Evening star., 1938-10-16
GAY SNOW SPORT
SEASON IS NEAR
Warm Winter Sun Is One of
Surprises to Those Visiting
Switzerland.

BERNE, Switzerland, Oct. 15.-The
program Of winter sports for 1889
for all Switzerland has just been
issued. Every year while summer yet
fingers in the valleys and the harvest
is being gathered, the alpine villages
and towns of the playground of Eu-
rope work out the schedule of fun
which they expect to enjoy from No
vember until Easter. Other lands in
variably prepare for winter by con-
centrating attention on storm windows,
filling coal cellars, stacking wood piles
and taking fur out of storage, but not
so Switzerland. Although these things
have attention they are of minor con-
siAeration, for the minds of ALL from
school children to the oldest citizens,
are occupied with decisions regarding
toboggan runs, arrangements for ski
meets, ice hockey and skating on the
lakes with Venetian lamp illumina-
tions and gymkhanas, which provide
the Jolliest entertainment of all.
Folk who have never had an expert
ence of Swiss winter have many sur
prises in store for them. The first is
when the little noun yain train pulls
into the station and it appears that
the< only vehicles waiting for the pas
sengers are sleighs. No dingy. bat
tered taxicabs to greet the visitor as
elsewhere, but sleighs as romantic in
color and sound as the gondolas of
Venice-lovers' sleighs that will hold
only two, family Sleighs that will hold
a dozen. All are drawn by fine horses
decorated with many colored plumes,
and the shrill motor horns of taXis, or
the rattling of carriage wheels is eX-
changed for the music of tinkling
bells.
Sun, Too, a Surprise.
On the way to the hotel one will
undoubtedly be met by failing
party" which is a large horse drawn
sleigh, occupied by the elderly and
more sedate visitors, drawing long
row of toboggans, their destination
probably some little inn where outdoor
luncheon is served in the warm sun
shine, followed by dancing and frolics
before the homeward ride. The sun
shine and its warmth is the second
sdrprise. Everywhere tourists are out
to get the winter tan from the Swiss
sun. Many dress as lightly as in July
and fur coat at the sports events
would be out of place and perhaps
considered ridiculous
Ski races and ski jumping now oc-
cupy the chief place on the winter
calendar, and If these provide not
enough thrills, there is ski-joring. In
its milder form this means merely
hooking on" to a mounted saddle
horse by means of traces, but in the
great ski-joring races on the frozen
lakes, there is no rider on the horse
The skier holds the reins as we'll as
the traces and guides as best he may.
A sheet about 8 feet long between the
traces keeps the snow kicked off the
horses hoffs from his eyes. Even this
is not the supreme thrill, for from time
to time spectators see a skier insist
on substituting an aeroplane for a
horse. A long rope attached to the
seroplane is held by two or three ski
adventurers who let themselves be
drawn along at over so miles an hour.
Incredible as it may seem, winter
sports seasons in Switzerland hardly
ever have casualties, for everything is
under the expert direction of noun
tain men who have known the ways
of ice and snow for generations.
Sport Events Scheduled.
Ski races will open at Davos early
in December, the l4th Parsenn Ski
Derby occurring there on February %,
while the first great jumping contest
on the Bernin Leap at Pontresina will
be held on New Years Day Gstaad
has its first on January 2. The long
distance and jumping contests known
as the NorDic ski events will open at
st. Moritz on January 4, and two days
later another similar celebration oc-
ours at Arosa. The Swiss ski cham
pionships will be run at Unterwasser
from March to 5, while the famous
Kandahar ski races will occur at the
same time at Murren.
The carefully constructed snow runs
Of the Alps make tobogganing still
close favorite with skiing. There
are gradients for visitors of all kinds,
some for the timid and some for those
who live to play successfully with
danger. The Cresta Run at st. Moritz
has the distinction of affording the
highest velocity which man can enjoy
anywhere in the world without mech
icel locomotion. The run contains
every variety of turn from the most
gentle to the charpest curve. The
tw0-seater- bod world championship
VIII be run this winter at ST. Moritz
on February 8 and g. While the
two-seater boblets have come into
great favor, the big bobsleigh, gener-
ally occupied by crew of five,
cannot easily be superseded Anyone
who has been with such crew knows
that it thrills one about all that any
could wish.
Curling Also Popular.
Curling, beloved now by the Swiss
as well as by Scots, is social, fascin-
ating and healthy sport, and curling
matches are to be found everywhere
on the ice. The international curling
match for the Jackson cup will occur
atDavos for week opening January
16a
Switzerland has long had the dis
tinction of being the playground of
Europe. The ice festival or the gym
khana provides games, fun and stunts
for old and young when it occurs,
which usually means several times
each winter in every resort. Balloon"
raves, stick and bottle" races, egg
and spoon" races, potato" races, all
requiring skilled skaters and swift
thinking, furnish the jolliest enter
tainment at these times. On moon
light nights, or under the illumination
Of torches and Venetian lanterns.
these festivals on the ice provide a
very fairyland of picturesque fun,
Davos will have one of its chief ice
festivals on January % and 90.
Yet when all the days sports are
over there are no night events to
lure one out again, Swiss winter