Ski for Light Bulletin News and Information about the People and Programs of SFL International Spring, 2003 Ski for Light, Inc.(r) 1455 West Lake Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408-2648 Phone: 612-827-3232 Web Site: www.sfl.org General Information: info@sfl.org >From the President by Larry Showalter The snow has melted, and the skis are stored for the summer. But for those who attended Ski for Light 2003 in Anchorage, the memories linger on. What a fabulous week that was! Who will ever forget the sight and sound of a moose drinking from a stream just yards off the ski trail, or of the excited sled dogs during the start of the Iditarod? Hats off to Event Chair Nancy McKinney and her entire event committee for orchestrating such a successful week. Hats off, also, to all of the participants who took full advantage of all that Alaska had to offer. Skiing conditions were, at times, not all that we could have asked for; but nearly everyone skied every day, in full appreciation of the work that went into making it all possible. Plans are already being made for SFL 2004 in Green Bay, under the leadership of Event Chair, Marie Huston. As in 2001, we will be staying at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, adjacent to the Green Bay airport, and skiing at the Brown County Reforestation Camp. Everyone who attended the 2001 event came away from the week with the feeling that the trails and facilities in Green Bay were just about perfect for Ski for Light. The trails are wide and gently rolling; the ski chalet is large and comfortable; the Radisson has just about everything you could ask for in a hotel. Look for applications and detailed information about the event on the SFL web site in July, or in the Summer Bulletin. You don't need to wait until 2004 to be active in the great outdoors. Several of the many SFL-affiliated Regional organizations offer summer programs that include activities like hiking and canoeing. Check out what is going on this summer on the regionals page of the SFL web site. If you are interested in getting more involved in the Ski for Light organization, here is your chance. We are looking for people to help with guide and participant recruitment, fund-raising, desktop publishing, grant writing, and other things. If interested, drop me a note at larry@sfl.org. Please include in your note something about your specific interests and skills. One important way that you may be able to help SFL is with a financial contribution. Each year, we need to raise more than $50,000 to offset the costs of the program to the point where it is affordable for all. Please consider becoming a Friend of SFL with a contribution of $35, or a Lifetime Friend with a donation of $350. You might also be interested in making a donation to the Goodfellow Fund for guide-related expenses or to the SFL Endowment Fund to insure the long-term future of our organization. You can make your donation via credit card on the SFL website, or you can contact me for information about how to donate via check or with a donation of another type. Have a great summer. Anchorage Wrap-up Compiled by Vicki Post SFL 2003 was, in many ways a very unusual week! Those of us who attended it will, no doubt, be telling stories about the Event for years! First, the numbers! This year, we welcomed 113 VIPs (visually-impaired participants), 11 MIPs (mobility-impaired participants), 128 guides, 14 Norwegians, and about 15 workers. The Captain Cook Hotel greeted us with warmth and graciousness, and we had a lot of room for all the usual SFL fun. The skiing, of course, was not exactly ideal! Gliding along on a thin layer of ice made the waxless skis quite loud, leaving guides' voices very hard to hear! But it was truly amazing to see just what some people could do with a bit of ice! At any given time, someone was out there shoveling what snow they could find into a usable place; someone else was roughing up the ice so that it would be a little less glacial, and some of us found out how good our wedging was -- or wasn't. And when all that failed, there came a new event; namely, the SFL games. These included the lap sprint, the herringbone race, the distance glide, and the thrilling orange toss. It's true, there is a limit to how many times an orange can be recycled for throwing purposes! The end of our event coincided with the start of the well-known Iditarod dog sled race. The ceremonial start of that race is always in Anchorage, and the public is allowed to bid for a chance to ride in that ceremony. SFL bid on one slot, which skier Pat Beattie won in a very successful fund-raising raffle. She represented SFL very well, and delighted us with her stories! This year challenged everyone to be just a little more creative, flexible and adventurous! Many people found themselves wearing hats they never imagined, and many first-time skiers truly tested the edges of their courage. Hats off to everyone who kept the spirit of SFL alive and well, despite all the