The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-31
SHE Is TIE IDOL
OF ALL NORWAY
Freda Knagen Earns the Title
Queen of the Skies"
BY Daring jump She Breaks All
Records in the Favorite Nor
weGian sport.

Miss Freda knagen is the idol oi
Norway. for she has won the champi-
/ onship in skiing. and made n record
far ahead of all her predecessors
/ Christiania has come to be recognized
as the great center for this winter
recreation. and Holmekollen, one OF
the great heights IN the vicinity of the
city, is the skiing headquarters.
The hill used in this pastime looks
So formidable that TO one unacquainted
with tn skill of the Norwegians at
their national sport il would seem as
though its descent must be accompan-
led by the loss of life, OF at least by
the breaking of limbs. At is leo feet
above the level of the lake, which
forms a plain at its base. the slope,
or track. being 1856 yards long, the an
gle of the upper two-tkirds to the
hop" or platform, whence the leap
is made-as will be presently explain
ed-being about fifteen degrees, ana
lower portion twenty FIVE degrees
4 competitor, starting from the top,
slides down the hill on wooden run
ners strapped to the feet, W7th ever
increasing speed, until he reaches the
hop" ON arriving at this platform he
~ on the soft snow, continues the slide,
with the Increased momentum gather
ed from the leap. until he reaches the
plain at the foCt. where he stops his
further progress by making a dexter
Gus turn ana twisting suddenly with
his face to the slope down which he
has descended at such break neck
speed.
Il is in the taking of this leap that
TIE most exciting part of the perform
anCe is exhibited. on which the APP
pause OF the spectators is concentrat-
ed. The greater the leap the more APP
plause and honor for the skier. The
record lean until recently was eighty
seven feet. which was made by a dar
ing youth at one of the Holmekollen
meetings.
This record was beaten, in a man
ner that drove the spectators wild with
enthusiasm, by the Queen of Skiers,
Miss Freda Knagen. a dashing brunette
OF Christiania. who has well won her
royal title. The women have never
been able to come anywhere near her
record leap. and the best jump TO the
credit of a man is so far short Of hers
as 10 make il almost hopeless TO beat
her
Miss Freda Knag gen. when making
her second great jump. came down the
hillside with the speed and grace of
bird on the wing, daI-ted from the plat
form far i'm advance Of the nearest
skier, and to the establishment of the
people Of ChIfstiania. almost every
man. woman and child Of whom had
assembled To witness the sport. Freda
sailed out into space and landed grace
fully on her feet. with a successful
bound of l0Si2 feet to her credit. which
figures stand today as the record jump
OF skiing in this nelghbOrhood.
Some years ago the tremendous leap
Of l20 feet was made, but the record
did not stand. for the reason that the
man who made il. instead of landing on
his feet, as il is necessary for a skier to
do, fell in a heap. badly injured him.
self. and was carried away on a
stretcher. a bruised and groaning ex-
ample Of the dangers of skiing. After
her great feat. Miss KnaCen became
the heroine Of Chtistiania.