SKIERS ENTERTAINED

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 8

SKIERS ENTERTAINED

Possibilities for the Sport in New Zealand AMERICAN’S ADVICE Opportunity was taken yesterday by the New Zealand Ski Council to tender a complimentary luncheon to the members of the American ski team, while in Wellington on their way from Mount Cook to Mount Ruapehu. There were about 30 present at the luncheon, including Mr. R. B. Gray, secretary of the New Zealand Ski Council, and New Zealand skiers who have been competing against the Americans at Mount Cook. The toast of the American team was proposed by Messrs. R. Murie and B. Murphy, both of whom paid tribute to the good sportsmanship of the visiting party and their willingness and keenness to help local skiers. As a result of their advide and tuition, many local men had already improved their ski-ing technique considerably. Replying, Mr. J. Laughlin said the team were very grateful for the spirit of good-fellowship with which they were met everywhere. He considered that New Zealand offered a terrain for ski-ing which would bear comparison with that of any other country in which he had travelled. One of the objects of the team’s visit had been to discover a place to come for the summer • holidays. Their own winter ski-ing season was very short, and he thought that when the team returned to America and told of their experiences in New Zealand there would be many others coming here for the next ski-ing season. New Zealanders were quick to learn the art of ski-ing, said Mr. R. Durrance, ■who won the downhill event for America at Mount Cook on Tuesday. He noticed that most used a style traceable to instruction of Barry Caulfield, the English expert who visited New Zealand about a year ago. This style, with feet close together, was hardly suitable for any but the more easy runs, and he advised placing the feet s little further apart. Little use appeared to have been made of the more difficult "courses available; the Ball Pass course, for instance, did not present sufficient in the way of difficulties, and something steeper could be provided with advantage.