The 2024 Ski for Light International week will take place from Sunday evening January 28 through Sunday morning February 4, 2024, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. First- and second-year guides will need to arrive one day early, by Saturday evening January 27, for guide orientation and training.
Veteran guides who have guided at more than two previous International events, but who have not guided since 2020 or earlier, are also asked to arrive early for guide training this year, at no cost to the guide.
The Application Process and Acceptance to the Event
In order to attend the Ski for Light International Week in 2024, you must first complete and submit an event application, which is LINKED BELOW. The application asks for your contact and personal information, your desired meal and housing options for the week, and about your skiing ability and experience.
After your application has been received, Ski for light will review it and make a decision about whether or not you can be accepted to attend the event. Important considerations in this evaluation are:
- your skiing ability and experience if applying to be a guide
- your physical ability to participate in cross-country skiing if applying to be a visually- or mobility-impaired participant
- the number of guides expected to attend the event if applying to be a visually- or mobility-impaired participant
- how early you submitted your application, if there are more applicants than the number who can be accepted
- The number of available rooms in the event hotel, if applying to attend as a worker-bee, companion or guest
While there is no formal deadline for submitting applications, it should be recognized that the earlier you apply the greater your chances of being accepted to attend, given that all acceptances are on a space available basis.
Applicants will be formally notified of acceptance to the event beginning in early October. The number of visually- and mobility-impaired applicants who can be admitted at any point in time will depend on the number of guides who have applied. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance or wait list status no later than mid-November.
Ski for Light will endeavor to insure that the number of guides is approximately equal to the number of visually- and mobility-impaired participants. Last minute cancellations, or illnesses, of either guides or disabled participants, may result in the final numbers being slightly out of balance. If this occurs, SFL will work with all attendees to ensure that everyone has the experience that they want for the week.
Cost For The Week
The total cost for the week will depend on WHETHER YOU HAVE SELECTED A DOUBLE-OCCUPANCY OR A SINGLE-OCCUPANCY ROOM, AS SHOWN BELOW.
- Double-occupancy, in either the Quality Inn or AmericInn, $875 per person
- Single-occupancy, in either the Quality Inn or AmericInn, if available (only 35 available), $1,250
Please be aware that, as noted above, the total number of single rooms is limited, at 35 rooms, to be assigned on a first-come basis. After these are gone, the application that you will be completing will give you only double-occupancy as your housing for the week. But note that you may then ask to be placed on the waitlist for a single-occupancy room should one become available. (You cannot be added to the waitlist if you have not indicated on your application that you are willing to room in a double-occupancy room if a single-occupancy room does not become available.)
Also please be aware that your room could be in either the Quality Inn or the AmericInn. All early applicants will be assigned to rooms in the Quality Inn, but when the rooms in that property are all assigned, later applicants will be assigned to the AmericInn. Late cancellations or illnesses could change your assigned hotel right up to the start of the week, as we are contractually obligated to fill all rooms in the Quality Inn before assigning participants to the AmericInn.
Cost shown includes: room and all meals from Sunday evening January 28 through Sunday morning February 4; round-trip transportation between the Minneapolis airport and Rhinelander (on designated days and at designated times); daily transportation between the event hotels and the ski area; all cross-country trail and other fees; and most afternoon and evening programs and activities. Cross-country skis, boots and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time visually-impaired participants, and are available for rent by all others for a fee of $85 for the week. The cost of transportation from home to and from Minneapolis is the responsibility of the participant.
Please be aware that participants pay, on average, only 80% of their share of the total cost of each event. The remainder, amounting to $160 to $180 per person each year, must be provided by donations from individuals, organizations and foundations. We encourage anyone who is financially able to participate in our direct mail financial appeals, or to go to our donation form and make a tax-deductible contribution to SFL.
Application Forms
To apply to attend the Ski for Light International Week in 2024, please complete and submit the appropriate application form below. Before you apply, please be sure to read the frequently asked questions about the 2024 week as it includes much information that you will want to know before submitting your application.
- Guide Application for 2024
- Visually-impaired Participant Application for 2024
- Mobility-impaired Participant Application for 2024
- Worker-Bee, Companion and Guest Application for 2024
Thank you for your interest in applying for the 2024 Ski for Light event in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The event is currently full. If you choose to apply, we will add your application to our waitlist and we will notify you if your status changes. We understand that this news may be disappointing, but we encourage you to remain hopeful (cancellations due happen) and continue to prepare for the event. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Arrival/Departure and Event Payment Forms for Accepted Applicants
If you have received a notification of acceptance to the 2024 Ski for Light event, please follow the links below to let SFL know how and when you will be travelling to and from the event and to make your event payment.
Guide Handbook
The Ski for Light Guide Handbook contains a wealth of general skiing tips, SFL-specific terminology, a standard progression of instruction for beginners, and other information to help new guides approach their first event with confidence, and to help everyone ski together more safely and enjoyably.
The Narrated Video Accompaniment to the Guide Handbook brings the concepts presented in the PDF Guide Handbook to life. (MP4 format, 8 minutes, 38 seconds)