Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:58am PST

Josh Dueck becomes first paraplegic skier to complete a back flip

By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

Josh Dueck's life changed dramatically in 2004, when he became paralyzed from the waist down in a skiing accident. But he not only kept the "freedom" he enjoys on the slopes, aboard a sit-ski, he excelled in competitions and pioneered backcountry skiing on the device. This past week he achieved another remarkable milestone: performing the first documented back flip in the snow on a sit-ski (fast-forward to the 2-minute mark to see the trick).


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That performance, at Whistler-Blackcomb resort in British Columbia, fulfilled a dream eight years in the making for Dueck, who has named his sit-ski the Freedom Chair and stars in a documentary with the same title.

In a recent interview he said, "The sensations that I get from movement in my freedom chair are so much greater than any of the sensations I had a an able-bodied skier. It's so much more liberating and freeing."

The flip must also have represented a redemption of sorts, as the accident that left with a broken back as a paraplegic, when he was 23, occurred during an attempted front flip.

More on GrindTV: One man's 2012 goal: to leap from the edge of space

Channels: SnowOutdoor

Tags: josh dueckfreeskiingback flip

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Georgia Aquarium mourns death of prized beluga whale calf

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They initially became concerned when the calf was born and needed assistance from the divers to bring it to the surface to breathe

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"This is an extremely sad day for the Georgia Aquarium family. Over the past few days, our veterinary and animal care teams have been giving around-the-clock care to Maris and her calf," Gregory Bossart, chief veterinary officer, said in a news release issued Wednesday. "We initially became concerned when the calf was born..