News and Information about the People and Programs of SFL International
Skiing. Sharing. Learning
The mission of Ski for Light is to enhance the quality of life and independence of visually or mobility-impaired adults through a program of cross country skiing.
Dear Friends,
The Planning Committee for the SFL 2013 event will soon be meeting to work out all the myriad details that go into pulling together the week-long Ski for Light International event. As we return eagerly to Michigan for the 38th annual week, we'll be helped by a number of Michiganders, including some folks who are involved in the Michigan regional along with some who attend International - and some who do both. And with Michigan's own Deb Wiese as Event Chair, it's possible the whole state will turn out to cheer for us on Race/Rally Day. I'm confident that we'll have an interesting assortment of local activities, special interest sessions and evening programs that have a special Michigan flavor.
You've already heard that we'll be skiing on a 30 kilometer network of trails at Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, Michigan, about 40 minutes from Traverse City. Be sure to go to the SFL web page at www.sfl.org to learn more about the week and to sign up as a guide, or visually or mobility-impaired participant. Check out the new guide recruitment flyer and video and pass them along to friends, family and co-workers!
I look forward to seeing you at Shanty Creek January 27 to February 3, 2013.
Mark your calendars for the 50th Anniversary Ridderrenn in Beitostølen, Norway, April 7-14, 2013. The Ridderrenn is the event after which Ski for Light was modeled and we continue to celebrate the ties that bind the two organizations. The Ridderrenn, like Ski for Light, is a great week of skiing and camaraderie.
Happy trails - and think Snow!
By Peter Slatin
Born three months ahead of schedule, Deb Wiese considers herself fortunate to have entered the world in Chicago, where early incubation experiments went better than in many places; the experience left her legally blind, though the damage could have been much more severe. Her mother may have wondered, though: "I was always screaming," Deb says, "and I've never shut my mouth since."
Although she started life - and Ski for Light - as a high partial, she lost the rest of her vision at age 40, due to complications from a detached retina and bouts of glaucoma.
She first encountered SFL at the earliest Michigan regional, and she soon transitioned to the International, attending the 1983 event in Telemark, Wisconsin. She was struck by the enormous number of people. Along with the generosity of the guides, what also stood out were the trails. "Wow, those long trails were fabulous," she says. "I had never seen that many skiers and guides in one setting before, it was kind of overwhelming."
Clearly, she got past that. She has served on the Ski for Light Board for 17 years; been a Guide Training Coordinator for five years; been on numerous planning committees and more, and now is proud to be 2013 Event Chair. All that despite another significant issue: "I was not somebody who liked cold and snow and winter," she admits. "I had to be coaxed into it the first time. But once you start to develop some skill and warm up, you feel like it's summertime and it's just so exhilarating."
Deb's generation predated special ed, and was mainstreamed before there was mainstreaming. As do many high partials, she recalled, "I tried to pass" as fully sighted. "But I had to pay such close attention to what was going on. But I did it." She certainly did. Deb has a BA from Michigan State and a Master's from Western Michigan University. She has worked for more than 33 years with the State of Michigan, at Michigan Rehabilitation Services, Michigan's general public vocational rehabilitation agency. Following a recent promotion, she now serves as the Manager for the agency's policy unit.
Transitioning into total blindness was a "tough deal," Deb notes. "You have to ask for - and trust - far more assistance. SFL helped me to let go and trust somebody else. I had to pay attention and move forward, and it worked." She now sees Ski for Light as "an opportunity to learn and help teach somebody else."
Putting the 2013 event together has definitely tested Deb's managerial skills. "It takes organization, stick-to-it-iveness and good communication, and it's fascinating behind the scenes to watch this unfold." You have a whole team." Of course, she loves that the event is taking place in Michigan, and in a new venue. And chances are excellent that much of her family will be with us through the week.
The SFL Bulletin query drew some amazing stories - more than we have room for. So below you'll find Tim McCorkle on walking, Rod Maccoux on being an Ironman, and some other tidbits. In the Spring Bulletin you'll learn of Nino Pacini's five-day biking epic and Linda Gaitskill's summiting of Mount Kilimanjaro. And if I make it, I'll add a few lines about my upcoming three-day tandem ride in Israel's Negev desert.
