SFL Bulletin Summer 2000 Ski for Light, Inc. 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408 Join US FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL SKI FOR LIGHT INTERNATIONAL GREENBAY, WI JANUARY 21-28 2001 From the President's Disk By Nancy McKinney Summer days are coming to a close. This is such a bittersweet time of year--the daylight is receding and it is going to start getting colder out which means it is time to get serious about another ski season. Well, there is still some time left before I need to go out to the garage to check and see if there is klister on my skis! The summer has been busy with all the normal daily things but also busy with Ski for Light goings on. There have been site visits to a new location, Sons of Norway conventions, the Outdoor Retailer Show and planning for the 2001 event. In June I got on a plane and went east to the beautiful town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was greeting there by Vicki O'Brien, who is a local, as well as Marie Huston, Chair of Site Selections. We met there to speak with the Snow King Hotel in hopes that we can have an event there at some time in the near future. The area is incredible with the Grand Teton's back dropping town, lots of wildlife and a nice easy atmosphere. Hopefully we can plan an event there, but for now, stay tuned to find out where we will end up in 2002. This summer was a district convention summer for the Sons of Norway. Ski for Light was out in full force visiting the different districts to talk about Ski for Light and our ties to the Sons of Norway. Thank you to Leif Andol, Kathy Larson, Bjorg Dunlop, Mary Kozy and Jan Henriksen for your time given to speak to the District Delegates. I had the chance to speak at the District 2 Convention right here in Seattle and was pleased to see so many Ski for Light friends at the meeting. An extra thanks to Bjorg Dunlop who also greeted the Sons of Norway at the convention in Stavanger, Norway! As many of you know, Ski for Light works hard with Corporations to develop relationships. We call this our Corporate Sponsor Program. The committee, headed by Vicki O'Brien, went to Salt Lake City to attend the Outdoor Retailer Show. Old relationships were cemented and new relationships were formed. It is really exciting and fun to see that our work is paying off. You can see which corporations contribute to SFL by going to the back page of this newsletter, or check the SFL web site at www.sfl.org. Green Bay, Wisconsin is calling for us all in 2001. If you haven't gotten your applications yet then register on the SFL website or contact one of our applications coordinators. People are already working out the details for our 26th Annual Event. We will have great trails to ski on at the Reforestation Camp, lots of fun evening programs at the Radisson Inn in Green Bay and as always there will be many friends to share with during non-ski time. In closing, I hope that everyone has had a good summer. For me, watching my kids grow and get ready for another school year has been really fun. We have had a season full of fishing, camping and of course BBQ's. I will mourn the end of summer but at least can look forward to another Ski for Light year. Our Guiding Lights By Cara Barnes, a second year SFL participant who lives and works in rural Northern California. I stood on the snow beside my guide, John Amundson, excited to be at my first Ski for Light (SFL) event. As we clicked into our cross-country skis and glided along the trail, I asked John why he returns to SFL each year. I was initially surprised when John explained that the fulfillment he received from the experience was second only to the birth of his daughter. But, by the end of the event, I understood. Each year an enthusiastic host of men and women volunteer to share the joy of cross-country skiing with visually and mobility impaired skiers by acting as SFL guides. Guides may volunteer to participate in weekend regional events, as well as a weeklong international event held at a different US location each year. Like John, many guides return year after year to join the "Ski for Light Family" and share an unforgettable experience. "I get more out of it than I give," says Mark Cullen of Minnesota. "It's a vacation for me. Everybody is so nice." Mark, a nine-year guide, credits his wife with introducing him to SFL. "She was going out to Colorado and said why don't you come." Mark agreed thinking it would be an opportunity to do some alpine skiing while his wife volunteered. "I don't know why, but I talked myself into guiding, and I had so much fun that I've come back every year since." "The friendships you develop over the years keep you coming back," agrees Lisa Wangberg of Alaska, who has guided with SFL for 15 consecutive years. "I was in a cross-country ski class in college and my professor was part of Ski for Light. She asked if I would be interested in this program and I thought, "Well sure, what the heck?' I really had no idea what she was talking about," laughs