SKI FOR LIGHT INC.
Ski for Light – 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.
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.
Ski for Light, Inc. (SFL) is an all-volunteer,
a nonprofit organization founded in 1975, modeled on a similar program in Beitostolen, Norway. We have year-round offshoots across the country, but our primary endeavor is a week-long international event each winter in which blind and mobility-impaired adults are taught the basics of cross-country skiing. They leave Ski for Light with a sense of accomplishment and motivation that often carries over to the rest of their lives back home.
Each disabled skier is paired for the week with an experienced, sighted cross-country skier who acts as ski instructor and guide. The disabled person skis in tracks or grooves groomed into the snow, while the guide skis in a parallel set of tracks. The guide provides directions and skiing tips gives support and encouragement and describes the countryside. For our mobility-impaired participants, who propel themselves in sit-skis, the guide sometimes lends extra muscle when the pair heads uphill or veers off-track.