Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series: Vasu Sojitra - Reclaiming Disability in the Outdoors

Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community. With over 4,000 attendees annually, the 15-year-old Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series (WSS) has become the premier North American forum for adventure storytelling.

Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation and inspiration. Every show is free. This season, due to the global pandemic, all shows are virtual and will livestream to you at home.

Raffle and bar proceeds in conjunction with anonymous donations, raise more than $50,000 per show for local non-profit organizations. To date, WSS has raised over $500,000, making a tangible difference in North Lake Tahoe and beyond. The much loved raffle will take place virtually this year with tickets for sale upon registration and winners announced during the livestream show.

Reclaiming Disability in the Outdoors: What Does Ninjasticking Really Mean?

For 28 years, Vasu Sojitra has navigated life with one leg, an amputation that occurred  when he was only nine months old. Now 29, Vasu is one of the top adaptive athletes and backcountry skiers in the world, and is known for putting down First Disabled Descents (FDDs). However, that’s not where he stops. His true passion lies in making the outdoors accessible to all. He has coined his approach to backcountry skiing as “ninjasticking,” and uses this to bring intersectionality to the outdoor space. Sojitra’s show will look at this intersectionality in-depth, and how reclaiming and breaking down stigmas that come with a Disability can change how transformation of outdoor spaces are viewed, welcomed and celebrated.

The 2020-2021 Virtual Winter Speaker Series is livestreaming to you at home. All shows are free of charge and all ages are welcome. The much loved and anticipated in-person raffle will take place this year in a virtual capacity with tickets available for purchase at online registration and winners announced in real-time during the show.

Proceeds from Vasu Sojitra’s show will benefit the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science. The Donor Party, the anonymous philanthropic arm of the Winter Speaker Series, will supplement the funds raised via the raffle.

Tahoe Institute for Natural Science engages in multiple science, education, and outreach programs to promote greater appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of the natural resources of the Tahoe region, With a long-term goal of bringing a world-class interpretive nature center and educational facility to the Tahoe area.