The Coolidge examiner., 1938-03-03

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Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington. ID. C.-WNU Service.
AMERICAS skiing season
~ is on. Snow and wealth
er conditions are right
and railroads are publicizing
the accommodations of their
special ski trains.
When one has learned to en-
JOY it, skiing wins an affec-
ton akin to that of a golf ad-
dict for his game. No other
sport, to a skier, is SO much a
matter of self. Skiing is es-
sentially a solo performance.
A sportsman writes: In my own
limited experience. ! have tried
many sports. Polo has its tre-
mendous thrills. but after all, the
horse does much of the work Scull-
ing has its charms. but also its la
bors. / have never ridden free
surfboard. Perhaps that is as thrill
ing, for the sport resembles skiing.
I have soloed gliders. Soaring GER
tainly is tops But even there,
the machine introduces an imper-
Sonal element
Il suppose the first man TO stand
on the top Of Everest will have
feeling Of personal achievement be-
yond that Of any other mountaineer.
But in a more humble way. every
skier who stands at the top of
beautiful, unmarked stretch of new
snow, waiting for the clean. flowing
track Of his own skis, experiences
that exaltation. II is like being
the first one out in the crisp frosty
air of an autumn morning. The
skier gets a chance 10 breathe il
before anybody else has breathed
it."
Racing on Skis Is Thrilling.
Racing has its place. 1t is a
thrill to see a well-co-ordinated,
confident runner come streaking
down a narrow trail, cutting a hot
corner by a graceful quick thrust
with his heels and an almost in
stantaneous skidding of his skis,
which changes their course; or to
watch a skier in a slalom race, rid
ing steep slope in easy schusses,
checking his speed with broken cris-
ties. or "tailwagging." taking deep
or soft snow in graceful telemark,
or steered turn.
Some racers crouch very low to
keep their center of balance near
the ground. Others ride erect and
confident.
The most experienced make their
control movements so easily that
they seem TO float while the skis do
the turns Tempo stuff" that, the
acme of controlled skiing.
But a person alone in the wilder
ness, finding a pair of skis and
knowing what they were, could find
fun long before he found technique.
las child on the Kenwood hills
behind my home in Minneapolis.
said a skier, "I learned to stand on
skis, then to walk on them, then to
run on them, then to slide on them,
and then TO stop and maybe fall
down on them.
mo matter what language one
uses TO name it, that sequence is
about all that skiing is. l used to
crouch down when ] was afraid of
falling. 1t was Is years before l
knew / was doing an 'Arlberg
crouch
II still lose patience when | hear
some fairly good veteran chilling
the ambitions of a would-be skier
with a display of ski terminology.
Yet even the most kind-hearted
group of novice skiers, each owning
skis and harnesses from which price
marks have not rubbed Off, will reg
lister derision when they notice some
uninstructed girl or boy with a
pair of store skis having only the
leather loop, or toe strap. on them.
'Toe-strapper' is word of open
scorn."
Children always have learned ski
ing with only toe straps. Grown
people will find for themselves that
toe straps are good for nothing ex-
cept straight-ahead, easy slides. A
pair of skis which do not turn
with the feet obviously cannot be
controlled.
Girls Help Make 1t Popular.
When a grown girl attempts to
ski with high-heeled shoes it is alb
surd. When she falls and twists
her ankle, as she we'll may. her
suffering is just reward for her
Girls, however, must be credited
with much Of skiing's popularity.
Many no doubt became interested
when attractive ski costumes were
made available. They looked SO
sWagger in the clothes that. they had
to carry on, buy skis. board the
snow trains, and become skiers.