This month’s spotlight is Jeff Stinson from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Jeff received a grant for a Dynaccess Hydra monoski in Spring of 2024. Jeff was also one of the KBF athletes sponsored to attend Move United’s Hartford Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, CO, where he was able to pick up his monoski in person and get fitted directly with the Dynaccess team! 

“Finally having my own monoski has progressed my riding so much,” he explains. “Having the right sized bucket, dynamic chest strap, and all the settings setup for me makes learning and advancing so much better.”

Jeff first started monoskiing with the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, CO with the Craig Hospital Alumni group. “I love mono skiing because it has allowed me to come back to the mountain where I was injured in a snowboarding accident,” he explains. Attending Ski Spectacular brought him specifically back to the place where he acquired his spinal cord injury. “Being able to get back to my favorite mountain again felt incredible,” Jeff explains. “I wasn’t fearful at all, just happy to be back at my favorite mountain to ride where I’ve had so many amazing memories.”

Jeff was one of five athletes that the KBF brought to Ski Spectacular. “Getting to ride on the mountain with so many other mono-skiers and get to feel the hype of the whole crew while learning was incredible,” Jeff describes his week at Ski Spectacular. In addition to the community of adaptive athletes he is building, one of the most meaningful pieces of getting back on the mountain is being able to ride with his friends and loved ones again. “I spent years teaching my girlfriend how to snowboard, so getting back on the mountain again made me so happy that she can continue her snowboard career with me as I progress my mono-skiing.”

In addition to skiing, Jeff also does adaptive Crossfit, downhill mountain biking, and has done some road handcycling and swimming. He hopes to get Scuba Certified through Craig Hospital’s program with a Denver Certification group. Jeff is a part of the Funk Foundation, an organization that aims to provide the disabled community the opportunity to experience live music, one of Jeff’s main passions in life. Most of the time, though, you can find Jeff snuggling or adventuring with his four dogs.