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 Ski for Light Bulletin Summer 2004 News and Information about the People and Programs of SFL International A program of cross country skiing benefiting blind, visually impaired and mobility impaired individuals and their guides FROM THE PRESIDENT by Larry Showalter Welcome to the Summer Ski for Light Bulletin. In this issue you will read about some of the details of our next annual event, to be held from January 30 to February 6, 2005 in Granby, Colorado. This will be our 30th anniversary event, which is certainly a milestone for any organization. We are all looking forward to the wonderful skiing that is always available at Snow Mountain Ranch, to the marvelous hospitality and facilities of the Inn at Silver Creek, and to the opportunity to see old friends and welcome newcomers to the program. We are greatly looking forward to the chance to celebrate our history and heritage, and to think back on how far SFL has come in the past 30 years. I hope that many of you will be with us in Colorado for this landmark event. You will also read in this issue about the recent death of our founding father, Olav Pedersen. Olav was the guiding light in bringing together the people and organizations that created and then nurtured what has become the Ski for Light of today. It is only fitting that our anniversary event be held in the state where it all began, but at the same time, it will sadden us to not have Olav's smiling and encouraging presence with us this year. Olav, we miss you already. All of us want to thank you for what you created and encouraged. You made a real difference to the lives of many, many people, and that is quite a legacy indeed. May what Olav started continue to grow and flourish. Have a great summer. “SFL FAMILY” NEWS Ski for Light has lost both its founding father and one of its most important ambassadors. In this Bulletin, we pay tribute to them both. In Memorium: Olav Pedersen Ski for Light honors the life and legacy of its founding father, Olav Pedersen. We begin our tribute with a reprinting of his obituary, published shortly after his death. This will be followed by some personal reflections from members of Ski for Light. Olav Pedersen Dies at 87 by Jane Stebbins Breckenridge, Colorado - Breckenridge lost a ski pioneer this week with the passing of Olav Pedersen, who died Wednesday morning at 87. Private family services will be held for Pedersen this weekend. A public memorial will be held at 11 a.m. on August 14 at Lord of the Mountains Lutheran Church in Dillon. Born in Voss, Norway, on February 17, 1917, Pedersen first strapped on skis when he was 3, and began a life of competition in downhill racing and jumping. He won his first trophy ski jumping when he was 12. Nordic skiing was also a method of transportation in the snowy Norwegian mountains. He later used those skills to retrieve supplies dropped by parachutes from British planes during a stint in the Norwegian Resistance in the German occupation in World War II. In 1955, Pedersen chaired the organizing committee for the Norwegian Nordic Ski Championships. Pedersen, who retired from the railways in Norway and worked as a freelance journalist, wrote a story about Erling Stordahl, a blind Norwegian musician in 1952. A few years later, Stordahl told Pedersen he thought it would be intriguing to teach cross country skiing to blind people. His vision took shape in 1963 as the Ridderrenn - the Knight's Race - which now annually hosts more than 1,000 disabled skiers and guides from more than a dozen nations. In 1964, Trygve Berge and Sigurd Rockne invited Pedersen to join them in Breckenridge, where he taught alpine skiing at the Breckenridge Ski Area. He worked at the Rockne's The Mine restaurant and in construction for Sigurd in the summer months. Like others, he fell in love with the mountains and made the town his home. He met his wife, Suzanne, an art, speech and drama teacher, at a Christmas party. "What didn't catch my eye?" she said, remembering the night they met. "Every single woman in Summit County was after him. He had quite a following. He was a sweet man. Our friendship grew into a lasting love." The two were married on June 7, 1969, in the Father Dyer United Methodist Church, then located behind the Summit County Courthouse. Yet, Pedersen is arguably best known for bringing to the United States Stordahl's idea of getting blind skiers out on the trails. In 1973, he returned to Norway to seek Stordahl's advice, garnered support for the idea from the Summit County Lions Club and the Sons of Norway Foundation and founded Race For Light. King Olav V of Norway awarded Pedersen the Order of St. Olav in 1976. On Pedersen's 58th birthday, 60 visually impaired skiers and their guides attended the first Race for Light in Summit County. That race received national publicity after Charles Kuralt featured it on