challenges. And as we completed another amazing race/rally, it was clear to this editor that there is nothing a little determination and a lot of love can't accomplish. And for the first-timers who are wondering about this crazy sport, we recommend that you give it another try -- on snow! Reflections from First-Year Participants from first-year guide, Turk Ellis I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on my first experience with Ski for Light the past few days. Perhaps too much. It was such an incredible experience; I find it hard to put to words. I know when I arrived I was terrified. I knew that I loved to ski, and I've always enjoyed passing on this passion to anyone willing to give it a try. But this was so very different, I didn't know if I was capable. Those fears were put to rest by the end of the evening guide trainers meeting. It was helpful talking with other "Rookies" who shared the same fears that I had; hearing from the more experienced guides on what to expect and how to approach different situations; and, most importantly, hearing from visually impaired skiers and having them relay their experiences and thoughts to me. I remember approaching the first hill with my skier. It was only about 10 feet in length and dropped maybe four feet over that span. I was terrified and stopped at the top, unsure how to proceed, or if I could at all. She talked me through, and together we descended. We never looked back. As the week proceeded, (much to quickly) I began to relax and truly take in the spirit of Ski for Light. It is a spirit that I hope to carry with me through the year and onto Green Bay. What I was totally unprepared for was the overwhelming feeling of emotions that came with this program. I have never felt so alive before; so important, yet so small. I went to Anchorage to ski, to do something for someone other than myself. I came away with so much more. It was truly a life changing experience. Turk and from first-year guide, Eija Jacobsen Ski for Light was one BIG unknown frontier that I was determined to explore, and it opened me to a whole new world. My guide trainers, Roger Young, the skier (and dancer!) and Ray Charles Harrisson; a great man and visually impaired skier, who described with such ease his own experience of being blind, were the first ones to open the door. After training, we were teamed up with our skiers; and that first moment I met with Tom Torvie will forever remind me of my own impairments! Tom, partially blind, made my week a blast! "Turn left, no, no, turn right! Not that left!" Not always knowing which one of us was guiding, we both enjoyed cross-country skiing! And Tom, with great understanding, forgave me my lack of experience. " Tom, we're coming to a hill!" "Yes, Eija, it would help if you told me if it's uphill or downhill." "Kinky curves, let's go; we gonna love it!" Finally both agreeing! Yes, we learned to communicate, with clues we both understood. It was not me being his eyes; it was Tom guiding me with such ease that I was finding new ways to look at the world around us. Never before have I felt such happiness in my life. SKI FOR LIGHT is about sharing the experience of skiing, having fun, growing and learning! And "seeing" a glimpse of the world of a visually impaired skier, is something I would never exchange for anything. I want more of this experience. There will be more to come! I will learn more and I will give more of myself in Green Bay in 2004! With ever so humble thoughts, Eija -- "Email" - "Watercan" - "Sunshine"....nicest nicknames I've ever got! And from first-time skier, Christine Faltz SFL 2003 was absolutely, unquestionably an incredible experience, and I am certain I am not the only first-time attendee to think so. No, the skiing was not good; it was downright scary sometimes to skim over glacial tracks. It was not ideal and it was not what I would have chosen for my first time on skis. However, I had so much fun with the other attendees, my roommate, and my guide. I haven't laughed so much in such a long time - it truly was, and shall remain, one of the best, most memorable experiences of my life. The opportunities to have fun, to be challenged, were available, even if the snow was not. What we make of anything in life, after all, is up to us. So, in all likelihood, I'll see you all in Green Bay next year. You should definitely invite the snow, but if it declines, it is only missing an opportunity for fun. So thanks again to everyone for all of their hard work! Christine Ridderrennet 2003 by Robin Smithtro As I plugged away at another long day at work today, I wondered again, "was I really in Norway just under a week ago? No, it must have been a dream! But I had two medals, beautiful photos, Norwegian chocolate and cheese, and vivid, wonderful memories to prove otherwise. Back in November, I was getting ready for my last set of final exams in graduate school and looking for a job, when Larry Showalter offered me a place on the 2003 SFL team to the