N.B. senior rigs his walker with cross-country skis to get the most out of winter

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 6

Relying on a walker due to the fact that of a hep wounded is nary excuse for staying indoors for an 88-year-old New Brunswicker who loves to ski.

Cross-country skiing enthusiast Fernand Vautour of Aldouane, a tiny assemblage near Richibucto, astir 85 kilometres northbound of Moncton, has been skiing for astir 50 years.

Last winter, helium injured his hep portion curling and had to enactment disconnected the skis trails to recover, helium said.

But alternatively of giving up connected his beloved hobby, Vautour began moving connected an innovative thought — a walker with a brace of skis attached with screws and brackets.

"When I skis now, I cognize I americium safe, too. I americium not frightened of the falling," helium said.

The champion happening astir his customized instrumentality is that a idiosyncratic does not request to beryllium successful the champion signifier to ski, Vautour said.

He clips a brace of skis to his boots and stands betwixt the different brace attached to his walker, which provides him with other support. 

"It won't extremity back, it won't extremity front," helium said. "I tin locomotion connected the crystal solid."

WATCH | 'He conscionable loves to ski':

The walker besides has a seat attached, truthful helium tin beryllium and remainder whenever helium is tired, and sometimes helium besides uses the spot to transportation items similar his luncheon can. 

Vautour wore his father's overgarment portion demonstrating his skiing apparatus because his begetter was the 1 who introduced him to the sport at a young age.

He said his begetter could skis 30 kilometres astatine the property of 80, but had a bosom onslaught astatine 83.

"When I was successful the infirmary to spot him, helium get up 1 time and [stepped] extracurricular his bed, helium said, 'I deliberation I inactive tin spell [till] the archetypal cabin," Vautour said, referring to the way helium utilized to ski.

He's had bosom occupation that required respective stents, his near manus needed urgery aft it was crushed successful a workplace accident, and he's suffered occupation successful 1 of his shoulders, but nary of this has prevented him from loading his gear into his van and heading retired for 10 kilometres connected the trails.

'At his age, wherefore not?'

His lad Maurice Vautour said erstwhile helium archetypal heard of his father's thought to skis with his walker, helium was not a large fan.

He said being on the ice, portion curling, was the crushed down his hep surgery but present erstwhile helium looks astatine his begetter skiing, it makes him consciousness proud.

"It's bully for his morale, helium is excited to bash it," Maurice said.

"And astatine his property wherefore not? I mean it's amended present than to beryllium lying successful the bed."

And being outdoors again has made his begetter happier.  

"If we'd accidental helium couldn't bash it, helium proved that helium could bash it, and helium is ever that way."

Vautour started bowling during his 70s, began curling astatine the property of 79 and has present returned to cross-country skiing, a athletics helium loves.

"I person a hard clip pursuing him now," Maurice said.

"A batch of radical speech to maine astir it ... and we benignant of conscionable laughter astir it due to the fact that we cognize however helium is and the ideas that helium comes up with sometimes."

These days, Vautour spends a mates of hours skiing astir 3 times a week. He wants to beryllium capable to support doing it and hopes to unrecorded to the property of 100.

"I anticipation I past that long."