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Show : 1 .rt~ .,, "!! \' ·.'"·•' t.· ~ ~ ' \ January 9, 1942] • THE SKI BULLETI N • [ Page Five lllHIIE AILIL ~ AM\IEIRJCAN SIKIIIEI~ By OscAR CYR Who is the best skier in this country? We are asked ship, and Engen was in second place. Gustavson led En-this question many, many times and, of course, we un- gen by two minutes and twenty-four seconds over a ten hesitatingly say "AI£ Engen of the Sun Valley SC." But mile course. They finished one and two. AI£ Engen then some of our fine recreational skiers protest with the fought the specialists at their own game, and that they non-skiers and howl, "What about Durrance? What about beat him as they did is the greatest tribute to their t itles T oni Matt?" of champion. We might spread the gospeL Our own personal views But none of the specialists was on hand at the t ime of can be questioned, certainly, upon many matters pertain- the National four event championships. H ere the excel-ing to skiing, but the recognized "Old Timers" have agreed lence of Engen was undispu ted. He won first place in to every detail. The "best skier" would be the complete three events, downhill, slalom and jumping, and was third ski·er, the one who excels in all phases of the sport. Dick in the cross country race. And it was against the best D urrance is our present National Slalom Champion. Toni skiers that Amer ica could gather together. Again the rec- Matt holds the downhill title. Torger T okle we all know ord book tells. The National four event champion is AI£ as the greatest jumper in America. California's George Ene:·en. Gustavson is the best of the country's cross country ra- The day has come when we shall use the term "skier" cers. These men are specialists. They are the best in t heir in its true sense. Now we shall designate the competitor's bran ch according to the official record book, and that is specialty. H e will be a great downhill skier, or a fine ......____ the final, indisputable judge. These men can always be jumper, and if he excels in all branches of the sport he can held up as "greater" than Engen, each in his own individ- truly be called a skier. We have come to appreciate the ual specialty, for this past season. all-American qualities of one such as AI£ Engen. But when Durrance won his title, Engen was fourth, It will be f rom the ranks of the collegiate skiing that just 3.7 seconds behind! He was. fourth aga;n behind the fu ture all-American skiers will emerge. N early every Matt, with a difference in time of 11.7 seconds. Tokle week-end throughout the season boys from thirty-one broke all existing American records to win his champion- Eastern colleges will compete at sanctioned four event Lust down and two to go. meet s. Most of these boys have coaching in all of these four events every day. It is f rom this source that D artmouth College has produced such four-way skiing names as Carleton, Proctor, Sander, Mann, H annah, Woods, Chivers, Durrance, Bradley, LitcJ:.fie ld, Rideout, Wentworth, McLane, H alsey, Worden and Salm. And from the Universitv of New Hampshire came long remembered M;chelson, Pederson, Weston and Blood. Then from McGill there ·were Rutherford, Gravson-Bell, J ost, Ball, Mann, Tait, Houghton, Mamen, Moore and Smith-Johansen . And, too, Middlebury, Vermont, Harvard, Amherst, Yah, Norwich and Williams have their fo ur event heroes of the past and present. From this crop of intercollegiate skiers will spring another skier to place his mme beside that of AI£ Engen-upon the top there-high above the names of the specialists. Jumping and cross country are th oldest and surely the most impor tant phases of the sport from the st and o:JOint of gruelling and painst aking preparation. The premium qualities in downhill racing are undoubtedly courage and stamina. An::! in slalom, agility an1 judgment play the vital part. How true it is that all of these qualit ies must be constantly and completely in evidence to be a winner in a cross country or jumping contest. To be a winner in all four is to be truly an All-American skier and an All American man. ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW DEPT. The hotel that advertises special rates for honeymoon ers and skiers . .. the city thH has a band that marches on skis ... the Eastern hotel folder that has on its cover an adaptation from the German Railways poster of some seasons back .. . the High School that stages a foot ball game with all the players·-on skis . . . the ski c-enter that advertises all about its slopes and tows and adds, " Medical care administered". , , the 1000 foot slope with the 50% grade. |
