KickStarter Campaign #1: Ski Glove for Skiers with a Disability and Limited Hand Function

Before shoes, we invented an adaptive ski glove that allows skiers with a disability and limited hand function to hold their outriggers. The gloves led to a Kickstarter campaign. And the funds from that Kickstarter campaign later became the initial seed funding of BILLY Footwear. 

Some info on the glove...

After breaking my neck from a three-story fall in October of 1996, I became paralyzed from the chest down and lost the ability to use my fingers. I grew up skiing and wanted to continue the sport.

In December of 1997, I was back on the ski slopes as a sit skier. The following winter I purchased my own sit ski and outriggers (ski poles for sit skiers); however, the problem of effectively holding onto my outriggers still remained. I bounced brainstorm-solution-ideas off my father who acted as my hands to sew the original design concept together.

After my first day of skiing with the new garage-tech-glove-prototype, it was immediately apparent that we were on the right track. My skiing vastly improved simply by having better control of my outriggers. Thus began the journey to get the prototype market-ready so others could also benefit.

Fifteen years later, we finally had something to share. The following Kickstarter explains more.