The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-04-21
A NoRWEeIAn SPORT.
The National Pastime of the Sturdy
Norseman is ski"

NOTSem8U is 0A1.
"Ski" running is to the Norwegi-
an what base-ball is to the Ameri-
can, or cricket to the Briton-the
national sport. 1t is also something
more; it is necessary and practi-
cal mode of locomotion, as is skat-
ing to the Dutchman, and snow
shoeing to the denizen of the Can
adas. Broken by hills, and crossed
by valleys, the Norwegian father
land when wrapped in its winter
mantel of deep snow presents diff
culties to travellers requiring extra
ordinary means to surmount. Heav-
lily drifted, the roads become we'll
nigh impossible to horses for long
periods, and then the only means
of communication from rm-house
to house and hamlet to hamlet
is pedestrian. In this strait the
sturdy Norseman binds upon his
legs his long fleet skis" and flies
easily and gracefully over the drifts
and shoots like lightning down the
hills and steep mountain sides, and
out of stern necessity has learned
to draw vigorous amusement.
The history of the "ski' is the his
tory of the wonderful people who
use it as birthright. Morse my
thology is full of it, and some OF
the most stirring passages in Nor
wegian history draw their romance
from the bold and daring feats of
hardy "ski" runners.
The "ski," pronounced softly and
defantly "she," !" familiar and dear to
the runner as his sweetheart often
times, is long and narrow strip OF
wood, often pine, better Of hard
wood, made with curling nose to
override the snow, and bearing near
it's center a strap and rest for the
foot of the rider or runner. The
length varies according to the
strength of the runner and the pur.
pose of the "ski," seldom exceed
ing ten feet, however. For noun
tain and dense forest travelling they
are made shorter and for military
maneuvres, when worn by soldiers
are of unequal length to facilitate
turning readily. Generally they
present only the wooden surface tt
the snow, but sometimes, especially
when designed for travel where
many hills are to be assembled, theil
bottoms are covered with deer hide
the hair pointing backward, anc
acting as a secure anchor agains1
retrogression. They solve the prob
lem of walking on the snow on the
same principle as the more clumsy
and slower plated snowshoe famil
lar in American forests, by dividing
the weight of the wearer over ;
| large surface. The American snow
shoe is also in use in Norway, bu
as was remarked by ar expert run
ner, ''it is too slow for men, and w
give it to old women and put it OF
horses"
The feats Of speed and dexterit.
performed on their skis" by exper
runners are wonderful. On leve
surface they move as fast as goo'
horse, but it is coming down hll
that they show so plainly thei
mettle. Curving gracefully owe
the crest, as the slope grows steepe
they gather speed like lightnin,
until, with full headway, they shoe
through the air with the speed of
railroad train, fairly taking ava.
the breath of the daring runne
with the rapid motion. A wei
authenticated account is current il
Norway that one Finnish woman
very expert runner, one day trie'
! the descent of a peculiarly stee
mountain side, and attained sue
fearful speed that when those VIII
awaited her at the end Of her bird
like flight received her, she too
bolt upright on her skis, ,"deae
| the breath literally ravished fror
her lips by her rapid descent. Tn
HOP" is the most difficult and dar
gerous of the many feats of tn
aski" runner. In descending hill
, broken spots and small precipice
are often met with, and over thes
the careful and the timid runner
simply slide, but expert and vel
t turesome runners augment tt
5 danger and the excitement at tt
: same time by leaping into the a
f just at the verge of the cliff, lane
! ing far beyond the point where II
e sliding runner would alight. !
t the races and games with the skis
: a ''hop' is generally made by buil'
, ing up cliff with snow at son
0 convenient point of the declevit
| and this is made high according
t the skill and daring of the runner