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.
By Scott McCall
Greetings All,
I hope that everyone is having a safe and enjoyable summer and, more importantly, that
many of you have completed your application to attend SFL 2015. As you probably know,
we will be observing our 40th anniversary in Granby, Colorado. I am certainly looking
forward to this opportunity to celebrate our past, reconnect with friends, and create new friendships and lasting memories. And of course we will be skiing on the beautiful trails
at Snow Mountain Ranch.
Event Chair Cara Barnes has assembled an extremely capable and enthusiastic group of volunteers to serve on the 2015 planning committee. A note from Cara on these ongoing preparations follows in this issue of the bulletin.
Having completed six months of my term as president I can say without a doubt that the most rewarding aspect of this job is the opportunity to work with so many dedicated volunteers, and that is exactly how I felt during my first stint as SFL President 20 years ago.
The phrase "all-volunteer organization" definitely describes the management and operation of Ski for Light and the SFL International Week. I have the opportunity to experience the cooperation and involvement of SFL volunteers on a regular basis.
These are only three of the many tasks that are carried out by volunteers, meaning everyone who participates. Those of you who have attended an international event are aware of some of the other responsibilities of the officers, and other members of the board and planning committee.
SFL is also fortunate to have numerous volunteers working behind the scenes throughout the year. Processing mail, depositing checks, thanking donors, keeping the books and paying the bills, creating the annual report, managing the web site and producing and distributing this bulletin are just a few examples of important work that is done by dedicated volunteers.
Throughout our forty year history, this spirit of volunteerism has been the most important ingredient in SFL's success. So a thousand thank-yous and tusen takk to all who have served and supported Ski for Light during this year and for the past forty years. And we're just getting started! Enjoy the rest of your summer.
By Cara Barnes, 2015 Event Chair
In the sixteen years I have been involved with Ski for Light, the international event has been held in Colorado five times. I still remember the excitement of being seated at the same dinner table with Norway's Crown Prince Haakon during our 25th anniversary event in Granby. In many ways returning to The Inn at Silver Creek and Snow Mountain Ranch to celebrate Ski for Light's 40th anniversary feels like coming home.
Home to beautifully groomed trails and exquisite scenery, home to the Inn at Silver Creek's unique and hospitable accommodations, and home to celebrate! Whether you are new to Ski for Light or a long time participant, you can expect to make new friends and wonderful memories. The ski trails at Snow Mountain Ranch are some of my personal favorites with a variety of terrain perfect for both new and more advanced cross-country skiers.
This year's Planning Committee is composed of a few old faces and some new faces in new roles. The Committee has already been working hard on what is shaping up to be a memorable anniversary event. As always, there will be interesting Special Interest sessions where you might learn new technical skills such as photography on an I Phone, about a new hiking, canoeing, or cycling adventure; or about guide dogs. Enjoy outbidding your friends on that perfect find in the Silent Auction, - remember to tuck away your own treasures for donation. Dance the night away or listen to an evening's entertainment. Above all, be ready to socialize with friends new and old after a great day of enjoying yourself on the beautiful trails, and the week's Norway Night will be a special evening celebrating 40 years of our Norwegian heritage with some special guests.
If the thought of skiing at more than 8,000 feet literally takes your breath away, consider arriving early to acclimate and participate in the Colorado Regional event, January 23-25, 2015. Additional information about the Colorado Regional event can be found at www.cosfl.org
Don't miss out on the celebration! Apply now: at www.sfl.org. I look forward to some great skiing, and a wonderful week of celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ski for Light.
There has been a significant development in the life of one of Ski for Light's most devoted guides, Tim Byas: he got married! Yes, our intrepid longtime Transportation Coordinator and master of many other duties joined forces with one Laura Van Arsdale, and it was very much a Ski for Light event, as reported by last year's event chair and former SFL President, Nancy McKinney:
"On Saturday, June 14th Ski for Light's own Tim Byas had the good fortune - and surprising wisdom - to marry Laura Van Arsdale; actually, we think the same can be said about her luck and smarts. The wedding festivities included a rafting trip on Cache la Poudre River near Tim's home in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Ski for Lighters rafting (not swimming) were Ted Ellickson, Kristen Johnson, Nancy McKinney and Rich Milsteadt. Tim was kayaking the river alongside our raft. We were joined by Marie and Chuck Huston for a fabulous wedding ceremony, meal and dancing. Ted was the Best Man, and he was joined by his bride Sarah and wonderful children. Congratulations Tim and Laura, may you always cherish the lovely day that you said I do!"
