The History Of Two Top Mountain Adaptive Sports Foundation

When Whitetail opened in December 1991, adaptive lessons were offered under the instruction of Ray Brubaker an adaptive instructor from Washington State. Ray worked with a limited amount of equipment and a willing staff to help people with a variety of disabilities. After Ray left and went back West, adaptive lessons at Whitetail primarily were only taught to children with learning disabilities, autism or occasionally some hearing or visually impaired athletes. In order for the adaptive program to grow it needed more equipment and direction.

During the Winter of 2006/2007 Jamie Rogers, an adult amputee came to Whitetail hoping to learn to ski. Her instructor Bill Dietrich, worked to give her a good experience despite the limited equipment available, Whitetail had two sets of children size outriggers, which fit Jamie because she is not very tall, but were too short for Bill. Jamie began 3 tracking (skiing on one leg using two hand held outriggers) under the guidance of Bill and after a few visits was skiing down two of the more advanced trails Snowdancer and Fanciful. Bill remembers Jamie asking him what level skier she was one afternoon and he said ”Jamie we skipped the Snowplow Wedge turn and Christie phase and went right into parallel skiing.”

During February of 2007 Whitetail’s Snow Sports Director Mac Jackson asked his Alpine Manager Bill Dietrich to become the Director of the Adaptive Program at Whitetail. Bill, inspired by his work with Jamie attended The Adaptive Spring Rally in Killington Vermont at the end of March. On his way back from Vermont, Bill stopped in to visit the Adaptive Sports Foundation at Windham in New York. Bill realized that he needed to form a non-profit in order to raise money to purchase new equipment to better serve the disabled population.

Over the summer of 2007 Bill founded Two Top Mountain Adaptive Sports Foundation, and by the end of August had received non-profit 501(3) status from the IRS.

Fundraising began and new adult size outriggers were among the first equipment purchased, as well as a new Bi-Unique bi ski so Two Top could work with wheel chair bound guests. During our First season (2007/2008), Two Top Adaptive taught over forty lessons, and with this new equipment was able to work with people confined to wheel chairs.

During our second season Two Top taught more than ninety lessons, and thanks to fund raising most of these lessons were free to the participants. Two Top also became a Chapter of Disabled Sports /USA, the largest sports and recreation organization for disabled individuals in the United States. Thanks to our membership in DS/USA Two Top started what we believe to be the only one of its kind, an on going “Wounded Warrior Project” for our injured military personnel returning from current wars. Our Wounded Warrior Project will work with wounded troops whenever they desire coming to Whitetail.

During the summer of 2009 Two Top has started summer activities with Fly Fishing, Kayaking, Cycling and Golf.

Two Top Adaptive is a volunteer based organization with volunteers from every walk of life. Most volunteers are members of Whitetail Snow Sports School, and are members of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (P.S.I.A). We also have many volunteer aids that bring life skills to their work that simply would be hard to duplicate, from Mothers and Fathers, Doctors, Veterinarians, Successful Business Owners to Professional Drag Racers.

We are proud of our growth, and expansion into year around activities. We look forward to our future with confidence because honest smiles are hard to hide!