- nomads who like the wilderness

the aki is man 'g oldest means
of travelling over snow.and Ice. it
was essential as a method of.

_ teavel in the wild sections of Asia
and “Northern Europe. The
earllest skis were made ‘from
bones. of large animals’ ‘and
strapped to the shoes by’ leather
thongs. ”

_. "The word is belleved to be an

abbreviation of suski, a word the
nomadie Finn-Ugarian tribes.
used, meaning ‘snow-glide. The

-- most ancient skis ever. found in
the ‘world are in a museum in
Stockholm, Sweden and their age
has. been: ‘fixed at ‘about . 4,000.
-years old. .

And now, thousands of years
later, skiing is ‘coming full circle,
The. trend is back to the. cross-
country. skiing .of the ancient

- Scandinavians, . with wood
replacing the bone skis, .

. Upte the time of the chair lifts”
cross-country skiing was very

“popular .in Canada: Then came

-the lifts and skiers forgot how to

““herring-bone”’. up.a hill and
concentrated’ on downhill and
slalom ‘skiing, |

Many’ old resorts are going
along with the trend ‘and ‘are
marking out ski trails for the ~
novice and -expert that takes
them on a scenic route to various
lookout points: .

Many’ of these traits‘ are.

_Tnarked with fluorescent tape but

this gets torn off the trees so if —
you are -going out’ in. the
wilderness be sure to have a map
of the terrain and a compass:

. Here are some more tips for

‘the skier who is just taking up

crose-country. \skiing, And in-
cidentally you. don’t - have - to
follow a marked trall or go on a
definite tour, you can just set out
from the roadside providing the
terrain is fairly open;

Tfittakes four hours to “go in,!’

(ascend a mountain) it will take

one hour to “come out” (down
the mountain). Novices can
make it four hours each way.

In fact novices should practise

‘downhill skiing’ with. cross-

country skis before trying a tour.

Wear loose-fitting, : Clothing,
and wear a head covering.
Learn the art of waxing skis

You use different waxes s for wet
“and: dry snow.-

When the ski is nat gripping the
snow the wax is too hard or when
the snow sticks to the bottom of
the “skis the wax is too: soft.
- Similarly .a change of ‘snow’
conditions from ary to wet or to -

Cross-country skiing is for

erusty and. granular snow will
mean different waxes. - :

There are some all pi

; purpose
waxes on the market but it is best ©
-you visit your ski shop and let the -

attendant - recommend the
- various waxes and show you. how
to oxply them.

Be sure your poles are the
correct length. If they are short
they will get your back muscles.
Make sure your skis aré the
correct weight and not too stiff or

- too flexible.

Keep your head up and fingers

loose When striding - ‘along.

Te ‘op ski meets for B Cu Alta.

“British Columbia ‘and ‘Alberta
- have been awarded the majority
of the top ski meets: this season .
_ by the Canadian Ski Association.

First’ big event of ‘the 1973 -
. season will'be the Pontiae Cup
‘serlea’’ ~ slalom Mount:
MacKenzie,: Revelatoke, B.C. It
will be held “Jan, 27-28...

‘Next willbe the International’

_Ganadian-American (Can-Am):

Ski Champlonships ‘at Rossland,
“B C., on. Red and Granite”
. Mountains, The downhill: events .
will be held ‘6n a new course on -:

_ Granite. This event is expected to.

draw top skiers from Canada and .
the U.S. and could include skiers :

who competed in’ ‘this year’s
Olympic. Games. 2"

One of the biggest events of the .
‘ season ‘be the . Canadian “.
’ Senior ‘Alpine Championships at
Tod. Mountain, Kamloops B.C.,
on Feb. 2-35. It was held at

‘The Pontiae Cup series. ‘con-
tinue’. with two. giant. slalom |
“events at Purden Mountain and -
ski village, 38 miles east of
fe enee BC .C. on March 10-

:
* ‘The giant slalom and slalom
“events. in the Pontiac Cup series
will be held at Mount Baldy,

. Be. ‘and - Canadian
Sunnie Championships . will -be
-held: at Whistler Mountain, at
Garibaldi, 70 miles. from Van-
- Couver, on April 12-13-14. - .

~ Alberta. has two big Canadian
‘Ski Association meets in the
” early spring,. There is anevent at
Lake Louise on Feb, 1-2 which
‘will include.two downhill races
for the Sir Norman Watson
Trophy. | :

The finals of ‘the Pontiac Cup
series, in which east meets west,
etait
J on April 7 inclusive.
will ‘include downhill, giant

' Osoyoos, B. C., on March 17-18. - slalom and slalom events,