By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer    
As Russ Connors talks about skiing, he twists his upper body back and forth in his chair, mimicking a skier’s movements on the slope. Leaning forward with enthusiasm, it’s as if he wishes the afternoon’s steady rain would suddenly give way to fluffy snowflakes.
Connors, 75, shares his excitement for the sport with others by volunteering with the Maine Handicapped Skiing Program (MHS). As a skiing advisor, he instructs people of all ages and abilities in alpine or downhill skiing, opening the door for them to become independent skiers. MHS is celebrating 25 years of providing opportunities for people to learn how to ski and snowboard and with 15 seasons of volunteering under his belt, Connors is one of the veteran advisors who help the program thrive.
 “Being a coach or teaching was not part of my resume,” the Cape Elizabeth resident says. “I just fell into it. I wanted to be involved in skiing, to assist in any way and to learn how to ski better too.”
Connors jokes he has become a better skier through osmosis and just being near other seasoned instructors. As a Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) certified level II instructor, however, Connors has proven his own skills on skis as well as his knowledge of medical and equipment issues related to skiers with disabilities.
Despite the organization’s name, MHS is not all about skiing. Programs run year-round, offering people age 6 and older a chance to try golfing, cycling and paddling in addition to alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
MHS also offers multi-day winter and summer programs to disabled veterans and active duty personnel through its Veterans No Boundaries program. MHS provides lessons, equipment, meals, entertainment and summer lodging free of charge.  
Leslie Otten, founder of the American Skiing Company and Dr. Omar (Chip) Crothers, a Portland-based orthopedic surgeon, founded MHS in 1982. The program started out at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry with a part-time staff member and eight participants. Today, the program has its own slope-side building at the resort and operates additional winter programs at Sugarloaf/ USA in Carrabassett Valley, Sunday River Inn and Cross Country Ski Center and Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. From early January to March, the program’s 350 volunteers help provide more than 1,200 winter lessons each year.   
“For any person with a disability, if they’re confined to their living room or school routine – you get them out on the slopes for the day and it’s as good as any medication you can get,” Connors says.  
Adaptive skiing equipment has come a long way since its origins following World War II to allow injured veterans to participate in the activities they enjoyed before the war, according to the MHS Web site. Today it is possible for nearly everyone to enjoy downhill and cross country skiing and snowboarding.
Through MHS, alpine skiers have access to four-track, three-track, two-track, mono-ski, bi-ski or snow slider equipment. Four-track and three-track skiers use outriggers, or forearm crutches with ski tips, to help improve their balance. People with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis may benefit from four-track equipment while three-track skiing can be helpful for people who have had amputations or have a developmental or muscular disease that affects one leg.
People, who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hearing impaired may be outfitted with two-track equipment, in which they use two skis, two boots and may also use a ski bra attached to the ski tips. Mono-skiers, often people with disabilities affecting their lower extremities, use a piece of sit-down equipment with one ski on the bottom. A bi-ski is similar to a mono-ski, but has two short and wide skis attached to the bucket seat. Snow slider equipment can be tethered to another skier to allow people to get the feel of skiing before going down the slopes on their own.
For any new skier, Connors says the most important thing is to master balance.
“It’s like operating a canoe or a kayak, you want to stay on top of the water,” he says.
In order to personalize lessons to each person’s abilities, Connors says he likes to spend part of the first day becoming acquainted with his new student. Whether he is working with a young student with a neurological disability or someone closer to his own age, who has suffered a stroke, Connors makes a point to find out about their interests and their reasons for coming to the program. Not only is it a chance to bond, but it also gives him an idea of the skill sets they may have and how they will come in to play in their skiing.
“You notice things about the person,” he says. “Where do they sort of compensate for their hand in one way or another?” he offers as an example.
While all advisors receive training and are provided physicians’ reports, outlining information about past operations and current medications, Connors says he learns more with each lesson.
“It all happens in here,” he says, pointing to his chest. “You just want to do it and with the will to want to do things, you accumulate knowledge.”
Connors taught himself how to ski, but doesn’t recommend that route to prospective skiers, as it will likely result in frustration.
Following a stint in the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force veteran and New York City native, asked to be stationed at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone.
“I purchased my first pair of skis in Aroostook County, the winter of 1953, at Limestone Air Force Base for $15,” he says.
In his mid-20s, Connors promised himself, “If I ever get married, I’m coming back to Maine.”
More than a decade later, Connors quit his job as a lineman with AT&T and, with his wife pledging to follow him anywhere, moved out of the city. He moved back to Maine during the spring of 1967 and has been here ever since.
“I always loved athletics and the outdoors,” he says. “It was always part of my wildness.”
A former competitive runner, who competed in the Boston Marathon – “it might have been 12 or 13 times” – Connors serves as a coordinator of the wheelchair division of the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K.
Connors’ four children have inherited his athleticism and all ski very well, he says.  
Skiing is one of the best things a family can do together, Connors says. As an advisor with MHS, he is proud to help individuals develop the skills and confidence to join their family and friends for a day on the slopes.
For more information about volunteering or participation in the Maine Handicapped Skiing program, visit www.skimhs.org, email info@skimhs.org, or call 800-639-7770. Participation in MHS programs is subject to review and evaluation by the MHS staff.