SFL Bulletin Summer 2001 Ski for Light, Inc. 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408-2648 Phone: 612-827-3232 Web Site: www.sfl.org General Information: Info@sfl.org From the President's Disk by Nancy McKinney Summer is a time that is so special; long days, hiking, fishing, swimming outside, cleaning out garages full of stuff only to be refilled when going to yard sales, and of course the ice cream truck coming down the street. It is so hard to put my mind on snow sports when wearing sandals all day playing at the beach! Ski season is five to six months away. Wouldn't it be easy to spend all of our time playing outside? Since Ski for Light is so important to so many, I will pull myself away from the game of ball going on and will continue to forge ahead with plans for the future. Some of these plans include the Events in the years 2002 & 2003 as well as plans for the next election of directors and officers of our organization. The year 2002 will be another year of fantastic skiing. SFL will be returning to the incredible ski site in Granby, Colorado. Ski for Light has been to Snow Mountain Ranch (the ski site) and the Inn at SilverCreek four previous times in the years 1992, 1994, 1995 & 2000. The wonderful thing about Colorado is that the Rocky Mountains provide us with something we will always need--snow. With the guidance of 2002 event chair, Larry Showalter, plans are underway which I am sure you will read about in this bulletin. The year 2003 is looking like it will be a return trip to the beautiful state of Alaska. We are currently working out the details to return to the Captain Cook Hotel and hope to ski again at Russian Jack Springs Park. The skiing in Anchorage is really wonderful. When that skiing is combined with the atmosphere and beauty of the Alaskan frontier, it makes for an exciting week. There will be more details in the future about the event. Our first year in Alaska (1999) was such a success that we decided as a Board to return. Finally, I would like to remind everyone that the year 2002 will have elections taking place for both Board of Directors positions as well as Executive Committee positions. In the Fall Bulletin there will be more details about this and how people can get involved. If you are looking for more information now, please call a board member (see our web site) or you can e-mail me (nancy@sfl.org). I hope that everyone has a wonderful summer. Thanks to all of the people working together to make SFL happen. Ski for Light Returns to the Colorado Rockies in 2002 by Larry Showalter, Event Chair Ski for Light 2002 will be held from Sunday, January 27 through Sunday, February 3, 2002, in Granby, Colorado. We will once again be staying at the Inn at SilverCreek and skiing at nearby Snow Mountain Ranch. This will be the fifth International Event at this location since 1992. If you attended one of the earlier events, you know why. If not, you really have something to look forward to. Granby is located near Winter Park, about 2 1/2 hours from the Denver airport by car or bus. The Inn at SilverCreek is a large vacation destination resort, complete with indoor and outdoor hottubs, a large indoor/outdoor heated pool, a lounge, restaurants, shops, and lots of informal gathering space around the fireplace. Snow Mountain Ranch, part of the YMCA of the Rockies, is one of the premier cross-country centers in the country. It has 90 kilometers of packed and groomed trails, a large chalet, and terrain that ranges from easy and gently rolling to very challenging. At an altitude of 8,000 feet, there is always plenty of the soft fluffy snow that makes the Rockies so popular with skiers. We were at full capacity the last time we were in Granby in 2000, completely filling all of the rooms in the Inn. Don't be left out this time, get your application in early! The easiest way to apply is to go to the SFL website, www.sfl.org, and complete the user-friendly application form that you will find there for VIPs, MIPs and Instructor/guides. You may also contact one of the three applications coordinators directly via phone or e-mail to request an application or find out more. The coordinators are: Donna Permar Visually-impaired Applications Coordinator (919) 302-2319 donna@sfl.org Jeff Pagels Mobility-impaired Participant Applications Coordinator (920) 494-5572 jeff@sfl.org Brenda Seeger Instructor/guide Applications Coordinator (507) 274-5502 brenda@sfl.org Remember that word-of-mouth is how most new participants learn of Ski for Light. Do your part and help spread the word by passing this information on to others who might be interested.. Recruitment Ideas from Suzanne Brown co-chair of the PR-Publicity/Recruitment Committee Hey SFL veterans! One of the primary objectives of Ski for Light is to introduce as many new individuals as possible to the great sport of cross-country skiing. Our history of recruitment has shown us that the most effective method of attracting individuals to our program is through word- of-mouth and personal contacts. Enthusiastic VIPs, MIPs and guides are our most successful recruiters. So be on the alert in your area for potential new members of the SFL family. Share your enthusiasm and your memorable experiences as a member of SFL. Also share our web site address (WWW.SFL.org) and the names of our three coordinators: Donna Permar for VIPs, Brenda Seeger for guides and Jeff Pagels for MIPs. Provide interested individuals with a copy of the SFL Bulletin, and keep in touch with them by phone or e-mail. We are all SFL ambassadors, so let's spread the good word! Recollections and Reflections From 1st and 2nd year guides Compiled by Brenda Seeger Ski for Light 2001 - Green Bay, Wisconsin The following is a compilation of comments taken from e-mail messages I received from some 1st and 2nd year guides following our Ski for Light event in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I "stole" little excerpts from their letters