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In 1904, five ski clubs combined to form .the U. S. Ski Association,
which now belongs to the Fédération Internationale de Ski. Contrary to
the notions of nonskiers, whose impressions of the sport are gained
from newsreels where skiers are shown only in midair, ski-jumping is a
relatively unimportant branch of the sport. One skier in ten makes a
practice of jumping. In Finland, most competition takes the form of
races on the level (langlauf). In the Alps, downhill races around sharp
turns marked by flags (slalom) are popular. The Olympic Games will
include all three. Best skiing grounds in the U. S. are the Adirondacks
(Lake Placid;, White Mountains (Peckett's, Tuckerman's Ravine),
Berkshires (Pittsfield, Salisbury), Poconos (Skytop Club) in the East;
Yosemite (where a new ski-house opened last week), Sequoia, Big Pines,
Soda Springs, Lake Arrowhead, Mt. Rainier, Lake Tahoe in the West.
Unknown to most U. S. novice skiers is the fact that skiing has rigid
conventions. Bright woolen suits & tasseled caps are as improper as
tailcoats would be for tennists. A correct costume is dark gabardine
trousers, windbreaker, boots with heels grooved for bindings, cap with
dark visor. Teachers estimate that anyone can learn to ski competently
in three winters. To become expert, skiers must start young. Only U. S.
boys' school in which skiing is the major sport is Northwood, whose
grounds adjoin Lake Placid. Dartmouth, where skiing started 26 years
ago, has long turned out the ablest U. S. college skiers. Dick
Durrance, who grew up in Tarpon Springs, Fla., learned skiing in
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where he went to school for six years and where
at 14, he amazed native skiers by inventing such maneuvers as the
"tempo"' turn and the forward somersault for crossing
obstacles. Last year he was the most famed member of Dartmouth's skiing
team. Last week, his brother Jack helped a Dartmouth team defeat its
traditional rival, McGill, 595-to-566, in the annual Intercollegiate
Ski Tournament at Lake Placid.
