People of All Abilities Invited to Fun-filled Day of Snow Sports to Benefit the National Ability Center

Don’t be surprised if Superman or Iron Man speed by you on the slopes of Park City Mountain Resort on March 28.

The 27th Annual Halti Ability Snow Challenge is bringing people of all abilities to Park City for a fun-filled day of skiing and snowboarding. And this year’s event is bound to be super – hero, that is. Participants can bust out their favorite superhero costume or make up one of their own for a chance to win prizes.

It’s all part of an action-packed day to benefit the National Ability Center, a Park City-based organization that empowers individuals of all abilities through activities of all kinds. All proceeds from the Ability Snow Challenge support National Ability Center programs and services. For more information, visit abilitysnowchallenge. org.

Individuals can sign up to race or family members, co-workers and friends are invited to form up to five-person teams. Each team is paired with a legendary athlete and National Ability Center athlete where they compete for prizes in multiple categories. Information about the various race options and costs can be found at abilitysnowchallenge. org/register. Race Round 1 is at 10 a.m. and Race Round 2 is at 11 a.m.

This year’s list of luminaries includes:

Emily Cook, Olympic ski legend
Robin Jennings, Major League Baseball legend
Monte Meier, Paralympic ski legend
Nicole Roundy, Paralympic snowboard legend
Stephanie Victor, Paralympic ski legend
Ben Hulin, National Ability Center ski athlete
John Newton, National Ability Center participant
Saylor O’Brien, National Ability Center ski athlete
Following lunch at noon, participants are invited to mingle from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. with legends and athletes who will provide autographs and share their stories of triumph.

More Fun

But the fun doesn’t stop there. There are events and activities for everyone at the Ability Snow Challenge:

Equipment Demos – 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Demo Tent Area
Event attendees can demo skis and snowboards in-between their races and other fun activities during the day. Last year demos featured products by Volkl, Rossignol, Dynastar, Nordica and Salomon. More information about 2015 demos can be found on the Ability Snow Challenge website. Anyone is invited to demo equipment, even if they are not racing. Equipment demos are $10 without lunch or $20 with lunch.

National Ability Center Demo Race – 10:45 a.m., Race Hill
Participants will showcase some of the specialized adaptive equipment used in National Ability Center programs. This equipment opens up the ski slopes to anyone wanting to feel the rush of gliding down a groomed course.

Ability Cup – 11:45 a.m., Race Hill
Members of the Utah Special Olympics delegation will race as part of the annual Ability Cup. All participants are invited to come out and cheer on these amazing athletes.

A full schedule of events can be found at abilitysnowchallenge. org/about/event-schedule.

“The Halti Ability Snow Challenge shows that there are no limits to what a person can do with the right equipment, support from the community, and the internal will to make their dreams come true, said Gail Loveland, National Ability Center executive director. “We are so grateful for the participation and support from our sports’ legends, National Ability center participants, and many sponsors – all of whom make this day a memorable one for everyone involved.”

The 2015 Halti Ability Snow Challenge is sponsored by Halti Skiwear, Cole Sport, Epic Promise, EY, Good 4 Utah, Jackson’s Base Camp, Jans, Park City Mountain Resort, Red Rock Brewery, Salt Lake Magazine, Skullcandy, Swire Coca Cola, Wasatch Bagel & Café, Wollom Construction, Vail Resorts, and Zions Bank.

About the National Ability Center

The National Ability Center empowers individuals of all abilities by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through sport, recreation and educational programs. Located in Park City, Utah, it is one of the largest in the country to provide recreational and sports opportunities to individuals with disabilities. The National Ability Center is recognized as a chapter of Disabled Sports USA and a Paralympic Sports Club of USA Paralympics. Each year, the National Ability Center provides thousands of lessons in programs including skiing, horseback riding, cycling and archery. For more information, visit www.discovernac.org.

Founded in 1985, the National Ability Center is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that has united around a collective vision to inspire individual achievement and create a global impact for people of all abilities. A fundamental aspiration of the National Ability Center is to provide high-quality, inclusive programs to individuals and families of all abilities and backgrounds, including those in need. Thanks to the generous support of individual donors, grants from private corporations and foundations, and the community, we have successfully provided scholarships to 100% of those who made a request and continue to keep program fees affordable (program fees account for less than 30% of the total cost of programming).

The National Ability Center offers a wide variety of programs both seasonally and year-round. Activities include alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, horseback riding, hippotherapy, indoor rock climbing, swimming, archery, sled hockey, cycling, water-skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and challenge course activities.

In each of the last three years, individuals and their families participated in more than 19,000 lessons and outings. Because safety is the first priority, instruction is provided by professional, certified instructors and complemented by trained interns and volunteer assistants. More than 850 volunteers contribute over 20,000 hours annually. Many of the instructors and volunteers are also individuals with disabilities and serve as role models for our participants.

About Halti

Halti began life in 1976 and has gone on to become the leading designer and manufacturer of outdoor sports and recreation equipment in Finland. Named after Finland’s highest peak, Halti has been synonymous with quality and technical innovation in the field of sporting equipment for over 30 years. Halti products have been the tested in extreme conditions by tough outdoor professionals. Halti sponsors and supplies equipment to, amongst others, some of the top names in Finnish sports including Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen, International Ski Federation (FIS) officials. Products are continuously fine-tuned and improved according to the feedback from these athletes and sports professionals. For more information, visit www.halti.com.