In July, I spent two weeks in Alaska visiting my mother and catching up with childhood friends. On one of the dry-ish days, I embarked on my annual fitness test and commune with nature. Eaglecrest is a ski area just north of Juneau, a little more than five miles up a road from North Douglas highway. I like to walk up it whenever I'm in Juneau during the summer to prove to myself that I'm still alive. When I lived in Juneau it was unpaved, and I used to ride my mountain bike up it and later ran it. It's now paved and relatively safe with little traffic, decent markings, and almost no chance of bear encounters.
The fog line ghosted in and out of my vision, mostly out this time, so I relied predominantly on my cane and hearing to remain oriented and on the shoulder, neither in the ditch or yawning drop offs, nor in the middle of the roadway. It was a great walking day, low clouds, upper 50 degree temperatures, and a cooling breeze and random spits of rain to stave off overheating.
I could still hear highway traffic and sightseeing helicopters flying up and down the Channel for the first half mile or so, but soon moved into the first set of muskegs meadows. I could hear crows squabbling, ravens cawing, insects buzzing, piercing cries of hawks, and the unmistakable screeching of bald eagles. It was strangely comforting and foreign to be wrapped in the noisy quiet of the outdoors with virtually no visual cues to fill in the context.
As I moved higher up into more Alpine terrain, the sounds faded to just the sighing of wind breathing through the trees, smaller birds singing, the odd marmot whistling warnings, and the clack-clack of my cane tip. I could feel the road rise and fall under my feet and dredged up memories of the road to keep approximate track of where I was.
I reached Eaglecrest in just under two hours. I'm slowing down as my residual vision fades into fond memory, and I am forced to rely on my artificial appendage and wits to navigate. I concluded that I am, in fact, still alive. I still have the thirst for adventure and the need to be moving. My challenge remains to find the opportunities and to get out the front door to embrace them.
I signed up last year for the September 9, 2012 Ironman Triathlon in Madison, Wisconsin. The Ironman includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. My guide, Kelly, was a great match and my friend Dawn and daughter Lindsay also helped out with my training regimen and in preparing the nutritional and other items I would need for the event.
Ironman weekend began for me on Friday. We arrived in Madison at 3:00 pm, in time for registration. Dawn had spent weeks getting items categorized as swim, bike, run and pre- and post-event. This organization was essential. Saturday morning we took a test ride on the bike but then just relaxed for the rest of the day.
Sunday's wake-up time was 4:00 am - I am not an early riser, so resetting my body clock was part of the preparation. I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich for breakfast and headed downstairs with my swim gear to meet Kelly. At the Monona Terrace, after getting our bodies marked with bib number and age, it was time to wait until 6:30 when we would put our wetsuits on and head down toward the water. At 7:00, the cannon went off and it was time to swim. I find the swim extremely boring. Kelly did a great job of keeping me out of traffic so I could focus. While swimming there is not anything for me to hear and of course not anything for me to see. It is all about trying to keep your form. I was a little slow on the swim at about 1:50. But I was very happy to get out of the water and do something different. People helped strip off our wetsuits. The crowd cheered loudly during our one block long walk to the transition area.
People also handed us our things for the bike ride. Kelly and I had one of those Smucker's pbj sandwiches before leaving.
The bike had difficulty with some of the hills and dropped the chain a few times. Once, the chain broke causing us to slowly fall to the ground. Fortunately, Kelly had prepared by taking a link from the chain of his bike, and purchasing a tool to do the repair.
One volunteer really did quite the job when he was able to hand out two bottles of water to me and Kelly as we rode by.
Another highlight of the trip was when we passed a pro. He was on his second loop and we were on the first loop of the course. He passed us just before the downhill, and we were able to use the hill to our advantage and pass him if only for a brief moment.
I was hoping to finish the bike portion around 3:00, but it was almost 4:30 when we began to run the marathon. The bike course was a 16 mile ride out of town where you connected to a 40 mile loop which you completed twice before heading back in to transition. The run on the other hand was two 13.1 mile loops in town. The loop took us through streets, on sidewalks, up and down ramps and down a trail by the lake. Running inside Camp Randall Stadium, I checked out the artificial turf; it felt like running on a well manicured lawn.