We wanted more, and we went straight to the Even Better Man, the groom himself, to get the real story of the day's festivities: "Well, then," said Mr. Byas. "The bride was beautiful, the groom even more dashing, weather perfect, food exceptional, dancing exquisite, drinks refreshing, speeches entertaining, dessert delicious, excellent cake-smooching, fantastic honeymoon and now back to reality. What more could you ask for?"
What more, indeed. Congratulations and all the best from the entire Ski for Light family.
By Bob Civiak
One of the great strengths of Ski for Light has long been the high quality of our guides. Yet we continue to face some challenges in attracting new guides who are as capable as possible in their skiing and guiding abilities.
In the early years of Ski for Light, - and in a reflection of the Norwegian roots that have since spread worldwide - our guide population was dominated by expatriate Norwegians and others who had skiing in their blood. More recently, many of our guides come from a background in recreation or occupational therapy or have other connections with the blind or physically handicapped community. While most of these folks make excellent guides, and none are lacking the spirit and enthusiasm that are at the heart of any guide, some guide recruits have not had sufficient skiing experience to enable them to teach our sport to brand-new skiers or maintain pace with faster skiers.
That all adds up to a growing need to recruit more proficient and, if possible, younger cross country skiers to serve as guides to maintain the vitality of Ski for Light.
We are taking several steps to address this issue. For the past two years, we have placed ads recruiting new guides in Cross Country Skier magazine (the premier U.S. publication for Nordic skiing) and that will continue this year. We are also using social media, primarily Facebook, to attract guides and participants, and more than 3,100 people have clicked through to our website after seeing our advertising on Google web searches.
In addition, we have produced a new Recruiting Video and a new Guide Recruitment Flyer, both of which are available from links on the SFL website. As great as these tools are - and yes, they are terrific - they just won't be sufficient without your help. Word of mouth has always been the primary means for attracting new guides to SFL and will continue to be so. Each of you can help by talking to your friends and family who ski. We are particularly interested in recruiting folks who are proficient at Nordic skiing, so please be sure that prospective new guides will ski well enough to guide others, without having to think about their own skiing. Ideally, we want guides who can teach our skiers how to ski better.
The new video and flyer are tools for you to use. The video is particularly inspiring and shows how much fun we have helping each other. Please circulate the link to the video widely to folks you think may make good guides. Also, print copies of the flyer and distribute it to ski clubs, outdoor equipment stores, and anywhere else that Nordic skiers might find it. The purpose of the flyer is to get interested skiers to go to the SFL website for more information and to view the fantastic video. Please distribute it widely.
The future of our organization is in your hands. Go out there and recruit!
By Lynn and Jerry Cox
The air was crisp. The sun was bright. We stood in the arena area for the opening ceremonies of the 51st Ridderrenn while the prestigious Kings Guard Band of brass instruments and drums performed with precision the "musical call" for visually and mobility impaired XC skiers to a personal challenge of the race event about to begin.
Flags were raised and speeches began ----- all in Norwegian, of course. Standing in the snow and feeling the anticipatory spirit of the event, we patiently listened until one speaker switched into English and the words spoken will not be forgotten:
"Look for opportunity, not for limitations....and never give up!!"
"Five, four, three, two, one, GO" and off our skis glided on the trails of what the Ridderrenn event states is the world's largest winter sports week for disabled skiers (2014 info details that 10 countries were represented including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Canada and the U.S.). From Ski for Light we were a group of 13 (skiers and guides) from a variety of states in the USA with ages ranging from 46 - 93. After following beautifully groomed trails under the warm sun, we each felt that moment of exhilaration when we crossed the finish line where outgoing SFL president, Marion Elmquist, was waiting to congratulate/greet each of us. Sweat dripped off foreheads and smiles were big.
Rolling back through time leading up to that moment, our reflections include the moment one night when Marion phoned us at our home and asked if we would be available in late March-early April to travel to Norway as guides for the USA SFL skiers. Gasp!!! This was definitely a moment of being speechless soon followed by thoughts of wondering if this was "for real?" and feeling so very honored and humbled. It surely became a reality when we packed up our skis and boarded the plane for Amsterdam to Oslo and met SFL folks at the Hotel Bondeheimen. Traveling together by bus into the mountains from Oslo to Beito (as the locals call it), we began our Ridderrenn adventures.
