SKI-ING AT RUAPEHU

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 10

SKI-ING AT RUAPEHU

FIRST SUMMER MEETING GOOD SPORT OBTAINED On a mile-long snowfield, with a fall of 800 ft. and steep and varying gradients, the first summer ski sports meeting in New Zealand was held by the Ruapehu *Ski Club 011 Saturday and Sunday. Although parties of skiers regularly find good sport on mountain slopes in various parts of New Zealand in the summer, a sports meeting had not hitherto been attempted. The results fully justified the experiment and the enow was of an even consistency that cannot be equalled by the mixed snow and ice of winter. In addition to the sports meeting ski-ing has been practised at Ruapehu for most of the holidays, and a party of Ruapehu Ski Club members is occupying the club hut at 6000 ft. Ski-ing is being obtained at the door of the hut and many interesting turns, climbs, and ski-runs, with long hours of daylight are making this summer's mountaineering a perfect holiday. On Saturday the novice race, slalom and the roped pairs were held on the steep lower slopes, and 011 Sunday the downhill race was run from the Crater Lake, at a height of 8500 ft., to the foot of the glacier. Results were: —

Novice Race. —A. Pluinmer, 1; R. Marks, 2; Miss J. D. Harrison, 3. Four starters.

Handicap Slalom. —L. Collins, 37secs, ]; A. Plummer, oGsecs, 2; J. C. McComish, scr, 3. Seven starters. Roped Pairs. —Miss J. D. Harrison and J. C. McComish, 1; L. Collins and A. Plummer, 2; D. Adams and B. Eaves, 3. Six starters.

Downhill Handicap.—Miss J. D. Harrison. 6min, 1; C. R. Hesketh, 2£min, 2; R. Marks, 4m, 3. Eight starters.