The Washington herald., 1911-02-05
KEEN SPORT ON
ICE AND SNOW
In SWITZERLAND


scended and everything In the higher re-
sorts was deserted. The hotels were
closed, the proprietors seeking their win.
ter homes in the valleys below, little
dreaming that in a few years winter in
the Alps would become even more popu-
lar than summer!
Belated but devoted mountain climbers
making winter ascensions from some 81
the high villages. discovered the splendid
climatic conditions existing at that sea-
son. The regularity of the snowfall. the
dry atmosphere. and the glowing SUM-
shine produced these rare conditions. As
the winters succeeded each other, the
numbers increasd. till at length a regular
winter season became established for
the enjoyment of the invigorating sports
of ice and snow.
The Swiss did everything possible to
make winter a season of joyous content.
ment. The hotels were overhauled and
steam heat and double doors and win
dows were installed, and every conven-
fence and comfort was introduced to
make life pleasant.
And the season never loses its charm.
The famous sports of tobogganing, bob
sleighing, skiing. curling, and hockey
were added to the oldest of the ice sports
-skating-and Switzerland became the
paradise of them all Many of the cham
pionships of these sports have been de-
cided there and are now held by Swiss
resorts So successful has been the de-
velopment Of his new season that many
of the resorts really find that if there Is
a dun season it is in summer, not in win
ter.
The lure of the snow and the ice under
~I, l~~.rr .,lo ItaSc
skies is irresistible. 1t makes young and
old jubilant for they imbibe the wine of
life, that exhilarates but never inebriates.
A Joyous Revelry.
The sensations are those of exaltation
and exultation, and life becomes a new
experience-the old is put away in the
realization of restored youth. Now no
place is inaccessible if it have the nat
ural advantages for a rink. a snow or
ice run. or a skiing field. The railways
are kept open and the post routes in
winter offer an added charm of a sleigh
ride to some more sequestered resort
Sleigh riding is one of the prime entice-
ments of the snow. ride of two or three
hours along one of these great white
ways, unfolding before ones eye so
much that is lovely, is a memorable ex-
perience. All around is a perpetual NOV
ing throng-a medley of joyant forms and
figures responding to the indefinable lure
of the snow.
This is. indeed. a newly created ex-
istence, so different from former expe-
riences, and only possible where there is
such a combination Of circumstances. that
make conditions perfect for sport. Amer
leans find it congenial field for out
door enjoyment. They are we'll to- the
for in all the sports. Ii the Old days
Donoghue, of New York. astonfshed Eu-
rope by his speed on the ice, and to-day
Irving Brokaw. another New Yorker, is
a prominent exponent of skating, while
the figure of Mr.. Orthwein. of St. Louis,
is familiar on rink and run. 'SkeetS"
Martin, too, the little Yankee jockey.
blazed the way over the fastest ice run
with an American skeleton toboggan, In
its untried dangers, riding in the new
head-on position.
These sports are thoroughly organized
by the clubs. The international cham
pionshfp associations hold their tourna-
ments at different resorts, and create
worldwide intereSt-the great speed
and figure skating contests, the grand
national toboggan race, the German En-
and skiing contests being followed abroad
with eager interest. Prominent Ameri-
can SportSmen are closely identified with
these clubs and events.
All classes are attracted by the spell
that winter weaves. The crown prince
and princess of Germany have been ia
milar figures. One often found there Is the
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, accom-
panied by his consort; while the Duchess
of Marlborough with her two sons, and
her friend, Mrs. Tiffany Of New York.
and other members of Americas society
have also been prominent visitors.
Many of the summer visitors wait over
for the coming snow, and settle down
to the enjoyment of the winter The
rinks and runs afford them opportunities
for indulging in the thrills of toboggan-
ing and bobsleighing at seventy to ninety |
miles an hour. Ski jumping and running. |
speed skating, strenuous hockey, or staid |
curling offer plenty of variety to the |
sportively minded.
Cure for Nerves.
The cult Of the snow and ice is a cure
not only for nerves. but for many other
Ills and ailments of the mind as well as
the flesh, and IT has been proved that the
snow and sunshine offer peculiar benefits
that no other form of outing can provide.
A winter vacation In Switzerland to
avoid the changeable home climate is an
opportunity to be seized, especially when
the attractions of carnival time are
added.
Skating is perhaps the most popular of
the sports. for it brings all to the rink
upon a more equal footing than any other
sport. Every resort has its rink; some
have several They are made by the sim
pie device Of flooding at night, with the
result that next morning there is a sur
face Of ice smooth and CLASSY enough
to satisfy the most exacting spor tsman.
Then- there is, Of course, natural ice
skating on the lakes
The toboggan is the joy of the single
rider bent on deeds Of daring, In awe
Inspiring headlong plunges down the icy
run. and even occasionally into the air.
In Switzerland is an unrivaled oppor-
tunity for indulging in this earth-skim-
ming fervor. Here are the breezy runs
with their tortuous courses and sporty
turns that make them such splendid
speeding opportunities for the swift ones
q their flights. The light fantastic open
structure of the toboggan is maneuvered
~ the feet alone. the speeder sprawling
It length, head on and a front In the
downward rush. There is no steering
rear. rs in the sbobslefgh, this being fits
feature from the latter.
t is q skeleton sled constructed of tough
and the great speed which grav-
ty assures for 1t when released at-the
tart enables it to carry, in its forward
light, the weight Of the rider to tho
lnish with ease. There are a host Of fine
oboggan runs at all winter resorts.
Bobsleighing Is another form Of the
anne pastime. The bobsleigh IL sub
tantial vehicle. built not for one, but for