Ridderrenn. It wasn't until SFL in Anchorage that I learned who else was on the team. I was delighted to learn I would be skiing with David Fisichella, a long-time SFL guide. Lynda Boose and her guide Roger Young were the other SFL delegates. In addition, another 15 SFL skiers and guides paid their own way to bask in the Ridderrenn festivities. I was ready, but still a little baffled at what it would be like. Although SFL is patterned after Ridderrennet, the Norwegian event is quadruple the size and somewhat different in structure and emphasis. I was surprised to learn I would be competing in three different events: a 5k race for women (10k for the men), a biathlon, and the 20k Ridderrenn itself. I did not think I had a chance to even place in a race competing against those notorious Norwegian skiers like we see at SFL. But what I learned is that, just like in the US., many blind Norwegians have a hard time finding sighted skiers willing to guide them to build skill and endurance outside of the Ridder-week. In other words, the Americans, Norwegians, an delegates from the other 18 countries represented this year were on an equal playing field. Although past attendees had told me, I really didn't appreciate just how much the Norwegian military does to support Ridderrennet and, especially, the Ski for Light delegation. The King's Guard shuttled us to and from the airport, carpooled us the 4.5 hour drive to Beitostolen, and even escorted us on our tour day back in Oslo. A larger contingent of the King's Guard shuttled skiers between the hotel and ski area, served warmed juices and fruit on the ski trails, assisted at the rifle shooting range, and performed at ceremonies. The weather was, for the most part, gorgeous and the tracks well groomed. Without much thought to it, David and I had easily skied 17 kilometers on our first morning in Beitostolen. Then I started practicing for the biathlon, which consists of roughly 5k of skiing with two stops for target shooting. The Norwegian military developed an awesome audio system that allows even blind skiers to hit a 2 inch wide target from 60 feet. As I laid down on my belly behind the rifle for the first time, the Norwegian soldier handed me a set of headphones and loaded my gun. Putting the headset on, I heard a high squealing sound. As I moved the rifle around on its fixed axis, the tone changed. I was instructed to shoot when I found the lowest tone. The process is much like tuning a guitar or violin, but a real challenge considering how easily the gun moved again before I could squeeze the trigger. It wasn't too long before I was hitting the target the majority of the time. During the biathlon itself, each missed shot of the required 10 counts as a one minute penalty added to the skier's finish time. The competitor must choose the right balance between taking time to aim and not miss the shots and spending too much time at the shooting range. It really adds to the dynamics of the competition. In my category, the second place winner took 10 penalty minutes by not really aiming, just shooting, but skied an amazingly fast race. As for me, the whole time went amazingly fast, but thank you, Ski for Light for a fantastic graduation present! >From the Publicity Committee THE NEXT PULITZER PRIZE IN PHOTOGRAPHY COULD BE YOURS! Ski for Light needs your photographs for publicity purposes. Skiing action shots are highly desirable as are images which feature our corporate sponsors. Please remember to include a full description, including when and where it was taken, with each photograph. Send your best images from Anchorage or Beitostolen, be they print or high-resolution digital, to: Duane Farrar 21 Tufts Street, #2 Malden, Massachusetts 02148 E-mail: duano@mindspring.com Mush for Light By Cara Barnes Dorothy Mortenson of Alaska's Trails and Tails sat quietly at the kitchen table, perhaps reconsidering the wisdom of turning a legally blind woman loose with a team of their beloved sled dogs. "You have to understand, that these dogs are our family," said her husband Mark Newell. The idea of teaching a visually-impaired person to mush intrigued the couple as a new and interesting challenge. As we sat at the table tossing around ideas, the fact that we had no instruction manual became increasingly apparent. The first test came the next day when Mark hooked up a toboggan sled to a snowmobile and towed me through a section of curvy, tree-lined trail. My goal was to keep the sled a consistent distance from the snowmobile without allowing the connecting line (gang line) to become too slack. This is an essential skill for managing a real team as a slack gang line can lead to an injured dog. After receiving a thumbs-up from Mark, it was time to harness my team. Dorothy acted as my guide by sitting backward on a snow mobile while talking to me over a two-way radio. This meant that Dorothy had to think in reverse, as her right was my left. This also meant that I could not ask questions or clarify instructions verbally