his "On the Road" television series. To shift the focus from racing to recreation and instruction, the name was changed to Ski for Light in 1976. Ski For Light promotes the physical fitness of visually and mobility impaired adults. Pedersen wasn't one to slow down. He coached the blind U.S. Ski Team, created the Frisco Gold Rush Citizen's Race, was a founding member of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center and participated in the Rocky Mountain Senior Winter Games and the Jimmie Huega Express benefit races. At 70, he won the national NASTAR alpine ski championship in his age group. He also coached elementary and middle school soccer and gardened well into his 80s. After a fall from a roof that crushed his leg in 1980, Pedersen retired from downhill ski instruction and took up Nordic teaching at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. He was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1997 and the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2000. Last June, the Summit Foundation awarded him the Soul of the Summit Lifetime Achievement Award. The Frisco Arts Council dedicated a Ski for Light, Art for Sight sculpture at Main Street and Summit Boulevard in 1997 to honor Pedersen's contribution to the sport. The sculpture, created by William Barth Osmundsen, features a sighted cross-country skier with a visually impaired skier. He is survived by his wife, sons Terje and Arve Rauk of Norway, brother Bjarne, seven grandchildren and son Haakon of Breckenridge. He is preceded in death by two brothers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Ski For Light, Inc., 1455 West Lake St. Minneapolis, Minn., 55408. Courtesy of the Summit Daily News Frisco, Colo. June 17, 2004 OLAV PEDERSEN: HE BELIEVED WE COULD … by Deborah Kendrick It was my first time in Granby -- one of our favorite spots for our International Ski for Light week -- and I'd heard from everyone who had been here before how much fun the outdoor hot tub could be. And so, with some real trepidation, I slipped out into that cold air with just my bathing suit and found my way to the edge. Jolly shouts of "Here!" "There you go!" came from the participants around the circumference of the tub. All voices were male and all with Norwegian accents, and their shouts of directional encouragement were the only English words heard amid jovial animated conversations. Nothing to do but slide down into the warmth -- yikes! -- and marvel at my dumb luck to arrive just when there were all males and all speaking another language. Then a voice to my right spoke to me in English. Whenever I think of Olav Pedersen, one of the images in my personal repertoire is the kind man who wanted to chat about journalism that sunny afternoon and who so generously replaced my anxiety with delight. He told me about working for the Associated Press, war stories covered, about the railway in Norway, and his friendship with Erling Stordahl. I don't think that the conversation remained with me because Olav has long been dubbed "the father of Ski for Light"; rather, its staying power has to do with the man himself -- intelligent, intuitive, interesting and, yes, inspirational. "It's not so much what he did," Bud Keith put it recently, "but what he dreamed that is his greatest contribution to Ski for Light." And what he dreamed, as most of us already know, is that blind people in the United States could learn to ski, just as they were doing in his native Norway. Since that first U.S. Ski for Light event in 1975, Olav Pedersen would actually only be responsible for organizing one other SFL event: 1985. But his deep love of cross-country skiing, of nature, of all of us, and of Norway have infused every event SFL has done. And he has touched each one of us, whether we knew him or not. Scott Bertrand, SFL veteran guide, was one of Olav's many close friends. "I could write a book of all the wonderful things we did as friends over the past twenty plus years. Some of the things outside of Ski for Light that I will always remember include when Olav showed me where to find the most beautiful field of columbine flowers that covered an entire side of the mountain and some of his favorite hiking areas. When Brenda and I decided to get married in 1995 we asked Olav to be one of the best men. He accepted but then asked if he had to wear a tux! You see Olav was used to wearing his Norwegian dress attire to weddings. He did end up wearing a tux and looked nice in it. I met Olav in 1978 at my first Ski for Light. I could continue to write but so many memories keep going through my mind right now. Olav is with us in spirit now and I can feel that the rings in the snow that he always talked about will be with us for a long time to come. Brenda, and I will hold those memories in our hearts for a long time to come. We miss you Olav." Mary Hiland, like so many others, says she will always