SKI CHAMPION

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 285, 28 August 1931, Page 10

SKI CHAMPION

Sports at Mount Cook RECORD BROKEN Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, August 27. Under ideal conditions and with total entries of 45 men and women, the first Aorangi ski championship promises to be the most successful winter sports meeting! ever held in New Zealand. The .programme was started at Mount Cook this morning with the men’s and women’s cross-country races, a severe test for the skill of the most expert ski runners. , The entry for the meeting nag. been completely beyond anticipations. Twentyfour members of the Aorangi Ski Club, Wellington, arrived' at Ball Hut. last Sunday, and they have since been joined by an almost equal number from the Timaru Ski Club. ' The star performer of the meeting is H. H. Elworthy, silver medallist of the Ski Club of Great Britain and a member of the Kandahar Ski Club,. Murren, Switzerland, who won the chief championship in record time. Besides these there are many visitors at the hut, including H. F. Richter, a member of the Berlin Ski and Ice Skating Club, Who declares that the ski-ing ground compares favourably with the best in Switzerland, and C. H. Towers, an Australian representative Rugby footballer since 1926, and wingthreequarter with the team now touring New Zealand. .... . After rain on Monday, culminating m a ffl.ll of three feet of snow in the evening, the weather cleared beautifully on Tuesday afternoon. Since then the sky has been . cloudless, and the nights bitterly cold. Hardened twice overnight, the snow is in splendid condition for the races,, and the weather is all that could be desired. Results are as follow: — ' Cross-country Championship (open), fourteen miles from the head of the Tasman Glacier to Ball Hut, a drop of 3100 feet: H. H. Elworthy, 42mm., It J. L. Crombie (Aorangi), 47mm., 2; L. Mahan (Timaru), 47)min., 3; B. Bibby (Aorangi), Simin, 4; L. B. Bryant, 53min, 5; A. G. Simmers (Timaru), 55jmin, 6. There were 17 starters. Crombie led for about two miles from the start, but Elworthy overhauled him at the Malte Brun Hut and maintained the lead until the end of the race, coming in fully half a mile ahead of the field. Elworthy, ski-ing beautifully uphill and down, working with an easy motion and . having perfect control of his skis, aver- , aged 20 miles per hour over the whole course. There was only a half minute between the second and third men. After Mahan the field was well strung out. Cross-country championship (women) J three miles, starting and finishing at the Bull Hut: Miss D. Mackie (Aorangi), 36 min., 1; Miss C. Mclntosh (Aorangi), 39min., 2; Miss A. Ownes' (Aorangi), 3. This race also/was won fairly easily, al- - though the times' were poor. ; Downhill novice race (men): H. F. Richter, 1; A. G. Simmers (Timaru). 2: B. Bibby (Aorangi), 3. Time, Imin. Downhill novice race (women): Miss M. Wilson, 1; Miss M. Hay (Aorangi). 2; . Miss D. Corrigan, 3. Time. 2min. 20sec. Learners’ race, onen: C. H. Towers. 1; J.\Y. Walls (Aorangi), 2; G. Martin (Aorangi), 3. Time, Imin. 36sec. Ribbon race: Miss M. Orick and U. Murray. 1: Miss D.' Mackie and A. Dewar. 2; Miss M. Hay and T. Feast, 3; Miss D. Corrigan and W. Diamond. 4.