since I had only an earphone. "Gee," came Dorothy's voice in my ear. A few seconds passed before I remembered that "Gee" meant right turn and I was supposed to be telling the dogs. "Gee," I shouted a moment too late, after my team had taken matters into their own paws and made a sweeping right turn. Dorothy's directions soon changed from, "it's getting a little weird here," to small pieces of clear, concise information. "Left turn...stand on your right runner...your lead dogs are starting up a hill now." There were big smiles all around as we glided across the snow covered ice of Pirate Lake and came to a stop at Tokosha Mountain Lodge. It seemed that even the dogs were smiling at our success. I soon fell in love with my little team of six. There was Cat and Bob, my mouthy wheel dogs (dogs closest to the sled), with their short, sharp barks. There was quiet Calvin who never said much of anything but always rose to the occasion with a calm steadiness. There was little Flurry, the only light colored dog on the team, and leaders Dusty and Cub, who actually stopped most of the time I asked them to. We spent the next two days running the dogs up the frozen Tokositna River to view Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the Ruth Glacier. As I gained confidence and needed less direction, Dorothy added description of the surrounding landscape to her radio communications. Sometimes too, there were periods of silence followed by temporary panic that my radio had broken, until I again heard Dorothy's reassuring voice. I gradually became comfortable with these periods of radio silence with only the sounds of the wind and the sled runners in my ears. "Are you ready for a rocket ride?" asked Dorothy, as my team was increased from six to eight dogs. Dorothy stood on the claw brake while I stood on the snow hook trying to hold the excited team until it was time to begin the final leg of my adventure. The team took their cue from the whine of the snowmobile and blasted across Pirate Lake without concern for my readiness. "Slow them down," said Dorothy in a voice slightly less calm than usual. I wanted to scream, "I'm standing on the claw brake!" but knew that she would never hear me. A barrage of rapid-fire directions came over the radio as the team hit a stretch of trail winding through a stand of trees. The sled whipped up the trail to the sounds of "right turn...left turn," punctuated by an occasional "duck" as the sled passed a low branch. A short time later the team crested the final hill into the sunshine and I brought the sled to a stop at the place where my mushing adventure had begun three days earlier. Dogs and musher all present and accounted for with the only casualty being a broken nail...mine! "Do you think a visually-impaired person could run the Iditarod?" I asked as we said our good-byes. "You probably could," laughed Mark. Hmmm...First visually-impaired woman to compete in the Iditarod. Has a nice ring to it don't you think? SFL Family News The wedding date for SFL guide Elizabeth Chapman and skier Duane Farrar is set for June 7 in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Liz and Duane were originally drawn together in November, 1999, by their common interests in sailing, cross-country skiing and beer; they met in a pub after volunteering at their sailing club when the conversation turned to cross-country skiing. The pivotal moment came when Duane, taking a page out of the Ski for Light playbook, asked Liz, "Can I hug you?" She said "Yes!" and their fate was sealed. Congratulations, Duane and Liz! SFL Regional Spotlight by Vicki Post In each issue of the Bulletin, we will turn the spotlight on one of our nine Regional Affiliates. These regional groups were established by people who were inspired to recreate their own SFL experiences in a more local and intimate setting. It is our hope that you will enjoy their stories, and that you will support them in their efforts. We begin our series in California, with the Sierra Regional Ski for Light! Imagine yourself in California in Mid-March. You are high up in the Sierra mountains; the sun is shining; you are practically in shirt sleeves; and yes, you are skiing. This is often how it is during the three-day annual event with SRSFL. Skiing at around 7000 feet, you might opt to ski around loops near the lodge, descend down into a valley for a scrumptious lunch at the Cookhouse, or climb to the top of a ridge and feel the howling, blustery wind! For a change, you might decide to try snow shoes for an afternoon. It could be sunny one moment and snowing the next; and during your tour, the snow could change from rock-hard to fluffy to slush in no time. But whatever the conditions, you would hear a lot of laughter and good cheer! Sierra Regional Ski for Light was founded by Betsy Rowell and a small group of friends, after they attended SFL International in 1992. In the spirit of SFL, Betsy wanted to share this experience, along with her own enthusiasm for cross-country