be grateful to Olav for his presence, even though she barely knew him. "I met Olav only once and was thrilled to have my picture taken with him. Yet, when I got the news of his passing, I wept. Because of his dedication, his love of skiing and his caring for us, he made something happen in the U.S. that changed our lives. Everyone wants to make a difference in this world. Here is one man who certainly did." Every organization has its heroes and Olav is certainly one of ours. But for all of us in Ski for Light, Olav is something far more than that: He was and is a beloved family member, patriarch if you will, the dreamer who believed we, blind people and later, mobility impaired people, really could do anything. Thank you, Olav. When we hear that magical shush of skis on snow, we will hear you and know we can do this thing. We will carry you in our hearts again in Granby, at Ski for Light 2005 -- and for many years to come. And some of us will even hear your stories amid the laughter in the hot tub. Memorial Service A memorial service was held for Olav Pedersen on August 14, 2004. SFL guide, Art Bunn, sent the following description to the Ski for Light listserv: A beautiful sparkling Colorado summer day was the setting for Olav's memorial service on Saturday, August 14. Eighty-seven and a half years of a remarkable life span were celebrated by a couple of hundred of Olav's family, friends and admirers, beginning with an appropriate celebration of life ceremony at the Lord of the Mountains Lutheran Church in Dillon, Colo. Pastor Rich Mayfield, a close friend of Olav's for many decades officiated with warmth, charm, admiration and laughter while another close friend, Douglas Webster contributed a number of beautiful vocal musical gifts. The reminiscence eulogy was skillfully delivered by Bud Keith. Olav's son Haakon was resplendent in his father's formal Norwegian attire. The celebration was continued at the Vista Haus on Peak 8 in Breckenridge where the local community hosted a bounteous smorgasbord. During eating and mingling Suzanne invited all to gather on the outdoor patio where Scott Bertrand shared (briefly!!) his memories of Olav and his forever lasting impact on so many lives through Ski For Light. After a few brief remarks by Suzanne she spread some of Olav's ashes on the ski run while another long time friend offered a moving oboe solo rendering of Amazing Grace. Attending from the Ski For Light community of friends were Bud Keith, Marion Elmquist, Scott and Brenda Bertrand, Dick Ashley, Dean and Becky Meyers, Nancy Stevens, Bill Funk and myself. Olav, Ski for Light bids you a very fond farewell. GOODBYE, MR. AMBASSADOR! by Bud Keith Soren Sommerfelt was the Norwegian Ambassador to the United States in 1974 when Olav Pedersen, Erling Stordahl, Erik Bye and others developed plans to introduce blind and mobility impaired Americans to the challenges and joys of cross country skiing. This man, who had been on the world stage for more than 30 years, recognized something special in their idea. To demonstrate his understanding of Pedersen's and Stordahl's dream, he not only acted officially to represent the interest of the Norwegian royal family and the Norwegian government, but also made plans to be in Colorado to share his own lifelong love of mountains, snow, and skiing. When he hosted a pre-event reception in the embassy in early January of 1975, he could never imagine how that first little step of public and formal support could lead to Ski for Light, now in it's 30th year of existence. If he had been able to attend the 2004 Green Bay event, Soren would have been eligible for a ten-year guide pin. In addition to his guiding during the first event in Colorado, he joined in subsequent International Weeks and he was still skiing during our 25th anniversary in Colorado at the age of 83. He had also attended the Norwegian Ridderrenn several times and was twice a guide for this blind American. Those of us who knew Soren Sommerfelt can be thankful for our time with him; his inspiration and encouragement; his sense of humor coupled with an irreverence for the pompous and phony; and his years of willingness to play in the snow with us. Soren ended his professional career as Ambassador to Italy, but continued as our informal ambassador. For nearly 20 years he has spent many hours in airplanes and other settings telling total strangers about an amazing program called Ski for Light. And now, months after his death, there is still a hollow spot in my spirit for this wonderful friend. SKI FOR LIGHT 2005: Come Help SFL Celebrate its 30th Anniversary by Judy Dixon, Event Chair Planning activities are well underway for Ski for Light 2005. Our 30th anniversary event will be held from Sunday, January 30 through Sunday, February 6, 2005 in Granby, Colorado. This will be the sixth time that Ski for Light has held its international event at this