Black Hills Regional Ski for Light

Who We Are

We are a non-profit, 501 (C)(3), corporation founded in 1978. We are an all volunteer organization. A seventeen member board of directors is responsible for the management of the organization. The board of directors are all from the Rapid City area.

What We Do

Our mission is to promote the physical fitness of blind/visually impaired and mobility impaired individuals by sponsoring active, vigorous outdoor activities. Able bodied individuals join, one on one, with the disabled individuals to pursue these activities. In a unique relaxed atmosphere, the partners share their common interest and experience in the outdoors and learn from each other.

Our premiere event is an annual winter ski program, Ski for Light (SFL), held the latter part of January in the Black Hills. Nordic, cross-country, skiing and Alpine, down-hill, skiing are offered. For an overview of our annual SFL event click on the appropriate link; blind/visually impaired, mobility impaired, guide or volunteer.

We sponsor two summer camping weekend trips. These programs take place in the foothills of the Black Hills. Summer Light is held in July and Bob Marshall Camp takes place in early September. For more information click here.

How We Got Here

In 1978, Ski for Light International held it's annual event at Deer Mountain in the Black Hills. Several local individuals were involved with this event. Afterwards, they decided to organize their own yearly regional program. Thus, the Black Hills Regional Ski for Light was born in January, 1979 when the first event was held at Deer Mountain. Thirty one skiers and thirty one guides attended this cross-country skiing program. Because they had such a positive experience, this small group of enthusiastic guides and skiers began planning to gather together the following year. Cross-country skiing remains, to this day, to be a major part of the Black Hills SFL winter program.

The next year, 1980, down-hill skiing was introduced into the event. Like the Nordic skiing. the down-hill skiing started out small with four participants. From that small start the down-hill skiing component has grown to equal the cross-country segment.

SFL has grown from 62 attendees at the first event to it's current size of over 250 folks participating. People from throughout the United States, from other countries, and from all walks of life come to enjoy the unique camaraderie of SFL.

In 1984 a weekend camping trip at the Augustora Reservoir became the first summer event. This event became known as Summer Light. In 1998 the canoe trip down the Niobrara River joined the summer program. Due to the whims of Mother nature, lack of water, the canoe trip was cancelled in the past few years. The newest summer event to join the summer programs is the Bob Marshall Camp which was first held in 2001.

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