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Adaptive Athletes Shred Gnar Skiing in ‘Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions’

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This 1993 classic segment from ‘Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions’ transports us back to the early years of adaptive skiing.

Jim Martinson became a double amputee after an explosion during his Vietnam tour. And fellow skier Jim Tecnnigkeit broke his back in a motorcycle accident. Both men became paraplegics following their injuries.

But neither one of them was about to let the loss of their leg use take away their love for skiing. They changed their style. And they learned to rip as hard as they ever did before, on an entirely new setup: a sit-ski (or a uniski).

This short segment from the full-length film “Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions” shows both of these adaptive athletes skiing back in 1993.

Adaptive skiing was pioneered back in the ’40s. The first adaptive skiing programs were actually pioneered for disabled veterans following WWII.

Martinson and Tecnnigkeit came much later. But both of them helped pave the way for adaptive skiers to continue following their passion. These two badasses were role models, inspiring generations of adaptive skiers who followed in their sit-ski tracks.

Kick back and experience the throwback of ’90s nostalgia with this 2-minute film clip. It’s an inspirational retrospective, showing just how far adaptive skiing has come.

Watch the full version of “Soul Sessions and Epic Impressions” for free at Matchstick Productions.

Runtime: 2 minutes

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