Cool School : County children with disabilities have a day of fun and instruction at the California Adaptive Ski School in Big Bear

Blustery weather and driving snow could not dampen the spirits of a group of Orange County children Thursday, as they prepared for the slopes at the Bear Mountain Ski Resort.

Donning gloves and goggles, students from the Orange County Crippled Children’s Society chattered excitedly as they gathered their gear for a day of fun and instruction at Southern California’s only ski school for disabled children and adults, the California Adaptive Ski School.

Trading wheelchairs and crutches for sit-down skis and other specialized equipment, the children could hardly wait to get out in the snow and ski. They may not be in the same league as Picabo Street or Tommy Moe, but they flashed championship smiles as they raced down the hill throughout the day.

“It’s fun, because you get to go fast,” said Zack Keefe, 10, of Anaheim.

“It’s great,” said first-time skier Lorenzo Igayac, 16, of Buena Park. “I want to come back next year.”

Since the school’s opening nine years ago, disabled individuals have come from all over California and the United States--as well as from Australia, Britain and Mexico--for the opportunity to ski under the tutelage of the instructors.

Individuals with virtually any disability--from Down syndrome and brain injuries suffered in car accidents to cerebral palsy and spina bifida--are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Financially supported by grants, donations, corporate sponsors and California Handicapped Skiers, a nonprofit fund-raising organization, the school operates seven days a week, from December through April, with the help of a small staff and 200 volunteers from Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties.

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The school also provides a summer camp that offers outdoor and water-oriented activities to the disabled. Last year, the ski school provided 2,000 lessons to about 800 individuals.

“It’s very therapeutic . . . getting someone out there and active,” program director Tom Peirce said. “You get used to seeing success.”

Most volunteers either have experience with the disabled or have a background in teaching, recreation or therapy. All possess a common goal of sharing their love of skiing with children and adults who may not have thought they could participate in the sport.

“The program here is so great,” said Roger Brannon of Huntington Beach, a volunteer and parent of a daughter who participates in the program. “It’s very, very rewarding.”

Tustin resident Melissa McFedries has volunteered for the program for eight years, driving up to the mountain about once a week to work with the students.

“We are all so pleased by this opportunity,” she said. “I love it.”

To accommodate the diverse needs of its pupils, the ski school uses state-of-the-art equipment and one-on-one instruction.

Before they head to the chairlifts, the students are outfitted with sit-down or stand-up equipment rigged with mono-skis or bi-skis. The instructors then shadow, harness the sled or hand-steer the students down the hill, depending on their ability levels.

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After every session, the volunteers chart their students’ progress, noting what equipment they used and the skill level they displayed, so that their fellow instructors will be prepared for each student’s next visit to the unique ski school.

“We’re really impressed,” Zack’s mother, Lisa Campbell, said of the program. “[The volunteers are] so willing to help and make it a great experience.”

For many students, Thursday’s trip was their first experience in the snow and on skis. Despite the cold wind, wet snow and poor visibility, the dozen or so young skiers said they enjoyed their time in the snow.

“I’m tired,” Amy Jo Tucker, 16, said with a smile and sigh at the end of the day.