About Challenge Alaska
Challenge Alaska is a non-profit organisation founded in 1980 that provides adaptive sports and therapeutic recreation opportunities for Alaskans living with disabilities. Their flagship programme is the Adaptive Ski and Snowboard School at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, where all lessons are ski-in, ski-out at the resort base — making it one of the most accessible adaptive ski programmes in the country.
The adaptive ski school caters to participants with spinal cord injuries, amputations, cerebral palsy, visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, and mobility or balance challenges. Specialised equipment includes sit-skis, outriggers, bi-skis, and tethered systems, all operated by trained volunteer instructors paired one-on-one with participants. Beyond skiing, Challenge Alaska runs summer cycling programmes, kayaking, fishing, and other outdoor recreation activities throughout the year.
What makes Challenge Alaska remarkable is their commitment to making Alaska's outdoor playground genuinely accessible. Forty-plus years of operation have built a deep volunteer network and equipment inventory that few adaptive programmes can match. Their annual Spring Fling celebration brings the adaptive skiing community together at Alyeska for a day of racing, camaraderie, and celebrating what's possible on the mountain.
