Ski

Technology is Allowing This Blind Racer to Ski Alone

Noemi Ristau is a German ski racer with Stargardt disease, a disease which has progressively impaired her vision. As Paralympic skier, she normally trains and races with a spotter who skis in front of her and directs her via a headset. That might be changing, though: As a commercial stunt to advertise their new 5G network, Vodafone decided to help Noemi ski without a spotter in close proximity. They strapped a cellphone to her head which livestreams her "view" to her spotter, sitting at the hill's bottom. The spotter uses the nearly-realtime stream to give instructions. 

Join Our Newsletter

We're a brand that believes in living the dream. Traveling. Pushing the limits. Engaging with life at each contact point from product all the way to experience.
100% Free.No Spam.Unsubscribe any time.

While we'd rather see good deeds done for their own sake instead of as commercial stunts, a good deed is a good deed. Both Noemi and her spotter Paula seem stoked, and the potential for greater independence for visually impaired skiers is exciting indeed.

Related Topics
Zack Skovron
Zack Skovron
Author
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, now living in Jackson, WY. I’m an avid skier, biker, hiker, climber, and fisherman. Outside of sports, my major interests focus on public policy surrounding land use and energy systems.
Share on Social

Our Newsletter

We're a brand that believes in living the dream. Traveling. Pushing the limits. Engaging with life at each contact point from product all the way to experience.
100% Free.No Spam.Unsubscribe any time.