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DAKSCom the Double Above Knee amputee Snowboarders Community
Latest Update
Ben
Ben has just returned from Breckenridge, Colorado after being fortunate enough to join 11 other @blesma veterans from the UK he was the only DAK Snowboarder on the mountain at THE HARTFORD SKI SPECTACULAR an annual event organised by @moveunitedsport .
Ben said “Meeting so many people participating in adaptive snow sport and seeing and learning how individuals improvise, adapt and overcome their disability’s enabling them to experience the mountains in winter was a truly epic experience. I was the only DAKS shredding the mountain, educating so many people about our unique binding system and how we aim to make it possible for any and all DAK amputees in the world to have this opportunity to potentially do something they never thought was possible.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to BLESMA for giving me the opportunity to be part of this fantastic event and for supporting our projects at DAKSCom, Colin & Paul for been the dudes that made sure everything went to plan, all the volunteers and people involved that make the Ski Spec happen and most importantly Move United for inviting us to the event.
It was an absolute honour and privilege to be there”.
@thehartford @british_airways @salomonsnowboards @burtonsnowboards @afpst @breckenridgemtn @blesma @helpforheroes @moveunitedsport
#dakscom #snowboarding #adaptive #amputee #doubleabovekneeamputee #ak #snowsports #overcoming #disabled #determination #attitude #nevergiveup #snow #adaptation #anythingispossible #moveunited #SkiSpec #usa #breckenridge
Harvey's First Lesson
Ben, Ellie, Harvey and Swifty hit Castleford for the Arnold Clark Parallel Lines Race.
On Saturday 8th June DAKSCom and AFPST turned up mob handed to compete in the next race in the Arnold Clark Parallel Lines Race Series.
For Ellie this was her first race ever as a snowboarder and she smashed it getting 3 good runs in , as you can see in the video she's got this! and her progression is phenomenal. Ben also mashed it and got himself another Bronze to add to his growing collection. Meanwhile Swifty (with Ben after he'd raced) took Harvey on his first lesson on a snowboard...WOW the guy learns quick and just doesn't stop smiling.
A fantastic day was had by all and a huge thanks goes out to Alistair, Blake and Jade from the Parallel Lines Team along with the Staff and Crew at Castleford Snowzone for putting on yet another great event.
Latest update
Ben gets a Bronze at the Parallel Lines Comp
AFPST members attended the 2024 Arnold Clark Parallel Lines Race Series meet at Milton Keynes last Sunday (19th May) in both the ski and the snowboard disciplines. And our Ben (far left) managed to bag himself a Bronze medal...fantastic job Ben, well done. And well done to all of the AFPST competitors for scooping such a hoard of gold and silver medals.
Ellie had an afternoon at Manchester Chillfactore and is absolutely killing the linked turns
In other news..... Ellie has made it into the GB Paralympic Swimming Squad..We never really doubted it to be fair. She will be competing in the S3/SB2/SM3 events and we know shes going to be adding to her tally of 8 Golds 9 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. We all wish her every success in at the Paralympic Games in Paris,France in Aug/Sept this year.
Smash it Ellie
BRITS CHAMPIONSHIPS 24
Swifty and fellow AFPST athlete Scott McNiece competed in the Brits Banked Slalom event on the 11th May. Scotty got the Gold and Swifty the Silver in the Disability Category.
A cracking day was had by all and a huge thanks goes out to all of the organisers and in particular Stuart, Spencer & The BRITS crew.
Winter Park, Colorado. AFPST/Invictus/NSCD
OK… So here’s the latest from DAKSCom. Chesh, Ben and Swifty have just got back from Winter Park Colorado US and the NSCD National Sports Center for the Disabled where they have been participating in the annual AFPST/Invictus Training and Development Camp. This event served two purposes for DAKSCom…one was to develop skills and techniques under the auspices of the coaches and the other was to trial the 2nd generation Carbon Fibre Non Suspended Bindings (CFNSB2's) developed with the amazing support received through the GoFundMe campaign.
