N.Z. SKI SELECTORS HAVE HARD TASK

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28980, 22 August 1959, Page 5

N.Z. SKI SELECTORS HAVE HARD TASK

JN the last five years, the

standard of New Zealand ski-ing has improved to the stage where competitors and officials have regarded entry in the Winter Olympics as the next logical step in raising this country’s ski-ing status in internationally. If the national championships at Coronet Peak this week were any indication, the selectors (Messrs F.‘ S. Gillett, W. F. I. Hunt, S. B. Boyd, and L. Collins) are faced with big problems in choosing their Olympic team.

Although the best’ women in the country continued to impress with ski-ing of an excellent standard and ensured they would do credit in Olympic competition, few men ran true to form at Coronet Peak and only confused the issue.

Nerves

This year’s championships got off to a bad start through bad weather. For two days, the skiers could only watch the skies and wait for the sun to break through, and by the time it did, there were frayed nerves. The first event on the programme—the downhill—was over the toughest course ever seen in this country, taking the competitors over cornices and through gates at speeds of around 70 miles an hour. With genuine aspirations among all, the top competitors for a place in the Olympic team, it was perhaps to be expected that some competitors would throw Caution to the winds in an endeavour to gain high placings. Inexperience It was here that some of New Zealand’s top young men showed their lack of top racing experience. Their enthusiasm overruled cool judgment, and in taking the course straight some of them met with major crashes, and in some cases, broken bones. of the Canterbury competi-

tors were youngsters, and it was disappointing to see them beaten by inexperience rather than skill or style. Malcolm Rich, for instance, ased only 16, tackled the course with a big heart; he plummeted down at the fastest' speed of any. At such high sneed. he was unable to control his skis, and after flying high into the air at one of the top gates, he hit into soft snow in a frightening crash. He is extremely fortunate that a fracture of the ankle is his only injury, but none could deprive him of the credit for a plucky showing.

But few who shut out of their minds the thought of injury and scorned use of their edges completed the course. John Willis, the Canterbury downhill champion, and Scott Yates, both fell while giving their utmost in courage and effort, travelling at speeds which would have given them high placings had they completed the course. Had some of the Canterbury competitors nol tackled the course at terrific speeds which inevitably resulted in crashes, the results would have been very different Control Some of Canterbury’s men, however, acquitted themselves well, but they were mainly those who have come to be regarded as the province’s second-string skiers. Allan Rattray, a formei Canterbury champion, showed how essential a slower and more controlled run really was in the downhill, and he earned wide spread admiration for the tricky manoeuvre of snow ploughing al high speed. Unless this is skilfully done, the skier may catch an edge and instantly be upended. Michael Wynn-Williams was also impressive in both his slalom and downhill races.

It fell to Antony Coberger, of Arthur’s Pass, to make the best showing. Coberger has not skied better in his career, and his clever assessments of lines into gates and safe speeds have already taken him to the Canterbury men’s title and now runnerup for the national title this season. Coberger has the quick thinking which when combined with perfect co-ordination of the skis makes for a champion. It is unfortunate that many of the Canterbury men showed too much courage and too little solid reasoning on the national courses. Fourth Win Full marks go to W. F. I. Hunt for his fourth win of the men’s title, and also to Garry Collier, of Ruapehu, for his win in the downhill. No manner of excuses by the South Islanders will overcome these sound and spectacular performances. Little need be said of the women’s events, for Canterbury’s youngsters swept the field. Miss Paddy Hall helped herself to the women’s national title with a display of great courage and determination, and her ski-ing was remarkably consistent. She did not look like making mistakes on the tricky courses. It should not be forgotten that Miss Hall spent

many weeks in hospital last year after a dogged exhibition at Ruapehu when she suffered concussion in a crash in the downhill. Unlucky Miss Patricia Prain was most unlucky, but together with Misses Anne Latham and Cecilia Womersley made great impressions on the national selectors, whose Job is not going to be an easy one to draw distinctions. Danger, however, may well be looming for these Canterbury women from a formerly unknown Queenstown competitor, aged 14. Miss Anne Reid. Bom and bred near the snows, this young girl worked her way into major placings in efforts quite outstanding for her age. While the Canterbury women return at the heights of victory, the men are licking their wounds after a rather unexpected and convincing defeat by the North Islanders. This could well be a blessing in disguise, for there is no doubt that the South Islanders have benefited greatly from the lesson taught by that clever and experienced strategist “Woof’ Hunt—that racing ski-ing is as much an exercise of the mind as it is of control of the skis, and that the race does not always go to the swift.