Parasport

SPORTFISI@ 2020

PARASPORT with Josh Dueck

Interview: Patrizia Zanetti Pictures: Josh Dueck 45

Photo: Vince Fortin

46 SPORTFISI@ 2020

Josh Dueck (39) is an unconventional alpine skier from Vernon, Canada. On February 3rd, 2012, Dueck became the first person to perform a backflip on snow in a Sit Ski in Whistler, British Columbia (BC, Canada). This daring and impressive feat gave him worldwide acclaim and a nod as one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year 2012.

He was a popular freestyle skier before a tragic ski accident in 2005 forced him to change his plans – only slightly though. Even though his legs and lower body were paralysed he decided to stay on the skis. Only five years later he had won the World Championships in Para alpine skiing, and in 2010 he won the silver medal at the Winter Paralympics in his hometown in Vancouver (BC) in the men’s slalom sit-ski event. Also in Sochi 2014 at the Paralympics he became a star by winning his second silver medal. This time in the downhill, before claiming a gold medal in the super combined.

Today he is a widely celebrated keynote speaker and he inspires many other people to break their own barriers.

Watch also his documentary called “Freedom chair“.

Sportfisi@: How many back flips have you done since 2012, and when do you plan to do your next one? How do you feel about it?

Dueck: Only a small handful of backflips on an airbag since the BIG JUMP back in 2012. I have no specific plans to tackle this jump again however I am in constant preparation for whatever exciting opportunities present themselves. I think of my approach to life the way the Great Blue Heron approaches fishing; one must be willing to wait for the right time to attack, with patience and grace. When the time comes I will be ready to explore the edge of possibility once again.

What are the main differences between a backflip in a Sit-Chair and one in standing position?

The ability to manage speed, take off and rotation without the use of your legs is a challenge, leaving a much smaller margin for error.

How did your preparation look like for this incredible air-maneuver?

Methodical. The idea was born several years before the actual jump took place. The first step was to feel fully connected with the sit ski through the seating, suspension and interface with the snow ski. The second step was to build a dream team to support the design and build of the jump and hold space for me to safely make the attempts. The third step was to take that insight onto the dry-slope Photo: Paul Morrison

into a foam pit and then replicate the jump design on snow into an airbag. The final step was to be patient until the weather window would allow for our group to take this idea deep into the back country and give it a good go! The dream team was there every step of the way and ensured that I felt supported, confident and yet not pressured to rush into the final execution.

Honestly, was there a chance to fail while performing it?

Holy heck yes! Albeit we did our best to manage the risks, the reality is that if the jump was to go wrong the consequence of landing on my head or neck from that height with a 50lb sit ski attached, is catastrophic.

SPORTFISI@ 2020

Photo: Mason Mashon

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Photo: Marcus Hartmann

Do you think that athletes or people in general who practice Ski Freestyle put their self at a high risk of getting injured, in comparison to alpine skiing for example?

Both Freestyle and Alpine are incredible important sports to help young athletes develop an awareness and skill set to manage risk. Life is loaded with risk and we need to know how best to approach these challenges in an effort to grow and evolve our perspective and abilities in life. Both Freestyle and Alpine have robust and methodical LTAD pathways designed to support needs of the athletes every step of the way on their journey from grassroots to international podiums. When will Ski Freestyle will become an Olympic Discipline?

From what I can tell it may be some time before the idea of Freestyle Sit Ski will be entertained by the Paralympic Committee. With the Paralympics in mind I would suspect that the next two sports to be adopted in this pathway would be SURF and Mountain Biking; both are close to achieving the critical mass of skilled athletes and defined pathways.

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