Whether it was helping each other out at times of lost luggage (interesting how one piece of luggage took additional tours of Paris, Amsterdam and stayed a little extra in Beito), being flexible with our skiing abilities and daily energies to mix and match guides and skiers to the advantage/success of all for the variety of events (options for the Biathlon with laser rifles, Men's 10 K, Women's 5 K, or the final Ridder Race), or enjoying the off the trails meals and events, we formed strong friendships/connections with those in our SFL group. A few SFL group special moments included the selection and performance of Andres (Gonzalez) at the talent show who kept the audience spellbound with his song and guitar, Dawn (Brock) providing our group with a special piano concert, Bjorg (Dunlop) and Gunvor (Satra) showing us how to hide-a-bed and turn a hotel suite into a reception room, and our heartfelt cheering for Charlie (Wirth) as he collected a few medals while sharing handshakes with Norwegian skier, Harald Vik.
It was turnabout hosting by Norwegians who have attended Ski for Light and a chance for us to experience their culture in their homeland. Meal conversations with old and new Norwegian friends were meaningful and touring the many museums and historical buildings in Oslo made a nice opportunity for Jerry to feel the roots of his ancestors. New friendships were created, and after our return back to the USA, E-mails began flying back and forth across the big pond.
The hospitality of the Ridderrenn staff, the hotel staff, the Kings Guard men and women (transportation, luggage handling, trail grooming, ski waxing, first aid stations, food stations along the trails, and biathlon training) was great. I never thought I would like hot lemonade when dripping with sweat as we skied into their trailside aid station, but it tasted sooooo good. The youth from the United World College who assisted with the meal buffet lines added a special multi-cultural perk to each meal. Speaking of meals, after all the amazing and wonderful choices of hot or cold food AND a huge dessert bar, it is no wonder that we needed to ski extra kilometers each day to work off all those calories. A first food experience for us was learning about "lompe" (Can you guess??? Hot dogs wrapped in lefse!!)
The ski trails, often three or four lanes tracked, were wonderful; they were long but without any treacherous hills up or down. Those who had attended before shared that the weather was some of the best ever. (No rain, no blizzards, no frostbite temps, little or no klister needed). The vistas were photo ready. Our skier-guide pairings were definitely an experience of enjoying XC skiing "with" a friend and not "for" and making a place for people of all abilities.
Our Ridderweek experience surely became an extension of the SFL mission as it enhanced the quality of our lives and independence for each of us through the common bond of enjoying XC skiing. The Ski for Light motto, "If I can do this, I can do anything" came along in our pockets. We carry forth the SFL legacy of living a healthy and active lifestyle. Find us in Granby in 2015 and we'd love to share more about our experience.
We continue to feel so very honored to have had this opportunity. Thank you Ski for Light!!! "Tusen Takk".
Ski for Light is approaching a real milestone with the upcoming 40th annual week, and it's clear that we have accomplished a great deal, not only for ourselves as an organization and our constituent family of skiers, guides and helpers, but also for the worlds of recreation, sport and the community of people with disabilities. Yet events in New York City in mid-July showed us just how far there is still to go, how much ignorance remains to be erased and how valuable is what we have so far achieved. What follows is an article that ran on a popular New York City news website www.dnainfo.com on July 17. The article includes quotes from SFLer Eliza Cooper, who is training hard for her half-Iron Man Triathlon and saw this event as a key step in her preparation. I have no doubt that despite this particular event, she will compete and complete her race successfully and with honor. I am including it here to remind us all that what seems so readily available to us now - the ability to ski - has been hard fought and was not always there. We should be proud of what we have achieved at Ski for Light over the past four decades, but let's not stop now. There's more to do.
- Peter Slatin
By Gustavo Solis
Six triathlon athletes looking to participate in this weekend's Brooklyn Bridge Swim were told it's not safe for them because of their disabilities, despite the fact that they've previously participated in more difficult events, according to Kathleen Bateman, the team's coach. A team of disabled athletes looking to participate in this weekend's swim race across the East River say organizers are shutting them out - ordering them to sign an extra safety waiver and pay extra fees if they want to participate.
