Ridderrennet is the world’s largest annual winter sports week for people who are visually impaired or disabled, and is the program upon which Ski for Light, Inc., is modeled. Erling Stordahl started the first Ridderrenn in 1964 with 57 participants, and it was only for blind skiers. Today, there is a full week of skiing activities and competitions for all classes of visually and mobility impaired athletes.
Each year, over 450 disabled skiers from many countries participating in different competitions at Beitostølen, Norway. In 2025, several members from NESFL attended the Ridderrenn.
From Jessie Mabry:
“My trip to Norway offered many exciting opportunities for me to step out of my comfort zone, starting with my first international flights alone. My favorite moments included excursions to some breathtaking mountaintop ski trails that opened to Ridderweek participants for the first time in decades; the honor of singing in Norwegian with inimitable SFL president Julie Coppens as the only U.S. act in the event’s talent show; and an incredibly detailed, moving tour of the Norwegian Resistance Museum in Oslo. More than the outstanding food, the convergence of so many cultures, and racing with hundreds of people, what I’ll always remember is the quality time I spent with our American delegation sharing stories, laughs, and challenges as we created new friendships and deepened existing ones.”