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American Ski Annual and Skiing Journal, 1954
* Lowell Skoog has a copy of each article marked with an asterisk.p. 44: Berry, Bill, "Old-Timers of the Sierra" *
In "California Pioneers on Skis" in the 1938 American Ski Annual, David C. Mills recounted the legends of the Sierra old-timers' with a comment that "knowing and proving" are two different things. In this article, the author provides proof, in the form of photos and newspaper articles, of claims of early skiing in the mining communities of the Sierra Nevada.
The author writes that "Norway skates" were introduced to the gold mining camps in the winter of 1853-54. The Alturas Snow-Shoe Club claims to be the world's very first ski organization formed for the specific purpose of promoting formal competition. In addition to speed running, the old-timers also jumped, ran "serpentine" (slalom) races through timber, held uphill races, one-ski tests, wrote how-to books, and even had a ski patrol.
p. 52: "La Porte Snow-Shoe Races" *
An account of the "world's first ski championship race" in 1867, held by the Alturas Club of La Porte, California (filed with the Bill Berry article).
p. 143: "In Memoriam, Darroch W. Crookes, August 3, 1912-April 12, 1953" *
Crookes was born in Montana and raised in Seattle, where he attended the University of Washington. He was a lifelong sportsman and a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic ski team. At the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Mountain Infantry Division and served as a captain and was awarded two Bronze Stars in Italy. At the time of his death he was a partner with Don Fraser, his 1936 Olympic teammate, in a petroleum products distributorship in Portland, Oregon. The article includes a photo of Crookes.
p. 232: Dudley, Charles M., "Ski Equipment, 1953-54" *
The author was chastized by merchants for quoting high prices in his 1952-53 article. "There is nothing wrong with their boot for $15.98," he recants. Competitive skiers remain reluctant to use safety bindings, while recreational skiers prefer them, although they are often badly fitted. Forward binding springs continue to gain acceptance and "special emphasis should be placed on the type of safety binding that permits climbing or touring," say merchants. Anderson & Thompson has a new cable-less safety binding known as the Step-Lok binding.
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