Top name for Ohakune skier

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 286, 9 May 1989, Page 4

Top name for Ohakune skier

An Ohakune man is making a big name for himself as one of the world's top disabled skiers.

Just returned from a season's ski training and competition in the USA and Canada, Patrick is now preparing for the New Zealand Disabled Nationals and perfecting his style for the Disabled World Championships, at Winter Park, Colorado, next January. For the past six months he has undcr-

gone intensive ski training under world class instructors at Winter Park that has one of the most comprehensive and largest handicap programs in the world. The ski area boasts over 100 trails and 20 lifts. Patrick competed in the US Disabled Nationals in March, and at the Canadian Nationals

in April, bettering the time of the world's fastest disabled skier in his class in the giant slalom. He ran the sccond fastest time in the slalom and tied for third in the super G, giving him the fastest time overall. At the Canadian Nationals he beat the field in the giant slalom but fell in the slalom and did not complete his run. The downhill race was cancelled due to a heavy fall of snow on the field. Patrick was selectcd for the New Zealand training squad and finds out whethcr he is on the New Zealand team to the World Champs later in the year. He was one of tcn New Zealanders training at Winter Park in what he describes as "perfect conditions". "The snow conditions are too easy," he said. "It's all dry powder and there's never a closed day. It's easy to get spoiled." One faclor that takes at least a week to adjust to is the lack of oxygen at Winter Park which riscs from 2500 metres. Teams from all over the world were at the skifield, trying out the newest downhill trail and becoming familiar with other runs that will feature in next year's championships. Patrick is rated at the top of the intemational disabled skiing ladder for below-knee amputees. He is also on a par with disabled skiers with lesser disabilities and has raced and beaten, others in different classes. Earlier in the year he was granted an FIS licence that enables him to race anywhere in the

world, against disabled and able-bodied skiers. His goal is to lower his ability rating, denoted by points, from its prescnt level of 200 to less than 120 - the level of skiers in New Zealand's national 'B' team. Members of the NZ 'A' team must have points not exceeding

60. Patrick will be working on dcveloping his downhill tcchniquc - his grcatest concern - when he returns to Winter Park in Novcmber. He has spent the past four years ski training overscas, making this his ninth consccutive winter.

He is quictly confidant of his abilities and is optimistic that he will perform wcll at the World Championships. "I know the runs at Winter Park and I'm hoping things will go wcll," he said. Patrick still rcgards Turoa as "home" and will be taking evcry

opportunity to train therc bctwccn working at the Powdcrhorn Ski Shop in Ohakune. His job is cssential if he is to raise the $10,000 ncccssary to covcr travcl, accommodation and living expcnscs while training and compcting ovcrseas.