Katal Landing Pad at Vail
Circus performers have a trapeze net to catch them while practicing new flips. Now, thanks to the work of paralyzed snowboarder, Aaron Coret, snowboarders can craft new tricks while avoiding unnecessary risk as they land softly on the Katal Landing Pad. Aaron Coret had a paralyzing accident on a snow board, yet instead of giving up, decided to turn his disability into a gift to serve the boarding community by designing a new landing pad. Now riders can try new tricks before testing them on the real white stuff.
With the help of a bunch of engineering students, the Katal Landing Pad was born this year. Uniquely engineered to mimic a solid landing on snow, yet with enough give to relax the impact, the Katal Landing Pad earned the Popular Science “Best of What’s New 2011.” Yet another incredible story of a man taking lemons and turning them into lemonade. Way to go Aaron!
Click here to watch a video of some riders breaking in a new pad at Vail. Very cool.
by Ashley Denton
