DOWNHILL SKI-RACING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22205, 4 September 1935, Page 13

DOWNHILL SKI-RACING

DOMINION CHAM PIONSHHPS WINNER'S FINE PERFORMANCE [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT THE HERMITAGE, Tuenday A very high standard of ski-ing wa displayed in the downhill erents in th< New Zealand ski championship meet ing, opened at the Ball! Glacier in per feet weather and snow conditions to day. The performance of H. Wigley,, o the Tasman Ski Club, in covering tht 2£-mile run from the Ball Pass to th< Ball Glacier, a descent of 2500 ft., wa! nothing short of magnificent. Getting away to a good start ho took all th< steep slopes clean, without a fall, anc passed through the flags at the speeci of an express train. His average speec worked out at over 45 miles ]jer hour. The first six men to pass the winning line bettered the time of 1 H. Elworthy, who won the event two years ago. S. M. Watson, of the Aorangi Ski Club, the runner-up, has been skiing well. He was a member of the Cambridge University Ski Club. Watson came down the slope without a fall. He won the downhill race at the Mount Cook meeting two days ago. A. Wigley, who is a younger brother of H. Wigley, finished close behind Watson. He came down Ball Pass in 3m 48s. The North Island competitors, who did not know the courao as well as the South Island men, did well., but lost much time in falls and takiing a wider course. Brian Murphy and Brian McMillan, of the Ruapehu Ski Club, who came from Taranaki, would have done much better hud they been more familiar with the course, but finished fourth and fifth respectivelv. Snowden, of the Ruapehu Ski Clu'b. was unlucky to fall and ijreak a ski at the top of the last run, otherwise he would have been placed. D. Plummer, of the Ruapehu Ski C'lub, who has been prominent in the North Island competitions, lost much time through falling heavily. The ladies' race was won easily by Mrs. A. B. Edwardes, of Chriistchurch, who announced that she was retiring from downhill racing. Alt hough she fell twice, Mrs. Edwardes cut in half her time when she won the same event at the championships two years ago. Miss J. Beale of the Strafford Mountain Club, finished third, and probably would have done better had she been more converisant with tho conditions and the course. The placings were:— Downhill Championship.—H. W'iglev (Tasman Ski Club), 3m 35 4-ss, 1; S. M. Watson (Aorangi Ski Club), 3m 40 4-ss, 2; A. Wigley (Tasman Ski Club), 3m 48s, 3; B. Murphy (Ruapehu Ski Club), 4m 18 !2-sh, 4. Murphy fell twice. Ladies' Downhill Championship.— Mrs. A. B. Edvardes (Christchurch Ski Club), 3m 20 2-ss, 1; Miss D. Wilkins (Christchurch Ski Club), 4m 14 4-ss, 2; Miss J. Beale (Stratford Mountain Club), 4m 29 2-ss, 3; Miss D Brown (Christchurch Ski Club) 5m 11 l-ss, 4 The first three each had a fall, and Miss Beale fell again 200 yards from the finish when running second. SPORTS AT RUAPEHU LARGE SCHOOL PARTIES [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN COURESPONDENT] THE CHATEAU, Tuesday The vacancies at tho Chateau, Tongariro, caused by the departure of the ski club members following the conclusion of the winter sports meeting at the National Park are rapidly being filled by the arrival of parties of school pupils. Scholars from Hawko's Bay and Wanganui schools aro included in largo parties that arrived this afternoon. A further largo party from Auckland Grammar Schools are due late to-night and pupils from the Takapura Grammar School and tho Hamilton Technical School will arrive in the course ot the next few days.