The times., 1898-02-01
SHE is THE ID0A
OF Ali NJnHAY
Freda Knagen Earns the Title
Queen ol the Skies"
By Daring Jump She Breaks All
Records iu tie Favorite Nor
we.ian sport

Miss Freda Knagen is the idol OF
| Norway, for she has won the champi-
onship in skiing, and made a 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 the skill of the Norwegians at
their national sport ii would seem as
though it's descent must be accompan-
led by the loss of life, or at least by
the breaking of limbs. 1t Is $50 feet
above the level of the lake, which
forms a plain at its base, the slope,
or track. being 1S6 yards long, the an
gle OF the upper two-thirds TO the
hop" or platform, whence the leap
is made-as VIII be presently explain
ed-being about fifteen degrees. and
lower portion twenty-five degrees.
A competitor, starting from the top.
slides down the hill on wooden run
ners strapped to the feet, with ever
increasing speed, until lie reaches the
hop" on arriving at this platform he
leaps into the air, and, landing skillful-
ly on the soft snow, continues the slide,
with the Increased momentum gather
ed from the leap, until he reaches the
plain at the foot. where he stops his
further progress by making dexter
ous turn and twisting suddenly with
his face to the slope down which he
has descended at such break-necK
speed
1t is in the taking Of this leap that
81, rr n Ia nPrFO1In-
ance is exhibited, on which the ap-
plause OF the spectators is concentrat-
ed. The greater the leap the more ap-
plause and honor for the skier. The
record leap until recently was eighty
seven feet, which was made by dar-
ing youth at one of the Holmekoilen
meetings.
This record was beaten, in 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 man is Sc far short of hers
as to make il almost hopeless to beat
her
Miss Freda Knagen, when making
her second great jump, came down the
hillside with the speed and grace of a
bird on the wing darted from the plat
form far in advance of the nearest
skier, and, to the astonishment of the
people Of Christiania, 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 successful
bound OF 1872 feet to her credit, which
figures stand today as the record jump
of skiing in this neighborhood.
Some years ago the tremendous leap
of 120 feet was made. but the record
did not stand, for the reason that the
man who made It, instead Of landing on
his feet, as II is necessary for a skier to
do, fell in a heap. badly injured HIM
SELF and was carried away on a
stretcher, q bruised and groaning ex-
ample of the dangers of skiing. After
her great feat, Miss Knagen became
the heroine of Christiania-