access Anything, believe that this ground breaking event will help change the perception of what people with disabilities can do.  “There are a lot of people out there that don’t think disabled athletes can compete on this level,” Kennedy says. “We plan to show them otherwise.”

The adaptive athletes participating include former Paralympic World Champion 3-track skier, Greg Menino, X Games mono-cross Bronze Medalist, Sam Ferguson, and Chris Fezmire, a Colorado transplant who lost both of his legs to an IUD in Iraq just three years ago.  Athletes will compete in an open competition to be judged by an expert panel and will be scored based on several criteria such as form, turns, jumps, quality and quantity of face shots and completion of runs.

This event, combined with Steamboat’s famous champagne powder, considered the best snow in the world, and Buffalo Pass’s unparalleled expert terrain, promises to be a one of a kind competition not to be missed! 

“I have been skiing powder and extreme terrain for years in Aspen and have even competed in the X Games, but I have been waiting for the opportunity to show the world what monoskiing powder is really all about!  This is a dream come true,” admits Ferguson, who has his eye on the cash prize. 

Access Anything and Adaptive Adventures have been event partners for several years, also hosting the annual Steamboat All Mountain Ski Camp for Wounded Warriors and People with Disabilities as well as the annual ‘Behind the Boat Waterski & Wakeboard Camp, and plan to add a camp for children with disabilities to their list of Steamboat camps in March of 2009.