SKETCHLEY, slach'll, Arthur. See Rosa, GEORGE.
SKI, or SKEE, a wooden snow-shoe, or runner of wood, from five to 10 feet long, five inches wide and an inch or more thick at the middle, but thinner toward the ends, and curved up at the front; a ridge or more frequently a slight groove is made longitudinal of the under surface, to resist side slipping. The ski is popularly worn in Norway, Sweden, Lapland, Finland, etc., and has been adopted in other countries for sport. The fastening of the ski to the foot consists of a loop for the toe and a band which passes from this around the heel of the shoe, binding the ski and the foot as firmly as possible, which is necessary in order to steer well, while full freedom is allowed the heel to rise from the ski at every movement. When first putting on the ski, a balancing stick is necessary, and it is indispensable for some time; the most skilful runners need but a small stick. An ordinary ski runner can maintain a speed of eight to nine miles an hour for quite a length of time as his down hill travel is all coasting. The uphill work is zigzag. The longest race on skis, the distance being nearly 140 miles, was run in less than 22 hours, rests included. A race in Christiana won by a peasant in less than 5 hours covered 32 miles, laid over hilly ground including all kinds of difficulties calculated to test the competitors' skill. A Swiss soldier gskieur)) made a record
of 25 kilometers in 90 minutes in a rolling country, covering one elevation of 1,550 feet. Leaps of 75 feet are no longer unusual, and more than twice this distance has been recorded. For jumping, a hillside is selected with a large steep slope, and a short rise is built as the place for the leap. As the skiman attains this he stoops and adds his own jumping effort to the force which flings him on into space. He must land on his feet without falling to make a successful jump. The annual tournaments held in the principal cities of Sweden and Norway are the great sporting events of the year, the great feature of the sport being the ability to take long flying leaps. These proved so popular that the sport spread to other coun tries, and has been common in the northern United States and Canada. There have been numerous ski tournaments in Montreal and Minnesota; and the number of runners in the United States has increased to an extent that has warranted the organization of a National Association. Consult Rickmers (Ski-ing) (New York 1909) ; and Cauldfield, to Ski) (New York 1914).