We would consume a small amount of food, and hydrate at the various stops on the loop, but at about the eight to ten mile mark, we realized that even at that, we would need to consume a bit less. Our stomachs couldn't digest the amount of food that we were taking in. That food had been a refreshing change from the Gu and salt tablets we had been consuming. It took me 5:15 to run the marathon, which told me I'd spent more time than usual at the water stops.
I finished in 14:47:48, much slower than the 13:00 goal I had set. But it was a great day! People supported us the whole way. Kelly did a great job of guiding me. After I finished, I didn't feel any more fatigue than after a marathon. Recovery is proceeding well. Doing an Ironman was well worth the twelve month journey. What more can one ask for?
Four Canadian SFL International veterans sent dispatches about their outings outside. Jerry King and Kaye Leslie both participated in the Cycle for Sight, a fundraiser for Foundation Fighting Blindness. Kaye invested in a tandem bike and attended spinning classes to get in shape for the 140-km ride that included about 250 cyclists, such as SFL's Jerry King. Jerry also did some radio interviews around the event and was gearing up for a 160-km ride featuring some heavy-duty Category 3 hills. Even Jerry admits that will be a "challenge." For her part, Kaye reports that she was "thrilled to complete the ride. I was pretty sore the next day, but it was a great feeling of accomplishment!"
On a more leisurely front, Tracy Mousseau and Alan Stummer went for a sail in the Thousand Islands region, and sent in a report using "someone's open wifi."
Alan complained that the winds seemed "always against us," but, he (I imagine) shrugged, "time for a swim and a glass of wine." However, he subsequently followed up to let us know that "then a storm threatened and we had to haul anchor and move to a safer place. The storm did hit with a vengeance but we were fine. The dinghy broke its tether and took off, but we tracked it down in a corner of the bay. Found all the leaks in the boat too."
Bonnie O'Day and Bob Hartt of the Washington, DC area put in some serious time hunting for tandem bikes and captains. What they found may astonish you! or not . . .
Bonnie writes: Are you wondering what kind of exercise you can do during the summer to keep in shape for SFL? Are you bored with activities that take place inside a smelly gym? Well, so were we. We decided to take the plunge and explore tandem biking. Craig's list came to our rescue. For a reasonable price we purchased two bikes that needed only minor repairs. We joined a local tandem group called WABITS (Washington Area Bicyclists in Tandem Society) through their website and posted a message that we were looking for captains. Our message stressed that we were physically fit and had our own tandems. We found a couple of guys for occasional rides whose wives were not interested in riding, and another guy, Mark, who was interested in riding once a week after work on trails in and around Washington DC where we live. We recently recruited another captain, Edward, who heard an interview with Ron Berzese, on National Public Radio. Ron operates a website called www.bicyclingblind.org that matches blind cyclists with sighted captains. Edward and I now ride to work about once per week and he and Bob also take occasional rides.
Mark is an extremely committed tandem rider. He owns several single and tandem bikes and rides 100 to 200 miles per week. During our weekly rides, Mark has long discussions with Bob about tandem maintenance or the newest bells and whistles we can't do without. Our pocketbooks grow thinner as our legs grow stronger. In June, Mark purchased a triple, a three seat bike, which allows Bob and I to ride together, eliminating the need to recruit more than one captain. Bob takes the middle seat and I ride behind. We receive a number of stares and comments as we ride along. Few people have seen a three seat bike! This Sunday, we will take the triple on a 100-k ride. It has taken a lot of effort, but a little more riding and we should be in great shape for SFL this winter!
By George Wurtzel
It has been more than 25 years since SFL has been held in my home state of Michigan and I am sure that everyone will have a great time. I have skied many times at the venue, so I know firsthand what a terrific site it is and I plan to join you there after a 30-year absence from SFL.
My Ski for Light story started a long time ago in Lansing, Michigan with a Norwegian man named Harold Brunvand, who one day showed up at the Michigan School for the Blind and asked, "who wants to go cross-country skiing?"
