SKIING AT MT. COOK

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1938, Page 7

SKIING AT MT. COOK

CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS OPEN. (Per Press Association.—Copyright.) THE H ERMITAGE, Aug. 29. The New Zealand Ski Championships commenced to-day at Mount Cook. This is the first time for three years that the New Zealand Championships have been held at Mount Cook, and with a large gathering of some of the Dominion’s most promm- ' ent skiers at The Ball Hut, .some interesting events are promised. Following a week of brilliant sunshine, the weather broke on Saturday, when a nor-west wind sprang up, and rain commenced to fall in the evening. There has been rain during the whole of the week-end, with intermittent showers to-day. Owing to the two days’ rain, the snow is now very wet, and is icy in parts. The event to be run off to-day was the New Zealand Long Distance Ski Championship, which took place on a course about ten miles in length, on the Hochstetter section of the Tasman Glacier, beginning at the moraine opposite the Ball Hut. The course wound through a series o. hummocks as far as the Hochstetter ice fall, and then went back to the starting point. Two laps of the course made up the required distance. There were seven competitors, including A. Swan, who finished third in the 1935- Championships; Roy Sole, who competed last year in the ski championships in Australia; and T. A Schweiters, one of the North Island s leading skiers. The competitors started at half minute intervals.

Swan, the first man away, led the field throughout the race. Sole, starting last, quickly overhauled the rest of the men, with the exception of Swan, who was well ahead of them before the race was half finished. D. MacKenzie, a junior skier, in his first season of the competition in tlm open class, showed exceptional form to obtain third place. The result

was °wan fOfago Ski Club), 05 mins. 23 1-5 secs 1 p ov So'", 00 mins 33 2-5 secs 2 D. MaoKermip (Tasman Ski Chib) 73 min 41 sees ... a