skiing, with others. Betsy recalls that during that first year, only seven skiers applied, so the event was considered "unofficial." But the little regional has continued to grow and expand ever since. Most years, SRSFL averages about 25 skiers for its three-day event. For the last three years, the group has also been hosting three day-trips a year plus one day of on-the-snow guide training. SRSFL's three-day event draws many people from out of town and out of state. In fact, many skiers gather in Sacramento on Friday evening, and convoy up to the ski site on Saturday morning. Skiing is always held at the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Resort, chosen for the variety of skiing options, great soup and muffins and friendly staff. Participants in the Event then stay at the nearby Best Western Hotel. Saturday and Sunday dinners are catered by an excellent local company; Sunday and Monday breakfasts are continental and good. And yes, we ski on Monday! For the most part, this event is held during the second weekend of March. Transportation is arranged for day trips and for the event; this is one of the more challenging jobs for a smaller regional. For many, including SRSFL's current president, Ken Scott, this regional offers an excellent and less intimidating introduction to cross-country skiing. "I figured I could handle three days," Scott says. "But it took about three years or so before I felt ready to do a whole week!" And for the more advanced skiers, you can find lots of challenging hills and possibilities for long tours. SRSFL is also developing its program for kids. This includes teaching visually-impaired children to ski, and training junior guides to ski with them. The junior guides are largely responsible for their own recruitment and fund-raising, and it is proving very successful. For more details about this regional, you may check out their web site at: www.srsfl.org. You may also contact Betsy Rowell by Phone: (916) 362-5557 And from President Ken Scott: "Come give us a try!" Regional Round-Up Keep your SFL experience going! We encourage you to take advantage of our many regional affiliates, which offer a variety of year-round outdoor activities. North East Pennsylvania Regional Sports for Health July 27 - August 3, 2003: Land of the Vikings, Sherman, PA Cost: $390 per person, double occupancy Activities include Tandem Biking, Hiking, Canoeing, Swimming, etc. Riding lessons available at your own expense. Contact: Allison Holder 31 Buckingham Drive Toms River NJ 08753 Phone: (732) 255-3625 E-mail: sports4health@aol.com New England Regional Ski for Light Come and enjoy New England with NERSFL! June 21, 2003: Tandem biking outside Boston in the Lincoln, MA area, choice of 20 or 30 mile rides!! $10 donation appreciated July 11-13, 2003: Hiking and Canoeing in the New Hampshire White Mountains. We'll stay at the Cranmore Mountain Lodge in North Conway. We hope to see a live presentation of "Guys and Dolls" on Saturday evening. $150 plus the price of the play if you wish to go. September 12-14, 2003: Hiking in Crawford Notch in the White Mountains...Staying at a new AMC facility. AMC guides will hike with us. Other details and cost of the September trip are to be determined and can be found on our web site: www.nersfl.org or by phone: (781) 667-9270 SFL Sponsors Please remember to support our corporate sponsors whenever you can. Jansport Bison Designs Bushnell Canine Hardware Cascade Designs Chuck Roast Columbia Cool Pooch Crazy Creek Dahlgren Devold Dreamsacks Eagle Creek Grabber Granite Gear Hog Wild InSport Isis Jytte Mau Mountain Hardwear National Geographic Maps New Hall's Wheels Optic Nerve/Mountain Shades Polarmax Princeton Tec Salomon Thor-lo How's your format? The Ski for Light Bulletin is published in ink-print and on audio cassette. Each issue is also distributed via e-mail to those who have requested it. Would you prefer the e-bulletin to what you are receiving now? You would receive each bulletin sooner, Ski for Light would save a few dollars, and you might have a version of the bulletin that you like as well as or better than what you are receiving now. If interested in changing to the e-bulletin format send your request to Judy Dixon at judy@sfl.org The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. Remember that your contributions and feedback are always most welcome. You may submit articles as e-mail or as a word attachment; if you do not have e-mail, you may send a typed article through the mail. Send all items to: Vicki Post: E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Address: 1849 Clay St. #2, San Francisco, CA 94109. The deadline for the summer Bulletin is July 15, 2003. We look forward to hearing from you. Editor: Vicki Post E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Special thanks to: Judy Dixon E-mail: judy@sfl.org Larry Showalter E-mail: larry@sfl.org and Duane Farrar E-mail: duane@sfl.org Ski for Light, Inc. is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.