Lisa. "When I went my first year in 1986 I fell in love with the program." "Although the activity is cross-country skiing, the heart of the program is the people," says SFL President and 18 year guide, Nancy McKinney. "It's a partnership," observes Nancy, who explains that both skiers and guides play an equal part in the program. "I've met some wonderful people over the years and have developed relationships that I'll have for the rest of my life." If you are interested in becoming a Ski for Light Guide, contact Brenda Seeger at (507) 274-5502, or brenda@sfl.org. Ski for Light also maintains an informational web site at www.sfl.org. "Father" of Ski for Light Inducted into Ski Hall of Fame Congratulations Olav! Olav Pedersen, the "father" of Ski for Light, has been inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held September 30 in Ishpeming, Michigan--a fitting venue. It snows more than two hundred inches in the Upper Peninsula each year! Olav, of course, is the person who brought Ski for Light to America in the mid 1970s. The first event was held in Summit County, Colorado, where he resides today and still enjoys a very active ski life. The induction had not yet taken place as this SFL Bulletin went to press, so watch for more details on this distinct honor for our Olav in the next issue. To learn more about the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame, go to www.portup.com/skihall. CLIMBING CRAZE CONTINUES By Brenda Seeger The Rainbow Expedition is at it again. The weather on Mt. Rainier may have deterred this summit-focused team in 1999 but the year 2000 and the highest peak in northern Europe proved Team Rainbow would be victorious. They were victorious and successful in their climb and in putting together a new and exciting group of climbers and guides. In addition to Jeff Pagels and his trusty crew another fine MIP was added to the team. Sture Bjorkaas and his two guides from Trondheim braved the icy glacier, the cold stormy night on Mt. Galdhopiggen and the grueling process of propelling the summiter to the peak. These summiters use simple technology with skis, ropes and ascenders. Five more persons and their guides and friends were also added to the group and began their trekk one day after Jeff and Sture. These persons all helped to prove that persons with disabilities can and do indeed make a statement to the world about accomplishing seemingly impossible feats. They were Tore Henriksen, Dagfinn Juliessen, Mattis Eriksen, Tore Glaerum, and Siri Bjirkestrand. All five of these VIPS have participated in past Ski for Light events. A tremendous amount of planning, time and effort from our friends and RRV Board members, Svein Thorstensen and Kristin Moe Krohn made this journey most pleasurable and this goal more exciting to attain. Their assistance was immeasurable. Our good fortune was in the beautiful sunny days, the guides who aided us in crossing the glacier and the great teamwork between all who climbed. It was our hope as the "VIP team" to summit together with Jeff and Sture but the timing was not quite right because a small storm held them up on their second morning. A very tired Team Rainbow celebrated the next morning. Svein and Kristin took care of the smallest of details for this celebration, which included an ice cream cake in the shape of Mt. Galdhopiggen, personalized bottles of champagne and a room full of very happy climbers. It has been said that there are only 6 degrees of separation between any two persons in the world. Our experience with this is that Mt. Galhopiggen was first summited 150 years ago by the great-great grandfather of Ronnaug Oygard, our friend from Norway (Huseby) and Ski for Light guide. This knowledge came to us AFTER the climb. What's next for Team Rainbow? They are looking at Mt. Whitney in 2001 and the more than 20,000 ft. Kilamanjaro in Africa in 2002. SFL 2001 Applications Online Electronic versions of all three SFL applications are now available on the SFL web site. For the first time this year, the application for visually impaired participants (VIPs) is available as an HTML form as well as a downloadable text file that can be completed with a text editor and submitted by e-mail. Direct urls for these applications are: Instructor/guide Application: http://www.sfl.org/guideapp.html Visually-impaired Participant Application: http://www.sfl.org/vipapp.html Mobility-impaired Participant Application: http://www.sfl.org/mipapp.html White Water Rafting Planning is underway for a whitewater raft trip next summer. The one-week trip will take place in late July or early August on a scenic western U.S. river. Professional riverguides will lead the trip that is designed for novice as well as experienced "river rats". To join this adventure, contact Dick Ashley at: dickashley@juno.com or (703) 892-9082. We're Family This story was originally written for publication in the Sons of Norway Viking magazine by Kari Heistad, an international business consultant and author living in Boston Massachusetts. My