About 10 of us went that first time in early 1971 or '72. I remember the events of that day, and I know I would not be the same person that I am today if I had stayed home.
Because of my involvement with Ski for Light, I have traveled all over the country and to many interesting places around the world. I have met some of the most wonderful people who walk the earth - people who were extremely generous with their time and gave their love and kindness to others - people who do things for no other reason than because they want the world to be a more inclusive place for all. These people who did not want any more in return for what they did besides to see a smile on someone's face--people who love to ski love to play and share their enjoyment of life to the fullest with all who come.
Harold Brunvand got me skiing and skiing got me going.
I went to the Colorado Lions ski event in Aspen, Colorado every year for 4 or 5 years in a row. I met fantastic people Like Peter Mains, Harry Cordellos (the first blind man to do the Iron Man). I met John Amear and learned to ski downhill as fast as gravity could pull me.
Ski for light also gave me an opportunity to meet some pretty incredible other blind people. And it gave me a way to meet a lot of people in my hometown who I would never have met until I was out skiing with my friends.
I started skiing all the local ski races and found out even though I was blind I was an above-average skier. I saw by the race results that I was finishing in the top half of the pack.
I cannot write this without talking about some of the best people I have had the honor to know. In the early days of Ski for Light, folks around SFL would have been Olav Pedersen, the father of Ski for Light in our country; the Brunvands, Harold and his son Dick; my very dear friend, Judy Dixon and a lot of people who I never got to tell how much of an impact they had on me. Bud Keith, Oral Miller, Laura Oftedahl, crazy kids like David Waite, Denis Carney, my best employee and great giver of his time Scott Clair, and truly hundreds of people who touch my life in small and big ways. And, there is Kathy Emig, who I dragged into ski for light who gave a lot and is still giving. The 1980 Ski for Light International event, held in Traverse City would have never happened if it had not been for her wonderful help.
Skiing has taken me to events in Colorado, Michigan, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and internationally to Canada, Norway, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. The shortest ski trip I remember was taking my nephew on my back around the backyard. The longest trip was over 500 miles across northern Europe starting on the Russian border and skiing all the way across Lapland. I have truly skied thousands of miles and hundreds of races and events. And through skiing, have met thousands of people. I was honored to be on the Paralympic team in 1980 representing our country and skiing in Geilo, Norway.
So, if you ever wondered how skiing could change your life, you can see that it has made me a world traveler, explorer, fun-lover, and collector of fantastic friends, all of whom helped shape me into the person I am today.
There are no words that I can use to convey all the thanks I have for all the people who work just to see a smile on a face and the thought that just going skiing can change a person's whole life.
So, thanks from the bottom of my heart to all the people who are helping to make skiing fun for people and a fond remembrance to all of our fellow skiers who are no longer with us.
One big new cross-country ski lover has arrived in the SFL universe! Robin Van Lant (nee Smithtro) and her husband, Tim, of Louisville, Colorado, produced Nathan on August 19. Nathan arrived at a very healthy 9 pounds 1 ounce and 22 inches long. And, reports Robin, their daughter Geneva "is enjoying being a big sister." Congratulations and all the best from SFL!
We are saddened to report the passing of Jeannie Partaka, who came to Soldier Hollow as a VIP in 2010 and was guided by Julie York Coppens. Jeannie, who was just 28 and a young mother, died of a form of meningitis. Julie describes Jeannie as "an indomitable Oklahoman."
Julie writes: I'll never forget Jeannie -- or her awesome "Courage" tattoo, which Jeannie earned every day out there with me on the Soldier Hollow trails.
And she had a BLAST zipping down the tubing hill! That was such a fun day. It was a joy guiding Jeannie all week, particularly on Race/Rally Day, when she skied 5 kilometers without stopping and pretty much blew me away by how much progress she'd made with her skills. But beyond all that, it was a privilege just to know Jeannie, to laugh with her, to share her frustration when the skis didn't do what she wanted them to do and then her elation when they did, and to see her strength in action.
