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American Ski Annual, 1949
* Lowell Skoog has a copy of each article marked with an asterisk.p. 129: Millard, Everett L., "Do Safety Bindings Really Work?" *
The Snow Chase Club of Chicago is trying to determine whether safety bindings actually reduce injuries. Incomplete figures indicate that 10 per cent of skiers now use safety bindings and suggest that these skiers suffer only two or three percent of all injuries. Safety bindings often meet with resistance among "old school" skiers. Some skiers now make their own "safety-ized" bindings by removing toestraps and sole lugs from conventional toe irons and bending the irons for a spring grip from which the boot sole can escape upward.
p. 147: Dudley, Charles M., "Equipment Notes" *
The author recommends the Kandahar automatic binding as the finest he has ever seen. "It is truly automatic in that by pressing sharply down on the front throw, the heel is released for climbing and touring." After years of experimentation with all types of edges, the author believes that 99% are now of the conventional type. A&T will market No. 7 Perma Plastic, an easy-to-apply plastic base offered as a successor to base wax. The author discusses skis, poles, boots, boot waterproofing, waxes, accessories and portable ski tows, but little is noteworthy.
p. 157: Langley, Roger, "National President's Message" *
"Skiing has not only come back as a big sport during the brief time since the war but it has actually surpassed most of our expectations. The season just over has been one of the greatest in the history of United States skiing." The author notes that Gretchen Fraser won the first Olympic gold medal ever awarded an American skier at the 1948 Games.
p. 200: Henderson, George, "PNSA Reports" *
For the first time since before the war, the Rainier National Park Company offered week-long service at Paradise with meals and accomodations available the entire winter. Due to a late start and weather that kept the road closed five weekends, the service was not very successful as far as the company was concerned. It is improbable that this service will be offered next winter. Only two competitive events were held at Paradise in 1948, one of them the Silver Skis, which after a postponement of more than a month due to bad weather, was won by Paul Gilbreath on a shortened course. PNSA now has 60 active ski clubs and conducted 72 tournaments during the season.
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