University of Virginia Library

Skiing Booms As Nordics, Jumpers Abound

By Nach Eriksen
Cavalier Daily Alpine Ace

Winter at Virginia often conveys
the image of being a dismal
succession of indoor activity.
However, many students are
beginning to flock to the ski slopes
for a little recreation. Virginia's
geography definitely is no
Scandinavian adventure, but it is
just hilly enough so that there exist
good slopes within several hours
driving from Charlottesville.

The sports world wouldn't be
the same without competitive
skiing. Just think what the Winter
Olympics would be like if no
controversy arose over
endorsements of ski products at an
amateur event. Or how would
people make the scene around
Lapland without those two curved
blades to propel them over the
frozen tundra.

Skiing is of European origin. For
competition's sake there are two
divisions. Nordic style is often done
in European meets and is also seen
at the Olympic turmoil once every
four years. Alpine events are done
at all American races.

Cross country skiing, a kind of
Nordic, entails skiing about 25
miles, breaking up the monotony
by firing a rifle (which is
conveniently slung over your
shoulder) at specific targets along
the route. The course itself is
through level and hilly areas;
sometimes icy patches are included

The other Nordic event is
jumping. Starting from a chute, the
skier proceeds down a long runway
which slopes upward at the end,
and flies off into the 'wild blue
yonder' to land several hundred
feet away from the ramp in a
cleared and smoothed over pit.

Virginia's own skiing buffs all
enter Alpine events. These events
also are found in the Olympic
competition. Alpine involves
starting from the top of a rise,
hopefully weaving through a series
of poles, and after racing an electric
clock, being declared the winner if
you were lucky enough to beat all
of the opposition.

Slalom racing is probably the
best known of the Alpine events.
The object is to retain optimum
speed while skillfully swirling
through the paired poles. These
poles, called 'gates' in the lingo of
the sport, are placed in pairs of
two, each pair having a different
colored flag attached to facilitate
judging if contestants legally passed
through all of the sets.

Related to slalom is the grand
slalom event. Here the paired poles
are placed so that the skier must
make wide turns to pass through all
of the required positions. Downhill
competition usually has only about
four or five sets of 'gates,'
compared to 25 in the slalom and
up to 45 in the grand slalom.
Speeds of up to 110 miles an hour
are reached in this hectic scramble
against the scorekeeper's little
clock.

Technique for the slalom can be
summed up by saying that quick
turns are required. However,
through flushes and a knack for
steering a straight course down the
slope while skiing at breakneck
speed are also both necessary.
Sweeping is the secret to success in
the grand slalom. A skating
maneuver, similar to that of an ice
skater, is essential.

But these pleasures naturally are
found here only after shelling out
for skis, pants, gloves, hat, boots,
slope rental, etc...Gimmicks
abound. Resorts hit the
unsuspecting 'sucker' with deals
that not only end up taking the
shirt off his back, but also
conveniently have one way clauses
hidden in small print so that they
are provided with a constant flow
of menial labor to keep the joints
clean and presentable for the next
victim.

Any way you look at the sport
there is controversy. Olympic
outcries from everyone's favorite
commissioner Avery Brundage, to
threats from the slope
entrepreneurs to raise fees can all
be seen in the negative. But the
sport does provide fun, frolic, and a
good time for many so if you don't
mind a sore behind then hit a local
slope soon.