STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Ed Viesturs has climbed all the world’s 26,000-plus-foot peaks, summiting 29,029-foot Mount Everest seven times.
But he’ll have to pencil Idaho’s tallest peak—12,662-foot Mount Borah—in at least twice on his calendar next year.
Viesturs will lead two different parties up the peak next year, fueled with gear and lunch provided by The Elephant’s Perch and Perry’s, after his “Peak Experience” sold for $11,000 twice at Saturday night’s 40th Annual Wild West Game Dinner & Auction.
The lot raised $22,000 for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
Nearly 400 people—397, to be exact—packed into Sun Valley’s Limelight Room to raise money for the Foundation’s 550-plus youngsters participating in the alpine ski racing, snowboard, freestyle and Nordic ski programs this winter.
“We started in 1967 with 27 kids and now we have more than 550,” said Foundation Board President Jim DeWolfe. “Our kids spend more time with the coaches than any other person in this room, including parents. And when they’re finished, this very special group of kids has a nice launch into the world.”
One of those coaches—Rick Kapala—was honored Saturday night for nurturing the valley’s youth for 30 years as the Foundation’s head Nordic coach. Named the top Nordic coach in the United States more than once, he was instrumental in developing not just the cross country ski program but the entire SVSEF program.
“He’s one of the most positive guys I know,” said Community School student Peter Wolter.
Kapala came to the Wood River Valley when “Top Gun” and “Crocodile Dundee” was filling movie screens, The Oprah Winfrey Show was making its debut and Nintendo was all the rage, noted Chris Grover who mentored under Kapala before becoming head coach for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.
He came with a passion for every little aspect of the sport of cross country skiing, not just for the big races, said Assistant Cross Country Coach Kelley Sinnott. And to those who had just had the worst ski race of their life, he had the memorable rejoinder: “There’s nothing wrong with your time or technology that a thousand kilometers can’t fix.”
Kapala said he knew only a few people, including The Elephant’s Perch’s Bob Rosso and Liza Wilson, when he came here. But he immediately felt embraced by the entire community—a community that has continued to figure into the success of the team and the lives of the youth on that team.
“What we’ve done can’t be accomplished without a team effort,” he said.
Nearly all the auction lots—including a sauna courtesy of Vyykn, a helicopter tour over Seattle courtesy of Charlie Conner and Anne Simpson and tickets to Chihuly Garden and Glass courtesy of Leslie and Dale Chihuly—went for more than their stated value.
And the Paddle Up raised about $150,000, with two people pledging $25,000 each, five pledging $10,000 each and 11 pledging $5,000.
Jonathan Neeley offered to match all the $250 pledges, and the last person raising their paddle got a Magnum of wine, or what the auctioneer called “a party in a bottle.”
“Out of all the fundraisers we have, this is my favorite,” said Snowboard Coach Andy Gilbert. “It gets people excited about what will be right at the beginning of the year.”
Carey Molter said the Foundation has done more for her children, including her son Leo, than anything else in the valley.
“It makes them good team players,” she said.
“My boys—Ben and Joe—got to learn to ski and now they get to ski a lot. And they love it,” said Jennifer Goitiandia. “I’m hoping that maybe they’ll even get to ski in college.”