Ski for Light
Ski for Light, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1975 that provides opportunities for visually impaired and mobility-impaired people to experience cross-country skiing. It hosts an annual week-long event at various U.S. locations.
Motto
If I can do this, I can do anything!
1975
Year
Cross-country skiing for visually impaired and mobility-impaired people
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Origin and history[edit]
The idea of teaching blind people to cross-country ski began with Erling Stordahl, a blind Norwegian musician, whose efforts led to the creation in 1964 of the Ridderrennet, or "Knights race". Held in Beitostolen, Norway, the Ridderrennet hosts more than 1,000 disabled participants and guides from around the world.[6][7] The idea for Ski for Light, patterned after the Ridderrennet, was brought to the United States in 1975 by Olav Pedersen, who was a ski instructor at the Breckenridge Ski Resort, and by Bjarne Eikevik, the International President of the Sons of Norway.[7]
Organization and governance[edit]
Ski for Light is an all-volunteer organization, guided by a board of directors drawn from the community of disabled skiers and guides who attend the annual event. Its income comes primarily from fees paid by event participants, supplemented by an endowment and fund raising.[2][5] There are nine independent, affiliated organizations across the United States, which share the name, "Ski for Light". They hold smaller events for disabled skiers in California, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, New England, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.[2]