Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-19
NORWEGIAN SKI RUNNING.
A raster Mode of LOcOmOtion Thar
Indian SnovyshOeinE.

Ahuian SnOWShOefnE.
| Dr. Frithjof Nansen 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 a groove along the middle. and
is made as smooth as possible. They are
| fastened to the feet by loop for the toe
hxed near the center of the ski and a band
which passes from this round behind the
heel of the shoe and which can be tied
very tight
1 remember an incident which happened
to an acquaintance of mine in America
many years ago. He was an engineer and
was surveying for a railway far west on
the prairies. The winter had set in and
deep snow had covered the fields Being a
skilful ski runner. he made himself pair
OF SKI The same day he had been out
trying these for the first time group of
Indians came upon a track consisting of
two parallel grooves or burrows in the
snow, and, having never seen a similar
track before, they followed it up to make
nate from. They followed the track straight
to the door of the Norwegiar's cottage.
where they saw two strips of wood lean
ing against the wal. They measured the
track and they measured these wooden
things and sound that they were of exactly
the same breadth.
And now followed very close invastiga-
ton of these marvellous creatures 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
pretending not even to have noticed. The
Norwegian showed them, however, the ski
and how they were used. They wished now
to try them, but. using them as they were
accustomed to do their snowshoes, they
made Slow progress and found them Door
and slippery. The Norwegian then put
them on and proposed to race with the
Indians, and they were quite wiling But
the surprise of these swift Indians. on their
light snowshoes. was great when they dis
covered that they We're only able to keep
pace with him for a few hundred yards
and then rapidly dropped behind, even
though they were racing over their we'll
known prairies. Afterward the Norwegian
helped them to make ski, and some of the
Indians learned to use them tolerably we'll
although men who are not trained to use
ski from early boyhood very dom become
skillful ski runners
The motion employed in skiing has no
resemblance to that employed in skating
While they are moved the ski are always
as possible, and should not be lifted from
the ground-like Canadian snowshoes On
fiat ground they should constantly be kept
gliding over the surface of the snow, while
being driven forward by alternate strokes
from the hips and thighs, and the body is
thrown forward in each stride. The length
of the stride may be increased by propul-
sion of the staff which the ski runner car
ries in his hand Uphill, if the gradient be
steep. the, ski runner will have to tack
from side to side, following a zigzag course
or go sideways, bringing the ski almost to
right angle with the slope But downhiII
the ski runner often goes with a Tremendous
speed. and then it may we'll be possible that
he could .,outstrip the birds in flight" The
SKI now slide readily. and the sleeper the
slope the greater the speed, the one thing
necessary being to maintain the balance
and to steer clear of all difficulties such
. as trees and precipices. The ski runner
can go everywhere. over hill and valley,
and nothing stops him SO long as there is
sufficient snow to move over.
A great art in ski running is the jumping
upon ski. 1t Is generally done down steep
hfllsides. which in the middle have some
natural break in the ground. or where q