Winter Wonders: Snow tube, ski or snowdeck

Fun comes in all shapes and sizes for everyone

By Pete Colaizzo
Poughkeepsie Journal

''We are totally driven by the weather,'' Manglass said. ''When you get a season like this, you cultivate new skiers.''

But as the winter sports scene continues to evolve, Manglass and others in the business have grown to realize something else: There's more than one way to get down the mountain. In the past several years, the emergence of snow tubing and snowdeck riding has added a new dimension to the traditional, downhill skiing paradigm.

Add to that Windham Mountain's adaptive sports foundation -- which opens up the world of winter sports to individuals with physical and developmental challenges. The cumulative effect is that there are a bevy of new, innovative ways to get out and leave ''cabin fever'' at home.

At Ski Haus, Manglass said the store has rented more than 700 sets of skis and snowboards for the season. She said seasonal rentals are a smart choice for those new to the sport. ''It makes a lot of sense to rent seasonally,'' she said. ''It gives you the flexibility to go when you want and test it for the whole season.''

Manglass said the emergence of snow tubing and snowdeck riding comes from the desire for families to make it a day at ski resorts.

''You don't get an entire family interested in the sport of skiing,'' she said. ''You can go to the same destination and if you are tentative about skiing, you get in a tube and go down the hill.''

Snow tubing: Anyone can do it

Snow tubing requires little technical skill. Manglass said most snow tubes are equipped with seats and bottoms made of material that will not rip on bumps and icy spots.

Windham and Hunter mountains in the Catskills and Mountain Creek in Vernon, N.J., offer snow tubing parks and rentals. Manglass said snow tubers -- like sleigh riders -- can enjoy their pastime on any hill.

Snowdecks were introduced by Burton, the company best known for its snowboards. But don't confuse the two. They may look the same, but they are not.

Karl Rabe/Poughkeepsie Journal Pericles Perdomo of New York City rides a snowdeck at Hunter Mountain during a Burton Snowboard Company promotion.

Snowdecks are ''pretty much a skateboard with a little ski under it,'' said Ski Haus employee and snowdeck rider Alex Lipski. ''Mostly, skateboarders like it. It's a good winter sport for them.''

The Burton Link Snowdeck, as shown on the Burton Web site (www.burton.com) costs $199.90. ''It is great for cruising the streets or backyard parks all winter long,'' the Web site touts.

Lipski said snowdecks are popular among the teenage crowd. ''It's pretty versatile,'' he said. ''The kids who hang out in the skate parks, they like snowdecks.''

In terms of sheer numbers of participants, the adaptive sports foundation at Windham Mountain must be considered one of the most popular programs in the Catskills. According to foundation director of programs Frank Williamson, the foundation offered more than 2,500 lessons to roughly 1,200 people. The foundation is staffed by 180 instructors.

In its 19th year, the foundation is the largest program of its kind in the East. Skiers and snowboarders with physical and developmental disabilities are guided down the mountain and introduced to new sports.

Williamson said skiers with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy -- as well as paralyzed individuals -- all make successful runs down the mountain with the help of unique equipment.

The mono-ski has a seat atop a single ski. The person sits on top of the ski and controls the ski by using rotational skills. ''It's just like we would ski,'' Williamson said. ''It's just that movement comes from a different region of the body.''

The bi-ski is used for individuals with greater disabilities and less mobility. The seat sits atop two very wide skis -- ''like a big snowboard cut in half,'' Williamson said. The bi-ski provides enough balance to enable the individual to safely make the trip down the mountain, he said.

Rebecca Seto of Pleasant Valley takes part in the Windham adaptive program. The 10-year-old with cerebral palsy is planning a ski trip next week. Rebecca's ski is equipped with a tether so she can be steered from behind.

''She loves it,'' Linda Seto, Rebecca's mom, said. ''Her only complaint was it was too mellow. She wants the steeper hills.''