venue. All those who have attended a prior Granby event will recall that the Inn at Silver Creek is a large, comfortable resort with great food, friendly staff, and excellent amenities. We will once again be skiing at Snow mountain Ranch, a short bus ride from the inn. The trails and snow at this world-class facility are the best we've ever had at Ski for Light. What a fitting place for our 30th anniversary celebration. We have a number of special activities in the works for this year's event so stay tuned. More details will be provided in the fall SFL Bulletin. Applications are available now in print and online. The easiest way to apply is to do so online at www.sfl.org. You can also request an application from one of our coordinators: Lynda Boose, Visually-impaired Participants Applications Coordinator E-mail: lynda@sfl.org or Phone: (906) 250-7836 Brenda Seeger, Guide Applications Coordinator E-mail: brenda@sfl.org or Phone: (507) 274-5502 Jeff Pagels, Mobility-impaired Participants Applications Coordinator E-mail: jeff@sfl.org or Phone: (920) 494-5572 I look forward to seeing you there! FROM THE RECRUITMENT COMMITTEES A Message From Suzanne Brown, SFL campaign manager for VIPs It's time again to "stump for SFL" and to pass the word to potential new VIPs everywhere that SFL offers the most outstanding platform for a program of cross country skiing and other winter sports. You don't need millions of campaign dollars or a brass band to encourage new skiers to go to the "poles" and cast a straight ticket for SFL by November 1, 2004. So get out there and beat the drums, wave the SFL banners, and help the SFL "party" to win yet again by a "snow slide" in 2005! >From Ted Ellickson, Guide recruitment Committee Hello from the Guide recruitment committee. We are ramping up our efforts to bring in some much needed new blood into the guide ranks. As always we are searching for and contacting lots of cross-country ski groups. However, we need each and everyone of you to keep asking the people you know and meet if this is something they would be willing to try. Our best recruitment tool has been and always will be word of mouth. We are not looking for a "hard sale" from anyone, but just try and remember to share how fun SFL has been for you. Can't wait for Granby! >From Jeff Pagels, MIP Recruitment Chair Colorado will be another great year for the Mobility Impaired Program. It will feature the daily dose of fast-action sled hockey, semi mandatory hot tub meetings and skiing the well groomed trails. Past participants remember well the high point group climbing adventure during the week, complete with candles and tablecloths for a lunch way high up. Come and join the MIP's get high in Colorado's Snow Mountain Ranch. For more information, you may contact the recruitment committee, or visit our website: www.sfl.org. HOW TO MAKE A GOOD THING BETTER from the Fund-raising Committee In 1998 the SFL board of directors formalized the Ski for Light Endowment Fund. The purpose of the fund is to insure the long-term financial viability of SFL and to help make each annual event affordable for all. Members of our SFL family have made individual contributions to the endowment fund or have donated proceeds from fund raising activities which they, themselves, have organized in their cities or neighborhoods. We are grateful for all donations, both great and small. Sooner or later, little pennies turn into big dollars. Our SFL family has recently lost its founding father, Olav Pedersen. He started out with a dream and a silver dollar, which has evolved over 30 years into the magical adventure we call Ski For Light. A designated contribution to the SFL endowment fund would be a fitting way to perpetuate the memory of a beloved and courageous dreamer, as well as the continuing success of his realized dream. We are also on the lookout for funding sources outside of the SFL family who provide endowment funds to non-profit organizations and who are interested in supporting our particular mission. Please refer contact information for any possible funding source to a member of the endowment committee: Suzanne Brown, Marion Elmquist, Bud Keith, Diane Brunswick or Mike Cain. Once again, our SFL motto says it all—"If we can do this, we can do anything." REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT by Vicki Post This column has been preempted for this issue so that we could devote more space to the memory of Olav Pedersen. However, the spotlight will once again shine on one of the SFL regional affiliates in the upcoming fall Bulletin. In the meantime, may Olav's memory and his capacity to dream serve as inspiration to all those who help make the various regional events possible. REGIONAL ROUND-UP Below is a listing of the remaining summer and fall Regional Events. You will find a complete winter schedule in the Fall Bulletin. In the meantime, if you can't wait that