New Britain herald., 1923-03-15
AMERICANS ENJOY
 B|G WINTER SPORTS
Switzerland Is the Mecca for Lovers of the Outdoors in Snow

villars. Switzerland. March l6.--- Many Americans attracted to Switzer- land by the Lausanne Near Eastern Conference are having their initiation into "wintor sports" as featured and capitalized by the clever promoters who have dotted the peaks of the Swiss Alps with high-class hotels which they keep open winter and summer alike.
 With the single exception of skiing the Swiss winter sports are not unlike the cold weather pastimes of all the small boys in the northern American states from Burlington, Vermont, to Burlington, Iowa. Skating is done on "patinoir," instead of on creek or
 millpond. A "patinoir" is merely glorifed rink constructed on a per-
 fectly fiat bit of ground which can be
 flooded. The "sleds" Of the United
 States are called ''lngge." and q
 "lugge" course is any decently steep
 hill covered with snow, which can also
 be used as a course for ski-runners. Winter Vacation
 Grown folks travel thousands of miles to Switzerland for a winter va cation and spend large sums for rain bow -colored sports costumes to be displayed in expensive hotels. A large proportion of the Swiss winter vaca- tionists are English people who flee the cloudy, damp climate of the
 British Isles and seek sunshine on the snowy peaks of the Bernese Ober- land. Gray-haired lords and ladies, done up in gaudy woolens which
 might become a comic opera chorus, skate and slide down hill and scram- ble about on skis with all the en- | thusiasm of children.
 Ice Sports
 There are numerous curling match es and hockey games on the icerinks Professional skaters teach novices all 1.-the latest gyrations. and bands play at night on the lighted 'patinoirs" or along the 'lugge" courses, where dignified old gentlemen coast belly buster" just as small boys do in thou sands of American communities | Sleighing excursions are organized There are many ski-jumping contests fancy-dress parties on the ice, horse races and luggeraces. Indoors there are the shimmy teas, and boisterou' | iazz bands, mostly called American ] bands, play during meals. Dances are 1 frequently and all sorts of musician! 1 and performers travel from hotel tt | hotel. Russian singers and dancers | many of whom are refugees in Switz l erland, are especially numerous thi l season.
 l Began to Advertise
 | It is less than 30 years since tht | Swiss adopted the Norwegian ski ant began to advertise winter sports 1T competition with Norwegian anc | Mediterranean winter resorts. Gstaat Caux, villars, St. Moritz, Murren ant
 a score of lesser known winter spor
 centers, now entertain thousands o visitors annually from December Il | to March 5. Cog-railways hav'
 spread throughout the Swiss noun tains and speedily carry visitors ul
 to the snowline resorts. At point
 less than $500 feet above sea leve
 the snow fall is not regular and fire
 auent thaws interfere with the win
 ter pastimes, but the pine-covere' mountains above that elevation ar well covered with snow which fall
 early in December and does not dis
 appear till late in March or early il April. The influx of British and America
 visitors this year has been heavie than any time since 1913. It is es
 timated that the Americans numbe about 2.5o0. Hotel rates are no considered high. They range fror
 $2.50 to $10 a day.