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Wednesday. January 24,1973
University Daily Kansan
Skiers Match Skills with Mountains
Twenty million skiers this year
challenged the challenging
clauses of France's Chamonix
to Canada's light
the world's new supergirl.
In America alone nearly 700 ski areas accommodate America's six million skiers. The fast moving sport, according to Time magazine, drained $1.5 billion from American's last year, but it has taken a sharp effort on which people lavished the most money.
Non skiers sometimes:mres are unable to understand how skiers can be slipped on a trail or why they enjoy sliding down the side of a mountain trail fighting for control.
The reasons people enjoy sking are as numerous as there are mountains. Skating exhilarates it is a feat for the senses. It offers scenic beauty, speed and a chance for the skier to match skills with the mountaineer.
For many it fits the profile of an ideal sport. Upon mastering the basic steps, the skier can ski in and out of slopes or step steepest of slopes or try his bones at trick skiing. He is only advised by sign labels the trails; beginner, intermediate or expert. You can bum the chairlift, the decision is up.
Once the sun begins to descend, temperatures drop and the skiers begin to flock to the bars in search of warmth, both in drink and flame. The after skiing part is marked by some skiers as the skiing itself.
In every bar masses of people crowd around small tables, most of them carrying handkerchiefs and reminding each other of how fast and smoothly they ski and climb.
learned that day. Who is to know differently while seated around a table?
With skiers clad in the ubiquitous stretch pants, parkas and brightly colored sweaters, it is no wonder that some polished skier from the novice.
Looking good is half the fun. Looking good is also traced to sking's bright color schemes, and they furnish the ski clothing industry with plenty of options.
To compliment the stylish appearance of the skier, the skiing industry has engaged in a technological footrace to see who can build the best and most efficient skis, boots, bindings and poles.
However, skiing is a sport in which the feet do not fall on the equipment. Although the highest priced equipment should look for quality. Skiing on cheap or damaged equipment could invite an unnecessary expense.
The most important parts of the skiing gear are the boots and the bindings. The boots should be tight, but not too tight to complete control over his skis but not so tight that the boot crosses a pressure point and causes abrupt bindings, which fasten the boot to the ski, should be tight enough not to release at high speeds yet sensitive enough to release when cold.
Last year, according to Time, 105,000 reported accidents resulted in broken limbs. Many of unease accidents were caused by faulty equipment adjustments or failures on the slopes as off.
To the more daring comes a greater chance for accidents, but
they also reap a greater proportion of the thrills. For the expert skiers who have a new style of baroque a style, called 'exhibition' or 'hot-dog' skiers do gymnastic stunts while others just dance to 'hot-doggers' build up repertoires of kicks, twists, and turns.
forward and backward somersaults, to test their mental and physical strength.
The Maroon Bells of Aspen arch skyward, and
The recent popularity of skiing has led to increased use of methods of teaching, new types of equipment and fashion, and it is becoming clear that the popularity is in any great danger.
skiers, below, master tricks of 'exhibition' skiing.
Kansan Photos and Story
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by
Emerson Lynn
Kansan Sports Editor