In Italy each company of Alpini has an annual credit for the provision of ski. Their duties in war time are almost the same as those of mounted infantry—exploration and communication, and the seizure of advanced positions. In the seven months of snow on these frontiers the garrisons of the lonely posts cannot go out save on ski or snow-shoes, as to the respective merits of which military opinion is divided.
See T. W. Schreiner, Norway's National Sport ; Outing, vol. xxxvii.; F. Nansen, Auf Schneeschuhen durch Gronland, (Hamburg, 1891) ; E. C. Richardson, Ski-running (1904) ; Year-Book of the Ski Club of Great Britain; W. R. Rickmers, Skiing for Beginners and Moun taineers (Iwo) ; E. C. Richardson, The Ski-Runner (Iwo) ; Vivian Caulfield, How to Ski (i91I) ; Canadian Ski Annual (Montreal) ; Ar nold Lunn, Cross Country Skiing (1920). (V. M. C.) The United States.—Ski-ing has become the major winter out door recreation along the snow belt of Canada and the United States. Though the best all around development of the sport is in Canada, since about 1920 the United States, especially northern New England, has shown a phenomenal increase in clubs, tourna ments and the actual numbers of people who are using ski. One merchant in a New England town of 8,000 population sold 1,200 pair of ski in one season. In practically all the snow sections of the United States the tendency of skiing towards becoming an outstanding national sport is evident.
Popular interest in skiing takes the form of tours, or "hikes" as they are termed in the United States. These tours consist of club or group ski trips over charted or uncharted trails ranging from trips over hills and meadows to more adventurous expedi tions up mountains and over mountain ranges. Ski clubs main tain cabins and huts on trails marked out over the White moun tains, Green mountains and the Rockies.
Ski proficiency tests are maintained by which a high standard of ski proficiency on tours and in contests may be secured. A few clubs engage the services of ski instructors. One of the out standing clubs in the United States for the promotion of general ski training for all around ability in touring is the Lake Placid Club, in New York.
The United States have helped to make skiing history in the development of the most sensational type of ski sport—ski jump ing. Torjus Hemmestvelt, one of the first of the world's record breaking jumpers, came to Red Wing, Minn., in 1893 and jumped
103 ft. on this pioneer United States hill. This established a world's record. Since then the record-jumping distances have ad vanced steadily. In the United States, due to the size of the country, two major competitions are held, the National Tourna ment fostered by the U.S. Amateur Ski Association, and the East ern Tournament, conducted under the auspices of the Eastern United States Ski Association. In addition to these competitions a great number of lesser but important tournaments that attract thousands of people are conducted. Each snow season produces a great number of State, interstate, collegiate, interscholastic and inter-club ski-jumping competitions. Listed among the world's greatest jumping hills, where jumps of over 15o ft. can be made, is Brattleboro, Vt., with a record of 190 feet. There are other hills in development where jumps of over 150 ft. will be made.
Cross-country ski racing has been conducted as a separate race. Its distances have lacked standardization. They have ranged from 5 to 25 miles. The ski clubs are tending to follow the plan of the Continental clubs and have the cross-country race com bined with the ski jumping, the highest point winner in both events winning the competition. This plan will give the cross country race a greater interest and importance, which it deserves.
Ski racing down a long or short hill, either in what is called the down-hill or the slalom, has only recently been taken up in the United States. The lack of accessible mountains near most of the ski clubs or tournament grounds makes the Alpine style of long down-hill race almost impossible. But the shorter slalom race down a hill around artificial obstacles is rapidly becoming a feature of the competitions. The U.S. clubs look to the slalom race to develop a greater number of experts in all around skiing.
The United States and Canada affiliate their amateur ski in terests through a close association of the national organizations, the Canadian Amateur Ski Association, the National Ski Asso ciation of America and the Eastern United States Ski Associa tion. These, in turn, are affiliated with the British Ski Association and exchange courtesies, information and competitive co-operation.
See The Ski Sport, year-book of the National Ski Association of America, Inc.; Elon Jessup, Snow and Ice Sports (1923).
(F. K. B.)