Adaptive equipment in winter sports: Customized and expensive, but extremely important for performance

Anyone who has ever tried to zip down a snowy slope with unwaxed runners on their sled may have noticed that this endeavor is far more cumbersome than if you had newly waxed runners. For winter sports enthusiasts, the wrong type of wax or the wrong grinding for the runners spells disaster - after all, one-hundredths of a second can make all the difference. Anna Schaffelhuber and Andrea Eskau, who make up two-quarters of Germany’s successful "A-Team" during the 2018 Paralympics, explain the importance of adaptive equipment and assistive technology for an athlete’s performance in winter sports.

Speeding down a snowy slope at 115 kilometers per hour or more, while passing through gates without losing track or crashing - that's what makes Alpine sports so fascinating. You need courage, stamina and the necessary skiing skills of course. This is why Anna Schaffelhuber is so thrilled about the sport. The reigning world champion in slalom, super combined and downhill is especially fond of the giant slalom and super-G technical disciplines. "The giant slalom has many technical components and that very much plays to my personal racing technique and strengths. In addition to the technical component, speed is also a factor in the super-G." The 25-year-old certainly brought the necessary speed to win the gold medal at this year's Paralympics in her key discipline. In addition to her gold medal in super-G, Schaffelhuber also brought gold in the downhill and silver in the super combined back to Germany.

Unlike Alpine sports, Nordic Skiing is not quite as fast-paced. Having said that, cross-country skiing clearly requires stamina, while biathlon also involves the right mix of speed and precision. However, apart from the athlete’s superior performance, the materials used in both areas also play an important role. This is the case in any winter sport, whether that’s the Paralympics or Olympic Games with non-disabled competitors. "Unfortunately, choosing the wrong wax and wrong grind will put you at a huge disadvantage," explains Andrea Eskau, the German record-breaking medal winner of this year's Paralympics.

The only difference between para-athletes and non-disabled athletes competing in the Winter Olympic is their sports gear. The para-athletes not only use skis and poles but - depending on the type of disability – also need a monoski. This device includes a seat bucket, an adjustable shock absorber, and ski binding. What’s more, in Alpine sports - again depending on the degree of disability – the athletes also use different ski poles. Andrea Schaffelhuber uses so-called outrigger skis to master her five disciplines. "The outrigger skis basically assist with balance. Generally, you don’t touch the snow much with them and often only use their weight to counterbalance. However, in tricky situations, they help you to straighten and momentarily bolster up again." The monoski works a little differently. "My monoski is custom-made for me, which means it isn’t just a total custom-fit, it is also adapted and tailored to meet my physical specifications." After all, this piece of sports equipment affects the performance. "I must be able to flawlessly manage the device and know how it reacts in any situation. It's all about 'being one' with the equipment and responding accordingly. My performance is tailored to the monoski and centers on mastering the monoski perfectly and getting the fastest time out of it."

Over on the Nordic side, the sit-ski sled is also a custom-made solution. "The sled should be aerodynamic, as light as possible and highly adapted to the athlete. It should perfectly compensate for the athlete’s disability," explains Eskau. Even though she had already won two medals in Sochi, the athlete who started for the USC Magdeburg still saw room for improvement in terms of her sports equipment. As the 47-year-old points out, "the material used in Paralympic sports is crucial and is undergoing rapid developments." That’s why Eskau had a brand-new sled for this year’s Games. Her exact body measurements were measured to - among other things- adapt the orthopedic foam inside the sled to meet her exact needs during her competitions. But that wasn’t all there was to it. "The changes mostly affected personal adjustments. The sled’s center of gravity, the entry point and seating position were modified. Since this required the production of a brand-new sled, Toyota was able to considerably reduce its overall weight." That’s also why after the Pyeong Chang Winter Games, Andrea Eskau visited the factory of the supplier, Toyota Motorsports GmbH (TMG), to thank the team in person. "We have closely collaborated since the 2012 London Games and so far, they have always incorporated everything on my wish list. We have built a very personal, close relationship, and I would like to express my gratitude to them again and again. The medals I won are also special to the staff at TMG."

What’s special also costs a pretty penny.  Eskau's sled costs about as much as a small car. The technical components are important in Alpine sports. Anna Schaffelhuber explains: "This sport doesn’t just hinge on the best physical condition, strength etc. The adaptations and the material of the skis are a science all its own. The modifications range from the height of the seats to materials like carbon." Investments in sports equipment are key to stay competitive. The athletes carry a higher financial risk than their non-disabled colleagues in this case. After all, the latter can work with mass production equipment, while para-athletes work with assistive technology that has been specially developed and customized for them. And the chasm between sports promotion for athletes without disabilities and the parasports realm is still wide, even though it has undergone increasing professionalization. And although this year's Paralympics had a picture perfect outcome for Germany with a total of 19 medals, there is still a need to catch up if Germany intends to field a competitive Paralympic team in the future. After all, "several other nations are further ahead compared to Germany when it comes to promotion and structure. I think people are not really aware of this fact," says Schaffelhuber.

At least from a personal perspective, the woman from Regensburg is in a great place. Together with Anna Rothfuss and Anna-Lena Forster, she is employed by the German Customs Bureau. "It is vital to create sound structures to continue to have a strong Paralympic team. This is why employment at the Customs Bureau is a first crucial step," says the nine-time Olympic medalist. "It's important to have an independent life outside of the sport, to earn a living and have insurance coverage that is either unavailable in the private sector or extremely expensive. I hope that in the future, this option will be increasingly available for more athletes, and that coverage also extends to coaches and technicians for example. After all, one full-time coach is not nearly enough when it comes to Alpine sports."

For now, summer is fast approaching. While Andrea Eskau doesn’t seem to slow down in any way after taking just a short seven-week break and is once again on-the-go with her handbike to pursue the World Cup, Anna Schaffelhuber was able to take a slightly longer timeout. Since May, she has ramped up her endurance training again to prepare for the 2019 World Championships. She will switch over to the monoski later in the year. And while snow is the preferred environment for the 25-year-old, Eskau feels at home in both the summer and winter season. Though when asked about her favorite sport, the woman from Thuringia reveals a slight preference for winter sports: "I like all three types of sports (Editor’s note: that’s handbike, cross-country, and biathlon) the same, though biathlon is always filled with the biggest surprises, since it also involves mental strength. Biathlon lets you learn a lot about yourself." And with all the technical development in adaptive sports equipment and assistive technology, athletes must also do their part to be successful. Even the most sophisticated sports gear is useless without the necessary physical and mental fitness to go along with it because – after all - it is and will always be just ASSISTive.