The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-05-07
SKILORNlNG IN rlORWAY.
An Exciting Sport In Which the Norwe-
gians Excel.


gians Excel.
The jumping is the thing. The
jumping is awe inspiring. There is
literally nothing Norwegian can
not do on ski. And even to an
English novice it is one of the most
exciting sports imaginable. What
could be more fascinating than the
tearing descent of mountain ON
ski, the roads sparkling in the suns
rays or dimly lighted by burning
torch?
The chosen spot for the jumping
competition was a very steep hill,
rising from a little lake near Frog
nersaetern. The lake was frozen SO
solid it made an excellent stand for
the spectators, and on it, horseshoe
fashion, were arranged wooden plat
forms to accommodate the represent
atives of the university and their
friends, the members of the various
large clubs and representatives of
the big institutions of the town, or
for the accommodation of private
individuals who cared to pay for a
seat. Behind these platforms were
the sledges, and between the sledges
and the platform were hillooks of
snow, arranged on purpose to &C
commodate the ski. Here they were
stacked in hundreds and formed a
regular wooden paling round the en-
tire Enclosure. How any man ever
found his own among that multitude
will ever remain a mystery to an
English mind. But in spite of that
vast concourse the icebound lake
never even groaned or cracked.
Half way up the hill track. which,
of course, was treeless, and which,
like the rest of Norway, was covered
with some eight or ten feet of snow,
was raised platform about IL feet
high, perhaps, round the sides of
which was draped the Norwegian
flag, although it's top was thickly
embedded in snow like the rest of
the course. The competitors were
divided into two lots, above and be-
low the age of 20. They wore the
usual thick gray ski dress -double
breasted, with tight knickerbockers
and a WOODEN cap, the brim of which
was turned down over the ears to
protect the wearer from frostbite.
The thick wooden gloves were with
out any fingers, for warmth, merely
thumb. and made so long and
stockinglike that they pulled right
up over the sleeve.
The entire descent, about 400 feet,
was very steep. No. /, who wore O
large placard upon his breast, de-
noting his number on the pro-
gramme, appeared at a given sign
on the little plateau at the hilltop.
The word to start was given. He
slipped over the plateau, and at tre-
mendous speed, in consequence of
the steep descent, rushed down the
mountain track. On, on, on, he
came, his arms stretched out in the
air for balance. On to the little plat
form he wildly rushed, and then,
STOPPING his body, with one huge
spring, his legs doubled up, and,
wildly whrling his arms in the air
like windmill, he jumped to
what looked to us, sitting below
the arms of death. For q moment
he was in midair, those great plank
like ski fastened to his feet. 1t did
not seem possible that he could live
through such a moment. The excite
ment was tremendous. Would he
fall and kill himself? Would he be
hurt by his ski? Would he tumble
on his head and lose consciousness?
But, no; he absolutely landed on his
feet and calmly slid down the hill
side as quietly and happily as if he
were merely going for a walk
Strand Magazine.