breath hung upon the crisp cold winter air as I waited with anticipation. The tinkling sound of a bell and a voice giving directions came first and then they were upon my father and I, two flying Norwegians in red ski suits, one a guide, the other a blind cross-country skier. In a blur they were past and all I could think of was "wow". The place was Woodstock, VT, I was 12 years old and this was my first exposure to the Ski For Light (SFL) program. Three years later a fellow SONS lodge member shared the SFL video at a meeting. This program that teaches the visually and mobility impaired how to cross-country ski fascinated me, and a month after that, I was attending the 1981 SFL program. I have now been involved with Ski For Light over half of my life. What is it that has kept me coming back again and again? For me it is summed up in three words, acceptance, family and growth. Attending SFL as a teenager, I was unsure what to expect. My unusual upbringing resulted in an uneasy acceptance at my local high school. Once I arrived at SFL I relaxed. Everyone at SFL was open and welcoming, accepting me for what I could offer, just as they do today. If you have made the effort to attend SFL then you are met where you are at, taken as a unique person and encouraged to stretch your wings. Acceptance. Through the years the people at SFL have watched me grow and mature through high school and college, diverse careers, graduate school, far flung loves and the death of a friend. They have guided, cajoled, comforted, listened, encouraged and shared their philosophies on living life. We have laughed, cried, shared dreams, hot tubs and secrets. We share a common history and we each have our favorite Ski For Light stories accumulated during our annual week each winter. Family. My experiences being a guide at SFL and the people I have met through this experience, have challenged me to examine my beliefs and ideals, caused me to make a dramatic career change and to learn how to help people (including myself) to challenge their own self limiting beliefs. Each year I return with anticipation, knowing that I will meet people old and young, athletes and couch potatoes, professionals, artists, and world travelers. Each of us comes to share our time together, to welcome new people, to create stories that belong to our family history and to learn new things about ourselves and about the world around us. Growth. Acceptance. Family. Growth. Regional SFL Programs: Black Hills Ski for Light January 21-25, 2001 Deer Mountain, Deadwood, SD Contact: John Gould Tel: 605-341-3626 (8:30 AM-5:30 PM, Weekdays; 9:00 AM-2:00 PM, Saturdays) Also conducts year-round seasonal activities. (N. California) Sierra Regional Ski for Light March 10-12, 2001 Tahoe Donner Cross Country, Truckee, CA Cost: $135 with your own skis; $160 if you need skis Contact: Betsy Rowell Tel: 916-362-5557 Email: betsy@unlimited.net Colorado Ski for Light Dates Pending Contact: Scott Bertrand Tel: 303-986-6714 Email: bertrand@netone.com Michigan Regional Ski For Light January 19-21, 2001 Contact: Bill Richards Tel: 517-224-8285 Email: wpr1@juno.com Web site: http://my.voyager.net/ellickson/ Montana Ski for Light March 21-25, 2001 West Yellowstone, MT Contact: Ed Durbin Tel: 406-538-7151 Email: tedurbin@mcn.net New England Regional Ski for Light Dates Pending Contact: Claire Morrissette, Secretary P.O. Box 234, Foxboro, MA 02035-0234 Voice mail: 508-660-9270 Email: clairem@ici.net Web site: http://members.xoom.com/NERSFL Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Ski for Light February 4-11, 2001 Contact: Bjorg M. Dunlop Tel: 518-731-8741 Email: bjorgmd@aol.com Ohio Regional Ski For Light January 12-15, 2001 Punderson State Park, Newbury, OH Cost: $215 for three-night package, double-occupancy Deposit deadline: Nov. 1, 2000 Contact: Leah Noble Tel: 513-242-4232 Email: leah.noble@fuse.net Web site: http://www.greenapple.com/~peacock/acbo.html Seattle (Puget Sound) Ski for Light Dates Pending Contact: Maida Pojtinger Tel: 253-631-7904 Email: MPOJ@aol.com Wisconsin Regional Ski For Light January 19-21, 2001 Wisconsin Lions Camp, Rosholt, WI Contact: Beverly Helland Tel: 608-884-4955 Email: bhelland@madison.k12.wi.us Ski for Light Canada February 12-18, 2001 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Web site: http://mypage.direct.ca/a/aac/index.html Support these Ski for Light Sponsors: Bolle, Bula, Camelbak, Cascade Designs, Crazy Creek, Devold, Eagle Creek, Grabber Performance Group, Granite Gear, JanSport, Jytte Mau Designs, Malkerson's Cycle-Wyld, Nordic Gear, Optic Nerve, Pearl Izumi, Power Bar, Princeton Tec, REI, Rocky Mountain Sunscreen, Silver Creek Lodging, Sound Environment, Telepath, Texaco, Thorlos, SFL Bulletin is published three times a year and is available in print, cassette, electronic formats--and on the web at www.sfl.org To receive the e-Bulletin, send a message to Judy Dixon judy@sfl.org Editor: Laura Oftedahl E-Mail: Laura@sfl.org Layout & Graphics: Lisa Wangberg E-Mail: Lisa@sfl.org