This manufacturing firm modernized a sports charity’s access-focused skis

More people can enjoy the thrill of skiing, thanks to a collaboration between EFE Laboratories and the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports (PCAS).

EFE Labs, a Horsham, Pa.-based electromechanical manufacturing firm, developed a new interface apparatus to update PCAS’s older Monoskis, single-ski devices designed for athletes with limited use of lower extremities.

This new part allows riders to securely clip into a single ski, much like a ski book would connect to a traditional ski. According to engineers who worked on the project, the development will allow athletes of different builds and lower mobility to use the Monoski.

The old Monoskis that PCAS previously used didn’t work with modern skis, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. It’s expensive to buy new ones, which is why PCAS hoped to update their skis instead.

Ski season just ended, but the EFE Labs team plans to develop four new similar units for the fall. The equipment will allow PCAS, a sports charity, to make use of four sets of Monoskis they already have, and work toward a safe and fun ride for all athletes with restricted mobility.

When Peter Clayton from PCAS first approached Kip Anthony, president of EFE Labs, Anthony decided to take on the project free of charge. Anthony has worked with children with restricted mobility, teaching them how to ride horses and swim. The experience gave the children “a sense of victory,” said Anthony.

By working on the Monoski for PCAS, “I saw a similar opportunity to help people,” said Anthony.

Anthony’s team spent about four months on the project, and are pleased with the results they’ve had so far. In fact, based on how the new devices they’re developing perform in the next season, EFE Labs may offer the equipment to a broader audience.

Anthony said they want to “be able to support the demand” for adapted sports technology. By doing so, “we can help improve the standard of living of all of those around us.”