After the rigours and inevitable herding of cats that was the journey over to Denver it was onto the accommodation at the Rocky Mountain Ranch YMCA . The next day the guys had a familiarisation and admin day getting equipment sorted and prepared, then it was time to ride.
The week started with bluebird days and some of the best snow conditions to be had in the Rockies. Chesh had been off the mountains for over a year but got back to riding like it had only been a day he shook off any cobwebs he may have had and showed he hadn’t forgotten any of the skills and drills. Ben threw himself at this the second time on the mountains accelerating his skills development in near perfect conditions under the direction of Royal Marine Sgt ‘Big’ Jim Hossell.
Prior to the trip and thanks to the fantastic generosity of our supporters and the general public through our GoFundMe page we were able to facilitate the design amends and manufacture of the CFNSB2's with Ian Jones at Limb Solutions. The original CFNSB's proved that carbon fibre was up to the job but there were issues with posture which were addressed in the CFNSB2s and needed wider testing. Swifty, Chesh and Ben put the new bindings on Swifty’ s new board (a Jones Mind Twin 154) and the next day took them for a spin.
Swifty put the CFNSB2's through their paces over the next few days, with Chesh riding his pair of CFNSB1s and Ben riding the original NSB steel bindings. From the get go the CFNSB2s proved their worth; they were lighter, less cumbersome, more manageable and appeared to be as robust as the original steel NSBs. BOOM! A very promising start.
Swifty rode the CFNSB’s for the next couple of days and then it was Ben’s turn. Ben fitted the bindings to his board and off they went. After a few runs the guys stopped for a brew and as Ben took off the board he simply exclaimed ‘Game Changer’ So it was a win from him too. Ben rode the bindings for a few more days getting more comfortable and confident and even returning to his nemesis ‘Dilly Dally Alley’ an uncompromising treed alley of small rollers that had thrown him into the trees and down a slope into 4ft of powder on his first go at it. (Big Jim and Swifty laughed…a lot..Ben didn’t). So on his second go this time using the CFNSB’s he smashed it and emerged at the end all smiles. Unfortunately Chesh had taken a spill on the hill so was unable to ride for the remainder of the trip (a busted upper rib will do that) so he kindly let Ben use his CFNSB’s and Swifty took on the new ones again.
For the last few days of the trip Swifty and Ben cut about the mountain both using CFNSB’s and really put them to the test. It was all good and all positive results…well for Ben anyway as he beat Swifty in the final race, Swifty came in a couple of seconds behind Ben in the GS race.(sad face) Deservedly, at the closing ceremony on the last day Ben was awarded a medal for most improved snowboarder which is testament to his determination and effort.
There is now even more positive energy regarding the Bindings Project, it’s now a case of driving funding to support a few more tweaks and the manufacture of the 3rd generation CFNSB3's for everyone (Ben, Ellie, Harvey, Chesh and Swifty) plus a few spares whilst putting together a programme of promotion and awareness to expand the DAKSCom gang. Our intention is to keep pushing on the GoFundMe page to help fund this programme and to continue to explore other avenues that will assist with this.
Ben and Swifty will be competing at the Brits Championships https://britssnow.com/ at Tamworth Snowdome on the 11th May in the Banked Slalom event. Keep an eye on this spot for the next update.
Ben has just smashed his first trip to Les Deux Alps, France (post injury) In his own words he regales the up's... and the down's
Where do I start... what an epic trip to L2A.
My first experience on a mountain with no legs snowboarding and boy, it was amazing. I've been on the mountains prior to my injury as a skier and let’s face it by comparison that was easy... you rock up... get skis... learn to ski in a couple of hours and off you go on the mountain your now a skier... Snowboarding… no, not the same thing at all!
Snowboarding is hard that’s a fact, there’s no learning that in a morning lol... so spending the week on the mountain developing and learning, makes it even more challenging and rewarding. The bindings are so simple but effective without them, the engineering, research and development and the endless hours Swifty and Dale have put in means it’s possible for us DAKS to experience the feeling the mountain gives.
