Bootloaders get Veterans to the top of the slopes

A chorus of cheers and applause from a dedicated group of bootloaders rises up from the eastern slope of Snowmass, Colorado, after another successful Veteran run. 

The celebration came from volunteers at the 2023 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. The clinic, hosted by VA and DAV since 1987, allows Veterans with disabilities such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and blindness to participate in activities many of them never believed possible. The activities include Alpine and Nordic skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, snowmobiling and rock climbing.

Affectionally known as the “hardest working team in snow business,” the bootloaders are the ones to safely secure Veterans into mono-skis and bi-skis before helping them onto the ski lift.  The name “bootloader” was created at one of the earliest Winter Sports Clinics. The “boot” refers to the seat of a mono-ski or bi-ski used by the adaptive skiers. Once safely secured into the seat, the team safely “loads” the skiers onto the ski lift.

Mono-skis and bi-skis were originally developed to assist skiers with spinal cord injuries who cannot stand independently on traditional skis. Developed first in Europe and popularized in America over the past 10 years, the bi-ski allows skiers to sit down and steer by leaning right or left. Conventional mono and bi-skis can be loaded onto regular lifts.

“It’s a very therapeutic event.”

“We help to ensure a safe lift onto the ski lift,” said Sue Diamond, 2023 Winter Sports Clinic bootloader team coordinator. “That is our primary responsibility. Our team is a mix of VA staff, occupational therapists and some students from Colorado Mesa. This is a rehab event. While it is also fun and skiing, it is rehabilitation. It is not just physical rehabilitation. It is also rec therapy. It is a very therapeutic event.” 

The job of the bootloader is physically demanding. In addition to bootloading, they assist with transportation, wheelchairs and carrying rigs. 

“I came out here as a speaker four years ago,” said Larry Connell, Providence VA director and a volunteer bootloader. “I was truly inspired by what these disabled Veterans can do. I wanted to help out here and be a volunteer so they said, ‘We have just the job for you.’” 

Pictured above, a team of bootloaders celebrate the return of a disabled Veteran after a run down the slopes. The team will then inspect the Veteran’s mono-ski to make sure it is still safe and secure. They also speak to the Veteran to see if adjustments need to be made.

Despite the demands, for them it is a labor of love.

“When I first started I wanted to come out and do something hard. I spend a lot of time in meetings and sitting behind a desk,” said Scott Isaacks, director of the Ralph H. Johnson VA in Charleston, South Carolina, and a volunteer bootloader. “Just trying to be part of an incredible experience for these Veterans is a great opportunity for me.”

Providing an amazing experience for disabled Veterans has been at the heart of the Bootloaders team for more than three decades. 

“We have a tagline for our team,” Diamond joked. “We call ourselves the hardest working team in snow business. It is a physical job, and there are some physical requirements to do the job. But what’s great about it is we are outside all week and we are at the bottom. We get to see the end result of it, which is the joy on the Veteran’s face.” 

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To read more stories about VA’s adaptive sports programs, visit VA News and Information.