Six athletes with Achilles International's para-triathlon team - which helps athletes with disabilities prepare for races including the NYC marathon, the Boston marathon, and even the half-Ironman competition - were told they can't participate in NYC Swim's Brooklyn Bridge Swim on Sunday unless they meet a host of additional requirements that none of the other 300 swimmers are being asked to do, according to the athletes. "That's the definition of discrimination," said Kathleen Bateman, the coach of Achilles International's para-triathlon team, who has been training her team for the 1 kilometer swim from the Manhattan coast of the East River to the Brooklyn side.
NYC Swim director Morty Berger defended his decision to add requirements to the disabled athletes that the able-bodied athletes aren't required to meet, saying he looked at this year's competition and decided disabled athletes had to manage "unsafe conditions." "I'm concerned about their ability to get in and out of the water," said Berger, who said construction around the South Street Seaport and Brooklyn Bridge Park means the event must take place at low tide, which creates more challenging conditions, he said. For the first time this year, swimmers will have to start the race by jumping off a water taxi docked on the Manhattan side and end the race by climbing onto an "uneven" exit at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, he said. "There is no stairway. We have people helping swimmers get out of the water," Berger explained. "I am the lifeguard and I have to make the calls as it relates to safety." He added that his competition has a "really long and rich history of working for people with disabilities." "Three weeks ago they had a swimmer with one leg at an event," he said.
However, Achilles coach Bateman said Berger initially told her the swimmers would not be permitted to compete under any circumstances, but he later changed his mind, rolling out the current list of requirements, she said. Most athletes only need to sign an insurance waiver to participate, but Berger asked Achilles to ensure that its swimmers were covered under Achilles' policy. The requirements also called for Achilles to spend $700 on boats dedicated to trailing disabled athletes in case they need help. Bateman rejected the additional demands because no other athletes were required to make their own safety arrangements, she said.
"NYC Swim [the organization that runs the event] said it was unsafe," said Bateman. "I told them if it was unsafe for my athletes, it was unsafe for everyone else." Bateman said Achilles' para-triathletes have already proven their mettle - including some who have run half Ironman races, which have a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. By comparison, the Brooklyn Bridge Swim is only 1 kilometer, or .62 miles. The athletes say this is typical of the treatment they battle regularly.
"Would any other minority group feel right if they were told that they had to pay extra and do things beyond the requirements that other groups didn't have to do?" said Eliza Cooper, 28, of South Slope, who is blind. "We do not need extra boats or extra help, and I do not think it is right that our participation hinges on these newly instituted requirements, which are targeted specifically at us." Cooper has run six triathlons and is currently training for her first half Ironman. Swimming in an open water race is an important part of training for that race, she said. Based on her previous times, Cooper and her coach believe she would have a strong chance of winning an award at the Brooklyn Bridge Swim. While she accepts that swimming in a tidal estuary presents a different set of safety challenges, she said that other competitors are given the option to sign a waiver and make that judgment for themselves. "It's especially unfair when they don't know how hard they've trained or how much of their heart and soul go into it," she said. "We always find a way to do things, that's how our team works... for someone to say no, it's really disheartening."
Berger said all athletes who sign up for the race need to meet strict requirements to ensure they are fit enough to complete the challenge - including proof they've raced in another NYC Swim event or documentation showing they've completed distance swims in the last two years. Bateman said all of her athletes would have cleared that hurdle, if they'd been allowed to register.
Still, Berger said, he's just trying to keep people safe. "It's my responsibility to create a safe environment," he said. "It's not in my interest to have easier requirements. I would make more money, but I'm not going to do that. "It's like someone saying, 'I want to go swimming when there's lightning out,'" he said. "They are [so] used to people discriminating that any time someone says 'No' to them it's discriminating them," Berger added of the Achilles athletes. "Just because someone says no, does not make them evil or that they are discriminating. There have been too many preventable drownings in our area this summer. We do not need to have any more. "Do you knowingly allow people to do something you feel in your heart is unsafe? What is the right answer?"
