Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks (ASSP) launched its first-ever summer programming of outdoor experiences for 2023.
The summer season will join the long list of winter adaptive programs, offering hiking, paddle boarding, canoeing and mountain biking.
Katherine Campbell, program manager for ASSP, told SPIN the programming targets locals for the first year.
“We don’t have any equipment, and so we’re really targeting our locals who have participated with us before,” she said.
To fill their equipment needs, ASSP and their instructors partner with existing companies and experts in the offered activities.
“We’re using experts in all of those fields to actually lead those activities because right now we’re experts in snow adaptive snow sports, but we’ve never had a summer program,” Campbell said.
Because it’s a new offering by ASSP, the events are introductions to summer sports versus the organization’s existing winter programming that offers in-depth instruction.
ASSP’s Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) certified instructors will attend each event and are trained to work with neurodivergent community members, people living with visual impairments and people with physical disabilities.
ASSP will hold two hiking sessions July 8 and Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for hikers 13 years and up. The deadline to register for the hikes is June 24 and July 22, respectively. Hiking in Sun Peaks costs $30 per person, plus the cost of a lift ticket.
ASSP needs at least three people to register for the event to go forward, and there are six spots. Hiking guides from Sun Peaks Sports School will lead the hikes.
Heffley Lake hosts stand-up paddleboarding with instructor Bodie Shandro, owner of Paddlesurfit. Dates for paddleboarding are July 15 and August 18, and the application deadlines are July 7 and August 11. The cost is $85 for the two-hour lesson between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Those in attendance will need to navigate a steep trail to the dock and receive instruction on water safety, paddling technique and more.
Kamloops Canoe and Kayak Club offers family paddling July 25 and August 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees must be over seven years old. Family members can learn how to group paddle, kayak or practice solo canoeing. The cost is $35 per person or $120 for a family of four.
The program needs a minimum of six people and a maximum of 10 to run. Registration closes June 30 and July 25, respectively.
An introduction to mountain biking with Heidi MacGowan runs July 29 and August 26. Deadlines to register are July 21 and August 18. Registrants must be able to ride a bike and bring a mountain bike with disc brakes, a helmet and closed-toe shoes. The instruction includes a bike safety check, trail etiquette and more.
The July event is open to those aged 13 and up, and the August event is for youth from 10 to 12 years old. Registration costs $65, and the events run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Finally, Kootenay Adaptive Sports Association is coming to Sun Peaks from August 12 to 13 for adaptive mountain biking.
For more information, visit ASSP’s website.
Help us bring you more local news
SPIN has been able to serve Sun Peaks as its sole news source for over 20 years thanks to the overwhelming support of our community. Join over 126 of your neighbours and become a monthly or yearly member so that we can continue to regularly publish the digital newsletters and stories our readers rely on.