long, you can find the latest information on our website: www.sfl.org. Black Hills Regional Ski for Light Bob Marshall Camp September 10 - 12, 2004 Cost: $25 per person (TBD) (non-refundable) Spend a weekend in the pine forests of beautiful Custer State Park. Private lake access for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. Complete with cabins, hot showers, and a kitchen/dining room for great meals. For more information, contact the Black Hills Regional on the web at www.bhskiforlight.org. Or write to: P.O. Box 3707 Rapid City, South Dakota 57709-3707 Phone: (605) 341-3626 New England Regional Ski for Light Middlesex Fells, Medford/Malden, Massachusetts Saturday, October 2, 2004 9:30 a.m. Cost: $10 This is an all-day hike. We'll meet at the MBTA Oak Grove Orange Line Station at 9:30 a.m. Bring your own lunch and drink. Wear good hiking boots. We'll plan to hike until 2:30 or 3:00 that afternoon. For more information, contact NERSFL at: P.O. Box 2170 West Brattleboro, Vermont 05303 Phone: (781) 667-9270 E-mail: info@nersfl.org Winter dates are now available on the website at www.nersfl.org. CORPORATE SPONSORS Our thanks to the following companies that provide products or other support to Ski for Light. Please remember to support them whenever you can. Jansport, Atomic Ski, Bison Designs, Bula, Canine Hardware, Cascade Designs, Chuck Roast, Col d’Lizárd, Crazy Creek, Dahlgren, Devold, DreamSacks, Extreme Optiks, Freestyle, Grabber, Granite Gear, Gregory, Hog Wild, Hot Chillys, InSport, Isis, Jytte Mau, Kelty, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, National Geographic Maps, Native Eyewear, New Hall's Wheels, Optic Nerve, Outdoor Research, Pantropic, Patagonia, Planet Dog, Princeton Tec, Royal Robbins, Ruffwear, Salomon, Sierra Designs and Thor-lo. WHAT IS SKI FOR LIGHT? Ski for Light, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1975 to promote the physical fitness of visually- and mobility-impaired adults, in an environment where "we can't" is replaced with "we can." Disabled and able-bodied people join together in a one-on-one partnership to learn from each other through physically-demanding activities. To this end, Ski for Light conducts an annual, week-long cross country ski program, held in a different US location each year. During the Event, each visually and mobility impaired skier is matched with an instructor/guide for the entire week; this one-on-one partnership approach allows participants to learn in a relaxed and positive atmosphere. New participants are encouraged to move past self-imposed limitations, and to embrace the SFL motto, "If I can do this, I can do anything," in all aspects of their lives. The week concludes with a thrilling race/rally, in which everyone can experience success in a sport once thought impossible for disabled people. Beyond daily cross-country ski instruction and outings for both the novice and experienced athlete, SFL also offers a wide variety of workshops and cultural activities designed to promote education and interaction among all its participants. These might include fitness workshops, cultural programs by local residents, and an introduction to the Norwegian culture and heritage that are integral to skiing at SFL. Ski for Light has also inspired the creation of nine independent state and regional organizations. Located in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, these offshoots offer ongoing weekend and week-long programs to teach disabled individuals to cross country ski. In addition, many of these regional affiliates now offer a variety of other sports as well. As part of its mission, SFL places an emphasis on exposing new people to the sport of skiing, thus making the idea of physical fitness available to people who have not previously had the opportunity to participate in sports. As skills and confidence are developed, many SFL participants then go on to take part in more "mainstream" community recreational activities. Through Ski for Light, many people discover new friendships, increased energy, boosted morale, rewarding careers and fuller lives. Run entirely by volunteers, SFL has positively affected thousands of visually and mobility-impaired people and the guides who ski with them. For more information about Ski for Light, including how you can help, you may visit our website at www.sfl.org. The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in ink-print, on audio cassette, or via e-mail. 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 fall Bulletin is October 15, 2004. We look forward to hearing from you. Ski for Light, Inc. is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Editor: Vicki Post E-mail: vickip@sfl.org Layout and graphics: Bjorg Dunlop E-mail: bjorg@sfl.org Electronic version: Duane Farrar E-mail: duane@sfl.org Special thanks to: Judy Dixon E-mail: judy@sfl.org and Larry Showalter E-mail: larry@sfl.org.