Being the newest member of the team has its perks, the 20 years experience Swifty has been a DAKS makes the little things for me easy to figure out. What would have taken him days/weeks when he was starting out can be sorted out within a few minuets due to the wealth of knowledge and experience he has.
Thank you to DAKSCom for turning the impossible into the possible and a huge thanks to the Royal Navy and in particular the Royal Navy Snowsports Festival for inviting AFPST to the event and to AFPST who organised and supported myself and other members of AFPST at the event.
Ben Lee
Snozone Castleford 2022/3
Ben's first lesson at Castleford
A huge thanks to AFPST and to all the staff at Snowzone for making it such a fantastic meet.
Up on his SNAPP's for the first time on snow and after a few adjustments to both his SNAPP's and the bindings he smashed the basics
Being able to do these first few lessons in a a secure and weatherproof environment is vital when the initial adjustments and alterations need to be done.
Ben was Royal Engineers EOD & Search in the British Army; he was injured in Afghanistan in 2011 whilst searching for improvised explosive devices resulting in the loss of both legs and other complex injuries. Ben loves travel, adventure, adrenaline, anything with an engine and outdoors. Ben got involved with DAKSCom in 2022 from a referral from one of his friends who is a snowboarding instructor. “Before I was injured, I loved sports such as Rugby League, Gym, Running and Cross Country but after I was injured I lost all passion and heart for sports. Snowboarding has given me that spark for sports back. I love a challenge, and boarding has given me that. My fire and passion is back, all I want to do is get out on the slope and shred it. I’d like to thank Swifty and Dale for making this happen, after nearly two decades of trial and error to get the bindings developed to where they are so that people who have either had accidents or birth defects can jump on a board and get involved in something that in theory should not be possible!” - Ben
Ben had a successful first year/season getting on the mountain for the first time in L2A France. Followed by a trip to Winter Park Colorado. Both trips with AFPST have helped Ben massively towards his capability on the mountain. He went on to race his first two races at the Parallel lines events in the UK taking a bronze in both events.
Ben is ready for his second season on the powder hoping to continue to make major progress to his riding and ability with the goal of getting his coaching qualifications secured to help assist with future DAKSCom members and other injured veterans wanting to get on the snow.
Ellie Challis
Snozone Hemel Hempstead Feb 2019
Ellie and her Dad, Paul had contacted Swifty and Dale to ask if she could have a go at this snowboard lark …the answer was 'lets find out' and off they went to Hemel for a try slide. Fitting was the usual faff but we got there and James Sterry of DSUK led the lesson with Swifty as backup. DSUK do a fantastic job facilitating people with disabilities to participate in Snowsports either in the indoor slopes or out on the mountains.
The day was a huge success with Ellie beaming from ear to ear like a Cheshire Cat ...so Ellie became the 3rd DAK Snowboarder to join the gang. Ellie's ambition is to not only win more medals swimming but to eventually compete at he highest level in the Winter Paralympics....more medals then Ellie, that's a given!
Ellie was born in 2004 and became a quad amputee after contracting Meningitis aged 16 months. Ellie has always been an achiever from riding horses to swimming with dolphins and now Swims for Team GB as a Paralympic Athlete. Ellie has competed at national and international level collecting a mantelpiece of medals to her name so far, 8 Gold, 9 Silver and 4 Bronze.
I swim for a living and love it but snowboarding is a passion - Ellie.
https://www.britishswimming.org/athlete-swimming-profiles/para-swimming-profiles/ellie-challis/
Lee 'Chesh' Lloyd
Riding anywhere and everywhere since 2018
Lee joined AFPST in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength with his snowboarding. Lee has been instrumental in the development of the Carbon Fibre iteration of the NSB's.
