A celebration of human spirit

Anyone who has been involved in the sport of cross country skiing for any length of time has likely heard the term “sisu.”

A term of Finnish origin pronounced “see-soo”, it’s an all-encompassing word that embodies grit, perseverance, the ability to stay calm in the face of adversity, to adapt and overcome. All of these traits have come in handy more than a time or two for anyone who has skied long enough. 

In that vein, when a national ski tour came to Rhinelander for the first time last week — right in the midst of one of our warmest winters on record — the group hardly wavered.

For most of them a lack of snow was, by comparison, nothing more than a bump in the road.

Ski for Light, a week-long excursion for visually- and/or mobility-impaired skiers, held its 49th annual event last week. While Mother Nature eventually won out and ended the skiing portion of the week after only a couple of days, it did little to dampen the spirits of those who traveled from around the country, and even the world, to gather for a week of camaraderie and empowerment. 

“Once you get here, you realize the skiing is just a fraction of what happens here,” said Julie Coppens, president of Ski for Light, who has served as a guide for the group’s ski missions for 25 years. “There’s so much more. It’s so deep and so human and beautiful.”

“I’m fortunate I can still see. It’s a way for me to give back,” he said. “People have been asking me how can I keep smiling. How can I not be smiling? Look at this. They’re just having a great time here.” 

Groups of visually-impaired skiers and their guides prepare to set out onto the Northwoods Nordic Ski Trails in Rhinelander during the 49th annual Ski for Light event Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. The event attracted scores of skiers from around the country, as well as a few international participants.
(Photo by Jeremy Mayo/River News)Given the Northwoods’ rich cross-country skiing heritage and that Ski for Light had been held in Wisconsin four times before — twice in Green Bay and twice in Cable — Evelo thought surely he would run into somebody he knew when he made his maiden voyage to Ski for Light.

“It was kind of disappointing in that there was nobody within 100 miles of Rhinelander there,” said Evelo, who served as the chairperson for this year’s event. “I left with a commitment to change that, to introduce Ski For Light to this area. I only found one person that even knew about Ski For Light here. I knew that had to be changed.”

“He has made it his mission to get us here,” Coppens said. “That has meant seeding the local community with news about Ski for Light, generating interest, telling people our story … We knew coming here we would have a ton of local support.”

The origins of Ski for Light can be traced back to Norway in the 1950s, where the concept of teaching blind people to ski originated. By using the classic technique, in which participants glide along ski-width sized tracks that are set into the trail, it allows the visually impaired a chance to ski without physically being guided by another person.

“We do have guides, but we’re actually skiing,” said participant Monty Lilburn, who came from Vancouver, British Columbia, to participate in his fifth Ski for Light. “There are not a lot of activities that we do where we’re not hanging on to somebody’s elbow. It’s totally free. I think people find that independent sense of adventure.”

By the 1960s, blind Norwegian musician Erling Stordahl had founded the Ridderrenn, an event for visually-impaired skiers in his homeland. That tradition came to U.S. in 1975 through ski instructor and Norwegian immigrant Olav Pederson, and thus Ski for Light was born. 

From its start in Frisco, Colo., the event has moved all over the northern half of the country — from Vermont, New York and New Hampshire to Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota, to Washington, Montana and Alaska. 

The Rhinelander event marked the group’s second year back to holding in-person tours after having virtual events in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We move the event around from year-to-year and that’s by design,” Coppens said. “We want the world to know this is happening. We want to make new friends wherever we go.”

A non-profit organization with an all-volunteer staff, Coppens said the group relies on donations and local volunteers to make the event possible. As Evelo worked to bring the event to Rhinelander, he leaned on the Northwoods Nordic Ski Club, and area businesses and organizations for support. 

That was plenty of support to be had. Evelo credited the valiant fight put forth by the ski club’s groomers against an ever-melting base. Meanwhile area businesses and organizations welcomed the group with open arms. During the week, participants learned about Rhinelander’s mythical hodag mascot, took part in a spin class at the YMCA of the Northwoods along with a game night Thursday evening in the Hodag Dome. Other activities throughout the week included audio-described films, bowling, guided outdoor hikes and much more.

“All the community, they have gone above and beyond for us — more so than we’ve seen than any other local group that I can remember in my 25 years,” Coppens said.

Though Mother Nature canceled the 5K/10K ski race that was supposed to end the event on Saturday, participants and their guides alike got plenty out of the week. 

“You know what, we’re all blind, so you could just tell us there’s four feet of snow everywhere, we wouldn’t know the difference,” Lilburn quipped, “I know that the snow hasn’t been plentiful here, but we’ve squeezed every last drop out of it. We’ve used it.”

“I’m always amazed at what anyone with a disability can accomplish if their heart is in it,” said Sue Teclaw of Rhinelander, a longtime ski enthusiast who volunteered as a guide for the week. “These are phenomenal athletes. They are always ready to give it a go and I’ve called it, in a little bit of a pun, it’s an eye-opener.”

Teclaw was paired with one of the trip’s most distant travelers, Joanne Turnbull, who flew in from the United Kingdom to take part in her third Ski for Light event.

“It’s just coming to ski, but getting to areas of America that maybe we wouldn’t get to as a visually-impaired person. You wouldn’t be able to get out and do these different things,” she said. “I’ve heard of the frozen Midwest, but it’s not. But it’s good to get outside and give it a try. If we can’t ski, it’s a shame, but Sue’s been great taking us on local walks.”

Lilburn said, for the participants, the social aspects of the week are just as important as the group’s time on snow.

“It’s about the skiing and the being active, being in the outdoors, but there’s also a social component,” he said. “I think we can show each other and everybody else sort of what’s possible and what we can do.”

It also serves as a useful dose of perspective for those who volunteer.

“One week a year, I’m with people who can do. This is a culture of possibility, a culture of cooperation,” Coppens said. “It reminds me that I have no excuse at all not to get to the gym and to make the most of my physical gifts such that they are. And I have no excuse to not reach out and help others. It’s a mental mindset reset every single year.” 

“That’s what brings you back and drives you to do this,” Evelo added. “You just see the confidence building in the skiers throughout the course of the week. They’re able to take that hill with more confidence and take that turn.”

“I ski the (American) Birkebeiner every year,” Evelo said, referencing the prestigious ski race from Cable to Hayward held every February. “That’s an accomplishment. You can’t take that away for people that are accomplished, skiing the Birkebeiner. But that’s a self-serving goal. This is an outward goal.”

Even as the event moves on from Rhinelander, Coppens said there are plenty of ways for area residents to help — either monetarily or as a volunteer — as preparations are already underway for the 50th Ski for Light, set to take place next winter in Provo, Utah. 

“We’ve got all kinds of jobs for folks who just want to contribute,” she said.

More information about Ski for Light can be found on the organization’s website, www.SFL.org.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].