100 m.p.h. on Skis

The world's fastest natural ski course is a tamped snow swath without a jump down the nearly perpendicular face of a mountain near St. Moritz in Switzerland. For weeks men have curried and patted, dragged toboggans up & down, to make a flawless surface. Last week 16 ski racers stood at the top. At intervals along the course were men with bamboo poles to swish over the light snow between runs. The racers wore goggles, had no ski sticks because they knew they could not stand up against the terrific wind resistance. Their skis were 9 ft. long and heavy (45 lb.), with handholds in front of the foot-straps and canvas streamers behind to streamline the wind. One after another, squatting, a plumed ball of a man on long slivers would push off slowly, come over the lip of the mountain and cascade down the face at a speed terrifying to behold. Partway down was an unnoticed little rise in the snow. When they hit that, the skiers were shot through the air for 50 ft. Of the 16 contestants, Gasperl of Austria and Kjelland of Norway miraculously lit upright after hitting the bump, and shot on down the hill instead of cannonballing askew in a flying tangle of arms, legs and skis. The winners were timed at a speed never before reached by man on his feet --a world's record of 100 m.p.h. (1932 record: 89 m.p.h.).

P: In Lucerne, Que., R. L. Denton. McGill University skier, last week won the International Intercollegiate jumping championship, with 208.40 points for his two jumps of 52 and 53 meters.

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