Website: www.bhsfl.org
2015 Winter Program
January 26 - 29, 2015
This will be the 36th annual Black Hills Regional Ski for Light event. Ski daily at Terry Peak Ski Area and Wharf Resources Area. Both Alpine and Nordic skiing are offered to the blind, visually impaired, and physically challenged. All skill levels are welcome. Lodging is in Deadwood, South Dakota. Evening activities are centered in this historic western town. Transportation is provided between the ski venue and Deadwood. The cost of the event is $200 which includes a banquet ticket. For additional information see the website.
Website: www.cosfl.org
There will be a three day event from January 23 - 25, 2015. Additional information will be posted on the website soon.
Website: www.msfl.org
Their 2015 MSFL event will be held at the Ralph MacMullen Conference Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon, MI on January 16-18, 2015. See website for more details.
Website: www.trollstegan.com/sflmt/
The 2015 Winter Program will be March 8 - 12, 2015 in West Yellowstone, Montana. Lodging will be at the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn. See website for more details.
Website: www.nersfl.org
There will be two winter trips in 2015.
The first will be January 9 - 12, 2015 at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. The cost will be similar to last year's, which was $275 prior to December 1 and $295 thereafter.
Ski right from the lodge. Great food! Trip includes three nights lodging double occupancy. There will be opportunities for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. This trip fills fast, so register early!
The date of the second trip has not been set, but it will be at the Bretton Woods Nordic Center, in Bretton Woods, NH or the Bear Notch Ski Touring, in Bartlett, NH, with lodging at the Wayside Inn in Bethlehem, NH. Last year's cost was $180 prior to January 30, 2015 and $200 thereafter.
This location offers double rooms overlooking the Ammonoosuc River and features meals prepared by the award winning chef/owner. Bretton Woods and Bear Notch offer all levels of cross country skiing.
Website: www.nepasfl-sfh.org
The long-term site for their winter event, the Land of the Viking lodge, has closed, but they are looking for other venues. Keep an eye on their website.
Besides their regular six 1-day trips, Puget Sound will have its first several-day trip in early March. However, since they are new at this, they are limiting that trip to their own members this year.
The 1-day trips are: January 10 and 17, February 7 and 21, and March 7 and 21.
The multi-day trip is March 1 to 5 in Winthrop, WA in the Methow Valley (SFLPS Members only)
For more information contact Deng Kong at DKong@seattlelh.org
Website: www.srsfl.org
All events are scheduled to take place at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center in Truckee, CA
Ski Guide Training
Sunday January 25, 2015
On the snow training. Contact Edie Lott, Guide Coordinator
Phone (530) 582-5362 or e-mail TheLotts@gmail.com
or Vicki Post, Guide Training
Coordinator
Phone (415) 928-2711 or E-mail VickiPost@earthlink.net
Single Days for Children And Adults
Saturday, January 24, Saturday February 7 and Saturday March 21, 2015
Contact Betsy Rowell
Phone (916) 362-5557 or E-mail Betsy.Rowell2@gmail.com
23rd Annual 3-Day Ski Event
February 28 - March 2, 2015
Contact Cindy Quintana, skier coordinator
Phone (510) 483-2948 or E-mail cindyq12345@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.wiskiforlight.org
No information on their events for this coming winter, but keep an eye on their website.
Website: www.ridderrennet.no
52nd Annual Event
March 8 - 15, 2015
Beitostolen, Norway
Contact: Marion Elmquist
Phone (515) 279-3681 or E-mail mlelmquist@gmail.com
Website: www.skiforlightcanada.com/
Their 36th annual event will be Monday February 9 - Sunday February 15, 2015 in Kanloops, British Columbia.
See website for details.
Contact: Barry Nelson, President
Phone (604) 463-8777 or E-mail barrynel@telus.net
Website: www.sflj.org
Contact: Toshiaki Aomatsu
Email: info@sflj.org
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 * Blue Ridge Chair Works * Camelbak * Clif Bar * Columbia * Crazy Creek * Cross Country Skier Magazine * Dansko * Eagle Creek * Darn Tough Socks * Fox River Mills * Honey Stinger * Hydro Flask * Kuhl * Leki * Live Eyewear * Olly Dog * Patagonia * PeakWaggers * Peppers Polarized Eyewear * Petmate * Ruffwear * Sierra Designs * SportHill * Toko US
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 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 Fall 2014 Bulletin is September 15, 2014. We look forward to hearing from you.
Ski for Light, Inc. is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
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