This article originally appeared in the Rocky Mountain News, 25 December 2007

Skiing the world

On melanoma-awareness mission, 10-year-old aims to be youngest to carve turns on all seven continents

Deb Acord, Special to the Rocky

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Ken and Cindi White and their daughter, Victoria, aren't home for the holidays this year. Instead, they opted for the ultimate ski trip.

This week, the Whites are on a cruise ship bound for Antarctica. When they near the southernmost continent, they'll board a rubber raft with their skis and take a few turns on the snow- and ice-covered terrain.

It's one of the final legs of a trek that's taken them from Zermatt, Switzerland, to Falls Creek, Australia; from Marrakech, Morocco, to Antarctica.

For the past 10 months, Ken White and daughter Victoria, who turns 10 years old today, have been traveling to mountains around the world, clipping into their ski bindings and heading downhill for what White calls an "epic quest."

The Whites have a goal: They want to see Victoria become the youngest person to ski on all seven continents.

In February 2005, a 12-year-old boy was recognized as the youngest person to ski the world. Timothy Turner-Hayes' feat earned him a place in Guinness World Records. But he took his time, completing the challenge in nine years. White thought Victoria could pull it off in a year.

It was a hefty challenge, one that would require skill, luck and perseverance - qualities that had served Ken White well since he was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma in 2003. White has battled the cancer for four years, enduring chemotherapy, remission, a recurrence last year and remission again.

In that time, he says, he's learned to appreciate his family and the things they love.

"I've learned to live with cancer. It can follow you your whole life and come back with a vengeance. I want to educate people about melanoma and live the best life for Victoria at the same time," he says. "We've tried hard to keep a kind of normalcy for Victoria's sake through this whole thing."

Normalcy for the White family includes frequent travel.

"I've always traveled a lot," says White, a simulation technician for United Airlines. "My wife had never left the West before I met her, but as a family, we are world travelers."

So White decided to take on melanoma on seven continents, using the travel and Victoria's quest for the record to spread information and raise money for research.

He set up a Web site, mountainsformelanoma.com, where he records their adventures on a blog. Money raised will be donated to the University of Colorado Hospital Melanoma Research Clinic, where White was treated.

"They have been so supportive there," he says. "We wanted to show our support to them, too."

Victoria's classmates at Legacy Academy, in Elizabeth, are also behind the family.

The blond fourth-grader with a bright smile is the envy of her teachers and classmates, says Annie Stanley, who works at the school and knows the White family well.

"Victoria was excited, and the other students are excited, too. They all wish they could do something like that," Stanley said.

She calls Victoria "a feisty little thing who is really smart."

Victoria laughs when she remembers how her dad asked her what she thought about skiing around the world. "I thought, 'Wow, cool.' But I was kind of, like, wondering if he was kidding."

When her dad told her he wanted to use their trips to raise awareness of and money for melanoma, Victoria says, she knew he was serious.

White has planned each leg of their trip separately to take advantage of ski seasons, flights and available accommodations. Sometimes, it's just father and daughter; Cindi joins the family when she can.

White says Victoria has handled the challenges of travel well and doesn't worry about the unknown ski slopes she's had to conquer.

"We go slow when we have to," he says.

Victoria has skied for several years with her dad, and while she isn't an expert, she's comfortable on blue and green slopes, even the rocky terrain in Morocco, where the only ski resort had closed for the season when they got there.

Her favorite ski days so far? "The ones where Mom came with us."

Father and daughter have already checked off four continents: Europe (Zermatt), Africa (Marrakech), South America (Portillo, Chile) and Australia. After Antarctica, only Asia and North America remain.

Victoria's mom joined her family in Australia and Chile and is with them this month as they travel to Antarctica. After that, father and daughter will fly to Nepal, where they're hoping to secure a heli-skiing trip. Their last ski day will be in Winter Park,where Victoria learned to ski.

Around the world with Victoria White

Skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn? Stuck in the airport in Qatar? Victoria White takes it all in stride. Here are some of her thoughts on her travels:

Falls Creek, Australia

In Victoria state, 220 miles from Melbourne, this resort is open to skiers from June-October.

Victoria: "The best part? My mom came. The skiing was actually really bumpy, but there were tropical birds in all the trees. There were no cars in the village - you got around by skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or riding in a Snowcat."

Portillo, Chile

In the Andes Mountains, it's known for its untracked powder.

Victoria: "It was really steep. And the road to get there was amazing with 19 switchbacks. The hotel was yellow and very fancy."

Marrakesh, Morocco

In the 10,000-foot-high Atlas Mountains, there's a ski resort, Oukaimeden, but it was closed. Still, the Whites reached the rock-studded slopes and even got a donkey ride.

Victoria: "We tried to find a snake charmer, but we couldn't. There were lots of camels. When we got to where we were going to ski, it was about a 40-degree slope."

Nepal

Plans are being finalized, but the Whites have a connection that they hope will result in a heli-ski trip.

Victoria: "I've never been there. But I have been to Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and we camped on the beach in Hawaii."

Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt is best known for the Matterhorn. The Whites arrived on a foggy day, and the Matterhorn wasn't visible.

Victoria: "I liked it. It wasn't really hard to ski, but the language was hard. And we had cheese fondue. That was cool."

Antarctica

The Whites took the Marco Polo cruise ship, which left Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 13. They anticipated stepping ashore in Antarctica this week, depending on the weather.

Victoria: "My mom is going on this trip with us. We will go to shore on little rubber rafts and then ski."

Winter Park

The Whites hope to be there in time for the Spring Splash.

Victoria: "If we don't make it, we'll have to go next year."

- Deb Acord