The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-27
NORWEGIAN SKI RUNNING.
A Faster Mode of Locomotion Than
Indian Snowshoeing.

DR.. Frithjof Nanscn in Land and Water
1t is very difficult task to explain
to one who has never seen ski or ski
running what it really means. Ski are
really very simple instruments. They
consist of two long narrow strips of
wood pointed and curved upward in
front. In Norway the ski are generally
about seven or eight feet in length
and from three to four inches in
breadth. At the center under the foot
they will be about an inch thick or a
little more beveling off to about
quarter of an inch at either end The
under surface is fiat, often with
groove along the middle, and is made
as smooth as possible. They are fas-
tened to the feet by loop for the toe,
fixed near the center of the ski, and a
band which passes from this round be-
hind the heel of the shoe and which
can be tied very tight.
! remember an incident which hap
pened to an acquaintance of mine in
America many years ago. He was an
engineer and was surveying for rail-
way far west on the prairies. The win
ter had set in and deep snow had COW
cred the fields. Being a Skillful ski
runner, he made himself a pair of ski.
The same day he had been out trying
these for the first time group of In
dianS came upon track consisting of
two parallel grooves or furrOWS in the
SNOW, and, having never seen SINH
lar track before, they followed 1t up
to make out what kind of an animal
it might originate from. They followed
the track straight to the door of the
| Norwegian's cottage, where they saw
| two strips of wood leaning against the
wall. They measured the track and
they measured these wooden things
and found that they were of exactly
| the same breadth.
And now followed a very close in
| Vestigation of these marvellous crea-
| tures, which We're carefully measured
! on all sides. When the Norwegian,
as by chance, came out of his cottage
door the natives darted away from the
! ski and looked at something else, pre-
tending not even to have noticed. The
Norwegian showed them, however the
ski and how they We're used. They
wished now to try them, but, using
them as they We're accustomed to dc
their snowshoes, they made slow pro-
gross and found them slippery The
| Norwegian then put them on and pro-
posed 70 race with the Indians and
they were quite willing. But the sur
prise of these swift Indians on theil
light snowshCes, was great when they
discovered that thev were only able
II keen pace with him for few hun
dred yards and then rapidly dropped
behind. even though they We're racing
over their well-known prairies. AT
te;Ward the Norwegian helped then
to make ski, ana Some of the Indians
learned 10 use them tOlerably well, al
though men who are not trained Il
use ski from early Loyhood very sci
dom become skillful ski runners.
The motion employed in skiing ha
no resemblance to that employed il
skating. While they are moved tn
ski are always kept strictly parable
and as close together as possible, ant
should not be lifted from the ground
like Canadian snowshoes. On fla
ground they should constantly be KEEP
gliding over the surface of the snow
while being driven forward by alter
nate strokes from the hips and thighs
and the body is thrown forward 4
each stride. 'Fhe length of the strid
may be increased hy propulsion of tn
staff which the ski runner carries i
his hand, Uphill If the gradient b
steep, the ski runner will have to tao
from side TO side, following a zigza
course, or go sideways, bringing tn
ski almost TO a right angle with tn
slope. But downhill the ski runner OF
ten goes with tremendous speed, an
then it may well be possible that h
could "outstrip birds in flight" TIL
ski now slide readily, and the steepe
the slope the greater the speed. til