Evan teaching Gina, visually impaired to skateboard for the first time at the skateboard clinic at the No Barriers Summit in Telluride, CO. Evan and other riders from Adaptive Action Sports are teaching the skateboard clinic.

No Barriers provides transformative experiences that empower people to embrace a "no barriers" mindset and discover the potential that lies within themselves and the world.

Mission: To unleash the Potential of the Human SpiritCompany OverviewWe support programs dedicated to challenging and empowering people to reach their full potential.

No Barriers is a powerful community of modern day pioneers who promote innovation, education and assistive technologies that create transformative life experiences and inspire people with challenges to live full and active lives.

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"They Will Skate Again" (TWSkateA) was hosted at the famed Venice Skatepark in Venice Beach, CA, where paraplegics and quadriplegics received expert instruction from pro skaters, including Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, famous for landing the first wheelchair back flip, and Jim Muir, one of the legendary members of Dogtown. Evan Strong takes second place behind Aaron.

The Raw Natural  (65 Minutes)
The Professional Athletes featured in this film are living examples of the untapped human potential that stems from eating an all-star, living diet, free of most processing, chemicals and genetically modified foods. This film explores how organic, raw, living foods and superfoods are giving professional athletes the edge they require to heal and recover fast, stay healthy, fit and reach new performance heights.

The film highlights, Evan Strong, who regains his competitive edge in sports through raw food nutrition after a tragic accident that causes him to lose his leg and end any hopes at a professional career in skateboarding. Evan's accident, however, becomes the impetus for his dietary shift back to simple, healthy raw foods and quickly leads him to discover new untapped potential in winter sports as an adaptive snowboarder. Discover the extraordinary new triumphs of this world champion para-snowboarder and raw food restaurant co-owner, Evan Strong, through this heartfelt look into the life of the Raw Natural kid.

See how raw food nutrition has also led to other incredible triumphs in the athletic careers of professional athletes in surfing, MMA fighting, tennis, baseball, snowboarding and more... Featuring interviews with renowned raw food chefs, as well as leading health and nutrition experts!

Shoe City Invitational Adaptive Skate Contest at X Games 17

Greg Shaw had a 1st place winning experience at this, his first, AAS event.
Evan Strong put together a strong showing and walked home with a 2nd place finish followed by Justin Beauchesne in 3rd. Oscar Loreto finished in 4th place just squeaking by the one and only Buddy Elias who placed 5th.

“It’s a great thrill to help such a deserving community” said Leedy Ying, Shoe City President, adding “It was an awesome event and I am looking forward to future adaptive skateboarding events with Adaptive Action Sports.” “We are excited to expand our adaptive skateboard opportunities at the X Games and to have Shoe City support our mission,” says AAS Co-Founder and Development Director Amy Purdy. “The addition of a “learn to skateboard clinic” and a competition for a cash purse will open new doors for adaptive skateboarders everywhere,” she added. Amy had no reservations crediting the X Games for their generosity and support, making the statement that “X Games has been an amazing five-year supporter of AAS adaptive programming and continues to provide a great venue, bringing together able bodied and adaptive athletes.”

AAS would like to say a special thank you to all of our sponsors including; Shoe City, Freedom Innovations, Element, Vans, Dakine, Protec, VitaCoco and the ESPN

Life Rolls On made history in 2010 by offering the first-ever skating clinic specifically for people living with paralysis. "They Will Skate Again" (TWSkateA) was hosted at the famed Venice Skatepark in Venice Beach, CA. Evan takes second place.

Left to Right: Babalou Fulcher, Arianna Strong, Mariah Fulcher, Evan Strong, Jennifer Rees, Marianne Rees, Devon Schroeder, Roger Strong at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games at BC Place, Vancouver, B.C., Canada April 30, 2010. Evan put on a skateboard performance earlier in the program,

Evan Strong, a former Cabrillo College student, has been picked to compete at the X Games this week.

Strong, 22, is one of nine athletes selected to compete in today's Skateboard Park Adaptive Jam event, scheduled for 12:15 p.m. at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.

