Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, Inc

If someone wants to ski, the dedicated and enthusiastic Lounsbury volunteers will do everything they can to find a way to get them out on the slopes. The focus is always on what a student can do, not on what they can’t. Bill Lounsbury was a member of the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol who lost a leg to cancer in 1982. Undaunted and determined to remain active in the sport he loved, Bill taught himself to ski on one leg. Bill eventually lost his battle with cancer but his courage and love of skiing was an inspiration to everyone who watched his struggle. In September of 1988 a group of dedicated Holiday Valley Ski Patrollers with the cooperation and support of Holiday Valley Ski Resort, founded The Bill Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) to honor his memory. The first pieces of adaptive equipment for the program were purchased using donations that were sent to the Holiday Valley Ski Patrol in Bill’s memory shortly after his death. In 1988, there were 4 instructors and 14 students. That year 32 lessons were taught. Thirty years later the program has grown to 40 instructors who collectively teach over 250 lessons during the course of a single ski season. All instructors are specially trained in adaptive ski teaching methods and over half of these instructors are certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).