and put them together for all to enjoy. I hope they inspire you as they have me and get you excited about our upcoming event in Granby, Colorado. Brenda Seeger, Guide Applications Coordinator Ski for Light I had a fantastic time being a first-time guide at SFL. I am definitely hooked and, funds and distance permitting, I hope to attend many more SFL international weeks. It felt like we were all one big happy family. I immediately felt at home and enjoyed making so many new friends. --Polly-1st year guide I really enjoyed seeing the 20 - 30's crowd at SFL. I think it is important for SFL and incredibly valuable for people of this age group to participate. I will be hitting on my friends to give some serious thought to participate next year. There is a whole lot of wisdom to be gained from hanging around the older blind skiers and guides. --Bill-2nd year guide Being surrounded by the crème de la crème who came out of the woodwork from all walks of life. From farmers to doctors, and computer programmers to jewelry makers all doing the ski dance together. What a great accumulation of people! Anyway.....in the moment it seems so simple. Track left, side step right, and don't forget to glide. In concept the idea of guiding someone and them willing to ski through all of that I find miraculous. I loved the fireplaces three good meals a day, and a very kind cook, who made some great North American food, and the wonderful stories. --Nicole-1st year guide Some of my thoughts on my first Ski for Light: First of all you notice I said first. I am sure it will not be my last. I met so many wonderful people and was totally inspired and in awe and impressed by the skiers enthusiasm. This is a fantastic program. I do a lot of volunteer work and constantly see people getting paid to do what you (and I) do. It is refreshing to know that an all-volunteer organization can and does thrive. --Marsha-1st year guide I was overwhelmed to realize that anything negative that was happening in my personal life was snuffed out by the joy that I was experiencing with SFL. I knew I was "On a Good Track" with SFL. --Connie-1st year guide Wow, I am barely back from Green Bay a week and I am still re-living memories of the week - on a daily basis. Overall, I am hooked on SFL and plan to take part in the yearly international event and also my Colorado regional event. It is a bit hard to explain, but the SFL experience is something that stays with me all year long and I look forward to many more events. How do I describe the week..... (A week of visiting, skiing and laughing with old and new friends.... (An opportunity to meet others passionate about Nordic skiing and to share my excitement for the outdoors and skiing with others. (A wonderful exposure to the lives of visually, mobility and hearing impaired individuals. (A newfound awareness for Norwegian culture (An opportunity to ski, ski and ski some more! (A visit to Green Bay, Wisconsin....something that was not originally on my "list" Lastly, my own desire to spread the word on SFL all year long to corporations and individuals that may be interested in supporting a great nonprofit organization that truly makes a difference in so many lives. --Amy-2nd year guide After many years of hearing stories, packing and unpacking sit skis/hockey sleds, and watching videos, I was finally able to experience Ski for Light firsthand. Although I had heard many names before, seen numerous pictures and had met people associated with the event, I had no idea what to expect. It was an amazing week. The most amazing part was the people. Genuinely good people. The one thing I think that will stick with me the most was watching people finish the race. When I coach, it is so exciting and fulfilling for me when a kid finishes a race or workout and has a smile from ear to ear about what he had just accomplished. It did not matter if he was first or last. The way he felt at the end was what the entire season was about. Watching team after team finish I saw that in every one of them. WOW!!! People were so happy......... Just a few thoughts. Too many to really put down. I have seen many different things being around my father, but I continue to be completely amazed at what people can do. Great organization, Great people. Definitely hooked and will be back. --Corey-1st year guide My skier and I had a lot of fun skiing everyday. There was always something to talk about and if there was nothing it was still nice. The nights were full of fun too. I sort of thought of it as summer camp by the end of the week. I wanted to go home but I cried because I did not what to leave all my newfound friends and this great sport. I just cannot wait for next year now. I have already put in my application for a passport to go and see one of my new friends from Norway. This was a great thing to be apart of. I miss it every day. SFL 2002 here I come!!!! --Meghan-1st year guide Ski for Light on the Air Many of you who attended Ski for Light 2001 in Green Bay last January had the experience of skiing down the hill at the start of the course to find a camera and cameraman taking your picture. Not a little dinky disposable camera, in fact not a camera at all. It was a forty-pound videotape recorder balanced on the shoulders of the cameraman. Others who attended saw and heard someone approach a skier, with cameraman in tow, and ask a question or two of a skier and guide. That was Connie Fellman and her cameraman Tim from WLUK, the Fox station in Green Bay. Connie participated as an Instructor/guide in Green Bay. She and her skier, Larry Showalter, were miked and recorded throughout most of the week. Tim spent countless hours recording their exploits and the other sights and sounds of the event. Fox News produced four 3-minute feature segments about Ski for Light and Connie's week, and ran them on-air in February. They did a great job capturing the magic and spirit of Ski for Light, and all who have seen or