Paralympic alpine skiing involves high risks, with one in three athletes suffering injuries over the past three games. At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, competitors like Andrew Kurka and Meg Gustafson describe overcoming fear as part of the sport's thrill. Safety measures include certified gear and course netting, though adaptations like airbags remain under evaluation.
Para alpine skiing has been a fixture of the Winter Paralympics since 1976, characterized by speed and inherent risks. At the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, events include slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and super combined, with vertical drops exceeding 700 meters and speeds over 60 mph.
Andrew Kurka, a 34-year-old American skier, competed in the 2022 Beijing Paralympics men's downhill with a broken arm, finishing fourth. Forty-five minutes before his run, he informed doctors of the pain but confirmed he could move it; they wished him luck. Post-race X-rays revealed a snapped humerus. "You go into it knowing that it's not a matter of whether you're going to get hurt," Kurka said. "It's just a matter of when."
A National Institutes of Health study indicates one in three para alpine skiers were injured across the past three Paralympic Games. The sport divides into categories for vision-impaired, standing, and sitting athletes, many with limb impairments. Vision-impaired skiers use guides and radios, sometimes blacked-out goggles.
During the 2026 games, 16-year-old American Meg Gustafson, classified AS4, prepared for downhill by saying, "I say a little prayer and then I send it." She described the sensation as "flying" and feeling "one with the hill." Teammate Allie Johnson, 31, called it "the scariest thing I've ever done," emphasizing, "It's not being scared, it's doing things even when you're scared."
Sitting skier Anna Soens crashed in her Paralympic debut downhill, later joking, "Land straighter!" Swedish gold medalist Ebba Aarsjoe noted the precision required: "If you don't set the line where you have to, you're (expletive)."
Safety protocols include mandatory back braces, pads, FIS-certified gear, and red-blue netting along courses for buffer zones. The International Ski Federation (FIS) mandates airbags for able-bodied World Cup events since 2024 but is collecting data for para athletes. Kurka questioned their utility due to the 70-pound sit-ski equipment, while FIS Para Snow Sports Director Dimitrije Lazarovski said they might not benefit sit-skiers already protected in buckets. "The best safety is the distance," Lazarovski added, referring to wide buffer zones shared with the Olympics.
Courses undergo inspections, team walkthroughs, and jury meetings. Kurka, who has broken over 20 bones, advocates for improvements: "This is the right thing to do. And so I'm going to do it."
Other athletes, like 52-year-old Australian Michael Milton skiing on one leg and Slovakia's Alexandra Rexova, a double bronze medalist, highlight the emotional pull despite risks. Milton returned from retirement for the pressure and adrenaline, while Rexova said, "Skiing means everything... I'm glad I can race here... and survive."
