The 2014 Ski for Light International Week will be held from Sunday evening, February 23 through Sunday morning, March 2, 2014. First- and second-year guides will need to arrive one day early, by Saturday afternoon February 22, for guide orientation and training.
The 2014 Ski for Light event will be held in Anchorage, Alaska. We will stay in downtown Anchorage at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center and ski at nearby Kincaid Park.
Anchorage is ...
The Tour of Anchorage ...A highlight of the week will be the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Sled Dog race on the final Saturday of the week in downtown Anchorage, near the Hilton.
The Anchorage airport is ...
Photo tour ...
Kincaid Park is a world-class facility that has 60 km of wonderfully groomed cross-country trails, and has been the host of numerous major cross-country events over the years, including: the trials to select the U.S. Olympic Teams for X-C skiing and for Special Olympics; Alaska Ski for Women, the largest women-only ski race in the country; the National Masters X-C Skiing Championships; and the NCAA National X-C Skiing Championships.
Trail map or photo tour ...
The total cost of the week is $850 for double-occupancy or $1,175 for single-occupancy. This amount includes room and all meals from Sunday evening February 23 through Sunday morning March 2, round-trip transportation between the Anchorage airport and hotel (at designated times on specific days), and all trail fees. All meals are group meals. Cross-country skis, boots, and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time blind/visually-impaired participants. The cost of transportation from home to and from Anchorage is the responsibility of the participant. Partial stipends based on financial need are available for guides and first-time visually- or mobility-impaired participants.
Full payment is due from all accepted applicants by December 15, 2013.
In recent years most guides have applied fairly late for the event, while most visually- and mobility-impaired participants have applied early. Since the number of skiers that we can accept at any point in time is based on the number of guides we expect to attend the event, this timing problem has resulted in significant delays and uncertainty for many disabled applicants for long periods of time. In an effort to get guides to apply earlier, SFL is offering an Early Bird Special for guides this year. If you apply before September 1st and pay your entire event fee by the due date of December 15th, you can deduct $50 from the amount you owe
Applications received after November 1, 2013 will be considered on a space available basis. Blind/visually-impaired and mobility-impaired applicants will be notified of their acceptance to SFL 2014 by mid-November, with acceptance priority given to first-time applicants. The number of skiers to be accepted at any given point in time will depend on the number of guides who have applied.
While our biggest problem with guides has been that they apply late, our biggest problem with visually- and mobility-impaired applicants is that too many of them cancel after being admitted to the event. This has often been caused by the lengthy time period between the date when the application is submitted, and the date several months later when the acceptance is received. In an effort to improve this situation, this year SFL is offering the option of early admission to the 2014 event to up to 100 visually-impaired and 10 mobility-impaired applicants. If this option is requested on the event application, the applicant will be notified about acceptance to the event within two weeks of the request. If admitted early, the applicant will be guaranteed a spot at the event, and be able to start shopping for airline flights and arranging vacation time. The only requirement on the part of the accepted applicant is that they pay a $100 non-refundable deposit to hold their spot at the event.
Each applicant is expected to make his/her own informed decision about the advisability of participation, taking into account his/her individual overall health and the physical demands and risks of cross-country skiing and of the Ski for Light program.
If you have never before attended a Ski for Light event, or want a refresher on how the week works and what it is all about, and have not already done so, please read Information for Prospective First-Time Attendees Also please be sure to read Frequently Asked Questions from Prospective First-Time Attendees for the answers to many commonly asked questions from people who have not attended before. Then proceed to the application forms for the 2014 event below.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions carefully, as they include much information that is specific to the 2014 event. Then proceed to complete and submit your Application form. We look forward to seeing you in Michigan.