Strong lost his left leg below the knee after a motorcycle accident in his native Hawaii days before his 18th birthday. He vowed to press ahead with his burgeoning skateboarding career and, after finding a prosthetic that allowed him to be active, he returned to the sport. He is currently sponsored by Adaptive Action Sports, an organization dedicated to giving people with disabilities access to extreme sports.

Strong made his X Games debut last summer and also competed in snowboarding in the Winter X Games in Colorado earlier this year.

"I'm one of only a few athletes who go to the winter and summer X Games. It's more exibitions at this point," Strong said. "Adapative Action Sports and athletes like myself are just kind of paving the way for the mainstream."

Last month, Strong, who now lives in Nevada City, placed second in skateboarding and third in bouldering at the Extremity Games for amputee athletes in Rochester, Mich.

Evan Strong , a 22-year-old transtibial amputee, has "the heart of a lion," says his prosthetist, Mike Norell, CEO, Norell Prosthetics. "Usually, together with the patient, we plan what we're going to do, but Evan has basically taken it upon himself to continue doing the things he did before."

Strong was a competitive skateboarder before his accident in 2004. While riding his motorcycle down a two-lane highway, another driver crossed the center line and hit him. After losing his leg, he admits, "I wasn't quite sure what I was capable of. I just knew that I wanted to recover, and my goal was to bring back at least 10 percent of what I had been capable of before."

Once he was able to ride a skateboard again, the next step seemed natural. "I knew from that point I was capable of a lot more; then competition became an objective."

It wasn't easy. Strong was on crutches for a solid year after losing his leg. He was fitted for a prosthesis after about eight months, but there were problems. He had significant muscle damage in his quadriceps and below his knee, so it took around six months for his wounds to heal. Because of painful problems with circulation and resulting skin breakdown from wearing the prosthesis, reconstructive surgery was warranted.

"The surgeon wanted to perform an above-knee amputation, but I told him that we needed to try to keep my knee so I could skateboard again. He said, ‘Well, we can try, but your odds aren't very good.'"

Strong was determined to keep and regain full use of his knee. More than six weeks after the surgery, he was able to try again with a second prosthesis.

Pieper "Our largest challenge was his knee-flexion contracture," said Robyn Pieper, PT, Physical Rehabilitation Center, Wailuku, Hawaii. "Without straightening of his knee, fitting him for a prosthesis would be very difficult. I recall times when Evan's uncle or father helped to distract his leg [extend it] while I mobilized above and below his knee with as much force as I could.

"Evan tolerated all of this stretching and mobilizing most often with deep breathing. I don't believe he even took pain medications," Pieper says.

Once Strong's knee was straight enough to receive a prosthesis, Pieper had him begin riding a stationary bicycle. "Within three weeks, he had progressed from level one to level ten-he maxed out the bike. Evan's parents then bought him a road bike, and he began bicycling all over Maui, training for his first bicycle race. Soon after, he successfully competed and began his return to competitive sports." 

Now Strong competes-and wins-­in adaptive skateboarding. His success motivated him to try things he had never attempted before his amputation. He also snowboards, rock climbs, and competes against able-bodied downhill mountain bikers-and wins.

"When your mobility is threatened and then you recover some of it, you are so appreciative," he explains. "Now I do anything and everything that I can do."

Strong wears a Norell prosthetic socket, an Ossur VariFlex® ankle, and an Ohio Willow Wood Alpha® liner, and has no additional, specialized components. "I walk, I race downhill mountain bikes, I skateboard, I rock climb, and I snowboard using the same prosthesis. I don't know if anything else works better, but I've made this one work for me.

"I really believe being disabled is a state of mind," he concludes. "Even if you aren't capable of doing some things, you can be your own worst enemy and cripple yourself more than you actually are."

Evan Strong and Troy Peckham.  Norell agrees. "It's all about attitude," he says. "Even with 80- and 90-year-old patients with diabetes, you can't predict who's going to do well until they're actually on their prosthesis and performing. Some people are just driven, and other people are not. Evan Strong is a very driven person. He's a performer."

Working with any active young person presents similar prosthetic challenges, says Norell. "You have to beef up their prostheses; the youngest kids break these things, and if you don't go with acrylic lamination and carbon graphite everywhere, it's pretty tricky.

