Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-03-27

pels you to the most unheard-of
feats
AS soon as one has attained the
smallest degree of comfort and grace
on skis, one despises the Juggling
which has hitherto seemed good
enough fun for anyone Truth to tell,
Juggling is all done ON track, to
which one is tied, while at skiing one
can at least pretend to be travelling.
Again and again you take the fifteen
minutes walk up the track, dragging
your LUCE behind you like child with
it's toy, in order that you may whizz
down in a twentieth part of the time.
The absurdity of this proceeding be-
comes apparent to the budding ski
er as soon as he has got to the stage
of being able to get up when he falls,
and henceforth he scorns the chaff,
good humor, spills and collisions
which make up the luger's day. 1t
may be remarked that the budding
skier aforesaid is the only winter
sportsman who ever attempts or as
pires to be dignified or scornful. You
even if you have only two square
inches to sit on, and if your feet, held
fast by your partner in front, are be-
ing used as rudders. At first 1t seems
strange to the novice that the proprie-
| ties are in nowise involved If a lady,
invited by an absolute stranger to 'go
down" with him, promptly accedes to
his request by clasping him round the
waist and putting her feet on his lap.
In this, as in other things, practice
makes perfect After week or two
you begin to see that Juggling, instead
of being merely a sensation, is an art,
not too easy to learn. The correct
| taking of bank, and indeed any real
| ly good steering, is, one is led to be-
lieve, the work of years. The direc-
ton of a bobsleigh is admittedly a
serious matter, but on ones first visit
! one may be content to be one of the
crew, when one has only to shout and
lean. The excitement of bobsleighing
reaches its height when it is prac-
tised on a pitch dark evening under
the direction of steersman in whom
/ one mas no COuuu0nC0.
About the ice sports a this years
novice has little or no experience. The
! bad weather, which in other ways
has affected the less expert very lit
/ tie, has certainly bothered the skat-
ers. The rink, when it is not shut al
together, is treacherous. rough and
| full of holes. 1t is below the notice
| of the good skater, and too awesome
| for the tyro. There are few of this
years novices who are not bound to
| confess that they never went on the
| ice and never saw ice-hockey or curl
| ing. On the other hand, they have
! gained more knowledge than they
wanted of indoor amusements, or,
rather. of the lack of them Indoor
/ life is replete with every comfort but
| it is fortunate that the warmth of the
hotel makes one too lazy to notice
/ that there is nothing whatever to do.
When the cause of your staying in
DOORS is the weather, at least you
have society; but when it is because
of an accident. you simply feel
marooned.
! And what about the Alps all this
time? Truly the disregard of the
beauties and grandeur of the scenery
| is one of the strongest features of the
winter sportsman. AS long as the
huge track is like ice and the snow Is
not too soft or too hard or too sticky
| for skiing. as long as the sun is
| bright and the wind not strong. the