Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-20
Skiing IN SWITZERLAND
1t is One of the Most B1hilarating of Winter
Pastimes
Some Useful Hints for the Regimen
Not an Easy Accomplish
ment to Learn.
From Travel.

Skiing is one Of the Writer sports whici,
the English patronize when they come out
TO Switzerland for the Christmas holidays.
The ski are. / believe. a Norwegian invcn-
ton TO enable a walker TO make swift and
easy progress over snow Slopes but are
suitable for use in any hilly country which
is habitually covered with snow for some
months in each year. 4 ski (Which is pro-
nounced like the feminine persona, prnnoun
she) is long. thin plank curved upward
at the from end. which also tapers to a
point. and in the center are tackle and
straps for fastening il TO the foot
When a beginner puts on ski for the first
time. it will probably appear to him that no
ccntrivance more ill-adarted for the pur-
pose of walking could possibly have been
invented. The first difficulty is this that
nasmuch as in ordinary walking We point
our toes slightly outward. this attitude of
the feet causes rs to cross the heels Of our
Ski at every step-for instance, a step for
ward with the left foot generally leaves tho
left ski heel or end across the end of the
right ski heel, that the right foot. when
it tries To move. finds itself held down tight
by the pressure of the left: the left must
again be lifted and put down exactly paral-
lei with the right before the latter can bs
moved. This is the first difficulty: the feet
must be moved on parallel lines, and not on
lines which intersect.
Movement of the Feet.
Secondly, the natural action of lifting the
feet in walking is rot right either for walk
ing up or sliding down a slope. In the first
CO Sc the feet are shUffied slid briskly
forward alternately. and if the slope is
steep, it must be attacked zgzag fashion.
as otherwise the beginner slips unwilliugIy
and alarmingly backward down the slope.
1t will readily he imagined that the turn for
the next zigzag is rather a difficult and
tpniOuS aCFDmDliSh. and REQUIRES
some patience from the impetuOus begin
ner 1t might naturally be asked, Why not
walk your natural feet and carry or
drag the ski behind you for Use on the de-
scent? and this may very well be done IL
there is path and if the snow is not deep.
but the beginner should become little
used to the Vagaries of his ski before he
tries descending or them, or his chances Of
success will be much diminished.
And now come to the chief point
and the fun of ski-ing. Arrived a. the
top of our snow-covered field we giugerly
turn round and prepare TO descend. Three
burning questions at once present them
selves 20 the mind-how to start, how 70
steer. and how TO stop. The first solves
itself all too rapidly, the difficulty IS
more how not to start before you are ready.
Use of the AIpenstock.
When your feet are nicely parallel and
pointing downward in the way you wish 10
CO. and your a,penstock is grasped firmly
i'll both hands and planted in the snow be-
hind. to shove you off or to act brake,
+bsn vou are in a suitable position to start
Eesninr vour knees brnt and your body
Il. xibla and AT right angles TO your lire Of
descent your feet near together and neither
foot in front Of the other then. as you be
gin to slide you taste the joys OF Skiing.
f@S'er ana lister as 'de o,,,,,I
~, - o,,,I, e r,ootb ana a.ev ~ only voli
feai o,,;ta snra Won are ali right. II Won
rar rnanaoa 10 nrevenr one foot from .se--
tinr, IN frnnt nf the other and from "stral-
dii.s'' too tvideIv and n when In dotbt as
- h,,a,oo, ,ro,, Nv for,,,,r6 and rha,.k
~ -, -. d;rgin, IN ,,o,,r stIcx nor4
s,,,I ~, u 10 ,,srtic,iIar reason WHY
-. M Ia Ell hT,+ 20 ,.1,,rxa to,, Al md
a,abI,t ,.o,,r f,1Iny,.i,,e ,lescanrs will not
1900 . IL - - -" - 45rst
". - s-.-,,a,S,. ,.;i1 J,,.a +al5 ,-,,, 70 fall
hoo,, L. ~ r.,hnr sft,irg y,be, Won
l 80 u. t'sro;,lt,- sIo,'I5 ro,9r,-
nus -. az, - 80, ~ 49,, I'm,
I IA Ia -. ~ -rI,oi.t;1 80, i ~,
ci I !ti " ~, No -, t;,, -, 80,
piiIs ~ !" v - u, ~, : ~ So az
lihi9eIi Loi an, a. =, = - IL,
S'eeiHiS WIN ii9 P"'t an ~ tti-I -.
angie VI uescenL u M 49, 49,. a. -
hrSt u nleet WIN 3ut u'G I. - = 49,,
must ceFt"'hiS s' "oWN ''teC'is u.
near a Tree or leiict' or Plos'i ~
cclnrdue' or any any, So -, oos s -. =.
the beginner
Seeming Paralysis,