heard the segments have been impressed. We have obtained a copy of the four segments and can now offer it at cost to anyone who would like a copy. If you want one, send your request to the Ski for Light office together with your check for $10, made payable to Ski for Light, Inc. The format is VHS. SFL's Long-Term Impact Ski for Light offers so much more than fun, friends, and good times. For many people, SFL provides their first meaningful experience in the great outdoors. For others, the program helps them regain self-esteem and perspective lost through difficult life circumstances. And for some, SFL even leads them to a new career! So if you have been impacted by Ski for Light, remember to share it with those around you. Remember, too, that your story may serve to reinspire us within the organization as well. And yes, we all need a little reinspiring now and then. The following story was submitted by mobility-impaired skier, Dianne Brunswick. I have been a MIP at SFL for the past four years. Under the guidance of Jeff Pagels, I have had the opportunity to learn something about sled hockey and cross-country sit skiing. I have enjoyed it immensely and it has given me back so much that was lost after being hit by a car in 1978! I now work for the City of Phoenix Parks, Recreation, and Library Department, Adaptive Recreation Services. We are currently offering a sled hockey program so that others with mobility impairments who want to, can have the opportunity to give it a try. So far it's been fun! We also hope to offer cross-country skiing in nearby Flagstaff, if the weather will cooperate! Wonderful! Thanks to Jeff Pagels and to all at SFL who have helped to make this possible! Wisdom from the Great Outdoors by Vicki Post Physical activities such as those we experience through SFL offer many benefits. We feel and look better; we get a break from the travails of everyday life, and very importantly, we spend time reconnecting to and learning about our own bodies and our own physicality. It is also true that the land we play on has much to teach us about how to live in these bodies on this earth. As we go through life, plan next year's event and so on, I thought it would be fun and useful to share some of what we have learned. The idea is to share three bits of wisdom in each Bulletin, in hopes they may help enhance your life, and submissions from you are most welcome. This time, I offer you some wisdom from Mount Shasta in Northern California. This is a mountain which I have twice attempted to summit, but the mountain had other ideas. However, I believe that if I heed its teachings, and keep persevering, I will get to the top. Here, then, courtesy of Mount Shasta, some wisdom to live by for the rest of the summer. 1. Take small committed steps and course correct if necessary. If you take tentative steps, you risk backsliding, and you lose a lot of energy catching yourself. 2. Once in a while, (every few thousand years at least) have the courage to let your internal fire (spirit) erupt and reshape your outer world. It might be a little messy at first, but the end result will be spectacular. 3. Welcome obstacles and limitations; they make the journey rich and interesting. Some are easily overcome; some present interesting challenges and allow you to create great partnerships with others; some teach you greater self-acceptance; and sometimes, they give you a great excuse to stop and rest and truly take in the present moment. Regional Round-Up We invite you to share in these "fun in the sun" summer activities. Winter Regional SFL events will be posted in the Fall Bulletin. Information currently available concerning these events may now be found on the Ski for Light web site at: www.sfl.org July 28: Michigan Ski for Light and the Western Michigan Kayak Association will, at no cost, host a day of kayaking at the Ionia State Recreational area. Kayaks, life jackets and guides along with lunch will be provided. For more information please contact Jim Ellickson at 989-224-8288 or through e-mail at: ellickson@voyager.net. August 18: Puget Sound Ski for Light will host a hike and picnic at Trollhaugen. For more details please contact Maida Pojtinger at: 253-631-7904 or through e-mail at: rmpoj@aol.com. September 7-9: Black Hills Regional Ski for Light will host a weekend of camping and canoeing on the Niobrara River. Tents, cots food and beverages will be provided. For more information please contact Black Hills Regional Ski for Light at: 605-341-3626 P. O. Box 3707 Rapid City, South Dakota 57709 September 23: New England Regional Ski for Light will host a day hike at Blue Hills, Milton MA. For more information call NERSFL at 508-660-9270 or e-mail at nersfl@juno.com You may also contact their web site at: www.nersfl.org. Fund-Raising is a year-round event One of the many goals of Ski for Light is to remain viable and affordable for years to come. There are now a number of ways you can help make this goal a reality. These include membership in Friends of Ski for Light, patronizing our corporate sponsors, recruiting new sponsors or giving to the Ski for Light Endowment fund. For more information, see our web site: www.sfl.org. You may also contact the Ski for Light office at 1455 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408. List of SFL Sponsors Please remember to support these corporate sponsors whenever you can. Ambutech Backpacker's Pantry Bison Cascade Designs Chuck Roast Crazy Creek Devold Feathered Friends Grabber Performance Group Granite Gear Jansport Jytte Mau Designs Malkerson's Cycle Wild New Halls Wheels Optic Nerve Power Bar Princeton Tec REI Salomon SnoWalkers Thorlo Zukes The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in Print, on cassette, via e-mail or on the web at www.sfl.org. To receive the e-bulletin, send a message to Judy Dixon at: judy@sfl.org. Editor: Vicki Post E-mail: bearger@sasquatch.com Layout and Graphics: Lisa Wangberg E-mail: lisa@sfl.org