"There are different ways to suspend, as well. You can't just put them in a leg without supercondylar suspension. You have to lock in the knee as well because you don't want any kind of pistoning. That would cause trauma because of their high activity level. You've got to consider an oversleeve, or try a bony lock, or possibly a suspension sleeve. You're always going to shuttle lock them on the bottom, too, to prevent pistoning. I try to lock them in on the bottom and lock them in on the top."

With a less active patient, such steps aren't necessary, but "with someone like Evan, it's all about function and nothing about cosmesis," Norell chuckles. "He might be wearing an Alpha liner that's three or four months older than it should be and needs to be replaced, but he's going to tough it out-he's going to duct tape his socket so he can keep going. That's Evan."

Content provided by The O&P EDGE
By Judith Philipps Otto

Washington Street. place will humble the hardest skater out there. Lines don't come free here. Get a couple and you will find yourself flying around one of the best under the bridge projects out there. I really wanted to get that seat, but was a little held down with my leg. Evan and Dan took care of it though, hell yeah!

This was the scene starting of the 07 Extremity Games sponsored by O&P Prosthetics. The opening ceremonies were similar to last year with the exception of live music and a few "different" talents. They added Motor cross and Surfing this year thus bringing the prize money down in all the events. We didn't really have time to catch any of the other events, though our own Evan Strong tried to race the mountain bike event on a loaner that would of served better for a sun cruise through the park. I did manage to catch the last few runs of the wake boarding and watched as our leader and celeb Amy Purdy surfed into third place. Check the results below for the second place rider. Fellow Amped Rider Bibian Mental pulled her beautiful self into first place wake boarding. Making many 180's across the wake and a barrel roll. She is good.

Skateboarding: The course was way different this year than the mini they had last year. They brought in local park builders Old School Skate Parks to build us a street course. There were wedge ramps, a fly box with a rail all sandwiched between a tall vert wall/1/4/bank and a long start box with a rollover, stairs, and a big steep rail. This was on some pretty rough asphalt. It wasn't that slow, but it had it's moments where it didn't really feel that fast. We had a few new skaters this year. Evan who was on tour with us, Jevon traveled from Roanoke VA, and Tim who broke his leg during comp was from ????? The heats started around 10, you had about 45 secs to do two runs. Did I say the heat started? Yup, it was so hot that's about all you could stand. Highlights during these heats were Chaz, last years winner, getting the kickflip over the wedges, rail sliding the box rail, and ollieing the stairs along with solid ollies and lip tricks. Garry Moore threw a few airs off the vert wall while Jevon worked on his back d. Evan Strong was pretty solid, ollies over the wedges, bean plants, 180's, nose manuals, grinds, etc... Justin from Tampa brought back a handstand, some solid fakies on the vert wall, and a few footplants. He was working some weird triple pressure flip trick towards the end almost making it. Tim from Alabama stomped his runs with early grabbers, 360's, and good long runs, and Ben from Orlando worked the 1/4 and tried to get his kickflip. I skated like crap, managing a few tricks on the 1/4 and then not getting a last run for some reason? My two highlights for this contest would be watching Chris Gentry skate. He was killing it, going for his patented flips and boneless ones, def stepping it up this year. The other being Oscar Loretto. He knocked out some bangers early, Rail slide on the steep start box rail, ollie over the steps, and he back 180'd the start box steps. If that wasn't enough he rail slid the box rail and kickflipped to fakie the 1/4. The final was a jam session and some opted to try new tricks and some kept with what they had. We didn't find out who won what till the awards dinner later and it was there after quest judge and ripper Jon Comer called us all pirates did we learn that Chaz came in 6th, Tim Burt, 5th, Justin 4th, and in the money Chris Gentry 3rd, Oscar Loretto 2nd, and Evan Strong 1st. He explained it as being a really hard event to judge. Skaters already have such a unique approach to what they are skating and when you add in a factor as one leg, no foot, or no arm you get a lot of different styles and ability. I will say that what won the event was a frontside grind on the tall vert wall.....

Check the results and the pictures below for more, we moved onto CA after this event, so join us below.

Results:
Skateboarding:
1. Evan Strong
2. Oscar Loreto
3.Chris Gentry
4. Justin Beuche
5. Tim burton
6. Charles House