Lee was injured in Afghanistan whilst serving with the King’s Royal Hussars, he stood on an IED resulting in the loss of both legs and various other injuries. Amid rehabilitation, he discovered solace and strength in Snowboarding. The mountains became his sanctuary, reshaping his mindset, enhancing his focus, and refuelling his determination. Lee finds joy and freedom in the hills.
Lee is massively looking forward to getting out to Winter Park Colorado in March to ride some Rockie Powder.
Suspended bindings and the dawn of DAKSCom
2018 - Present Day
Support for the development of binding with suspension was interrupted by the pandemic with costs and facility being the main issues. Previously, funding and access to the manufacture of prototypes have been the biggest problems often leading to fragmented design and manufacture processes. In addition evidence shows that the iterative design process and complexity of the prototypes has led to a high level of redundancy, where a simple change in posture may render the current prototype obsolete.
Development of the Suspended Test Rigs (STR’s) was undertaken with support from Leonardo/Vector to produce the original aluminium billet version. Significant advances were then achieved by Bristol Aero (Brett Petterson, Stephen Peake, Davide Bianchi) and subsequently completed by CFMS, Bristol.
Their combined input of over 500 design hours followed a conservative approach to loadings, as the forces involved were un-measurable. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) allowed for material selection and design detailing to optimise weight. Their efforts aimed at meeting the design specification outlined for the STR2’s and resulted in not only the world's first 3D printed suspended DAK’s snowboard bindings being produced, but also a pair of bindings that with the incorporated suspension weighed less than the original NSB’s.
Previously, funding and access to manufacture have been huge obstacles to the development process. Engaging with Bristol Aero and ultimately CFMS provided an extremely clean and efficient development pathway using computer modelling and additive manufacturing.
To this end we are currently looking to find a design/engineer with access to manufacture processes that is capable of cost effectively realising ideas and alterations rapidly.
Then the herd grows and a new dilemma
2019 - Present
Lee joined the herd and then there were two.
Encouraging to see that there are more DAK Amputees around the globe that want to ride.
This created a dilemma that the existing metal, heavy non suspended bindings were sufficient as an entry level binding but as skill and performance increased there is a need to reduce the forces that transfer up through residual limb into the pelvis and ultimately upwards into the spine.
Use of the non suspended bindings is currently tempered to mitigate the long term effects of riding without suspension by a cautious coaching approach, rider awareness and the adoption of SMART riding - Riding for tomorrow not just for today.
Developing competency
Worldwide 2010-2019
Proving the point, growing international awareness, competency and pursuing a Paralympic aspiration.
Good...but not quite good enough.
Never mind …Chin up! … Lets Crack on and do better.
… And in the beginning
Exploring the Possibilities
Chamonix, France, Feb 2005
Under the auspices of Kieran Sharpe Swifty embarked on his first Snowboard trip in the Alps. After 2yrs of the indoor slope at Milton Keynes with Kieran giving tips and advice from the sidelines whilst operating the lift, Swifty joined Kieran in Chamonix whilst he was working as an instructor. Swifty was riding a Groms Nitro 137 at the time with a pair of Prototype bindings he and Dale had knocked up on Dales kitchen floor. Essentially they were two butchered rubber sewer pipes attached to the board with some shelving brackets.
Swifty and Kieran spent a week looking at every aspect of navigating the mountain terrain as a DAK from accessing lifts and negotiating flat terrain to moguls and kickers even looking at the issues surrounding accommodation and travel.
It was a journey of discovery with some tough times that included digging out of a 6ft drift a bit of a task when you're only 4'6. After experiencing the horror of a lost board which was saved rugby style by Kieran before nearly colliding with a pack of Groms the necessity of having a leash was realised and you'll note from the video that helmet and goggles are absent another lesson learnt the hard way.
This trip confirmed for Swifty and Dale that snowboarding on a mountain was possible for a DAK and this project was indeed worth pursuing.
Get in touch
DAKSCom CiC has recently formed and we are keen to engage with anyone interested in either being part of the community or supporting the community. Whatever your interest please get in touch, we will reply and we will keep you posted on events and news.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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