Your Calendar of Winter Cross-Country Skiing
Opportunities
If you are hoping to maximize your time on skis this coming winter, plan on attending one or more of the events sponsored by the nine Regional SFL programs, in addition of course to attending the SFL annual event in Michigan. You will find a lot to like in the regional programs, listed below. While they are each loosely modeled on the SFL program, they have each evolved over the years to best meet local needs. Some offer only cross-country skiing; some offer both downhill and cross-country skiing; some offer snow-shoeing and other winter activities in addition to skiing; some serve only adults; some serve both adults and children. A bonus is that the regional programs take place at some of the best cross-country sites in the country. If you look into the details of the various programs, you will surely find some skiing opportunities that appeal to you.
When you add the Ridderrenn and SFL Canada to the mix of programs offered in the U.S., you'll discover that you have 12 multiple-day and 8 single-day events in which you could participate this coming winter. If you have unlimited time and money, or your own plane, you could in fact spend 68 days skiing this coming winter in these various programs! For additional information about any of the programs listed, visit the Regional Roundup page on the SFL website at www.sfl.org/regional.html. If you don't have internet access, leave a message on the office answering machine at 612 827-3232.
Multiple Day Events
January 4 - 7, 2013: New England Regional SFL - Craftsbury Common, Vermont
January 11 - 13, 2013: Colorado Regional SFL - Granby, Colorado
January 13 - 20, 2013: Northeast Pennsylvania Regional SFL - Sherman, Pennsylvania
January 18 - 20, 2013: Michigan Regional SFL - Roscommon, Michigan
January 20 - 24, 2013: Black Hills Regional SFL - Deadwood, South Dakota
January 27 - February 3, 2013: SFL International - Bellaire, Michigan
February 4 - 10, 2013: SFL Canada - Kamloops, British Columbia
February 8 - 10, 2013: Wisconsin Regional SFL - Rosholt, Wisconsin
March 1 - 3, 2013: New England Regional SFL - Bartlett, New Hampshire
March 3 - 7, 2013: Montana Regional SFL - West Yellowstone, Montana
March 9 - 11, 2013: Sierra Regional SFL - Truckee, California
April 7 - 14, 2013: The Ridderrenn - Beitostølen, Norway
Single Day Trips
Puget Sound Regional SFL: January 5 and 26, February 9 and 23, March 16 and 30, 2013 - Stampede Pass, Washington
Sierra Regional SFL: January 26 and February 9, 2013 - Tahoe City, California
Our thanks go to the following companies that have provided products or services to help support Ski for Light. Many of these companies have stood behind us for years - and we're grateful. Be sure to think of our friends when you're gearing up for your next adventure.
JanSport
Acorn
Birkenstock
Bison Designs LLC
Blue Ridge Chair Works
Brazos Walking Sticks
Byer of Maine
CamelBak Products
Canine Hardware
Clif Bar and Company
Columbia Sportswear
Crazy Creek Products
Dansko
Fox River Mills
Granite Gear
Haiku
Hog Wild
iFitness
Injinji Performance Toe Socks
Katie's Bumpers
KAVU
Kiva Designs, Inc.
Kuhl
LARABAR
LEKI USA
Live Eyewear
Paper Shower
Patagonia
Pepper's Eyeware
Point 6
Ruff Wear
Runnur
Sperry Top-Sider
SportHill
Stunt Puppy
Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau
Zuke's
Editor: Peter Slatin
Layout and graphics: Bjorg Dunlop
Electronic version: Larry Showalter
Special thanks to: Fram Lodge #3-564, Sons of Norway
The SFL Bulletin is published three times a year. It is available in ink-print, on audio cassette, or via e-mail. If you wish to change formats, please send your request to: bulletin@sfl.org.
The current as well as past issues of the Bulletin are also available online at www.sfl.org/bulletin.html. In addition to an online edition that may be read in your browser, you will find a downloadable pdf version of the current issue.
For future Bulletins, 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:
Peter Slatin
255 West 108th Street, Apt. 8A-1
New York, NY 10025
The deadline for the Spring 2013 Bulletin is March 15, 2013. We look forward to hearing from you.
Ski for Light, Inc. is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
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