MODERN SKI TECHNIQUE.

By Otto Schniebs and John W. McCrillis '19. Brattleboro, Vermont. The Stephen Daye Press, 1932. (May be obtained from the College Book Store, Hanover, N. H.)

To date the best ski books available have been of European origin, expensive and rather bulky. There was need of a cheap handy instruction book, up-to-date and American. Now two appear simultaneously, and both, appropriately enough, have a Dartmouth origin: most of the second in fact, appeared in recent numbers of this magazine. Proctor, one of the best skiers we have ever developed, was a member of the 1928 American Olympic team. Schniebs, now coach of the Dartmouth Winter Sports team, was, in Germany, a ski instructor and teacher of ski instructors; and McCrillis was a member of the Dartmouth ski team. There is little to choose between these books. Their differences to some extent complement each other. I heartily advise the beginner to buy either, but preferably both. Those who have got past the first agonies will find them valuable as checks on their practice, and, being by that time ski maniacs, will buy both anyway. The comments which follow may be skipped for they deal mostly with minor matters and are the sort of thing a reviewer usually does in a review, especially if he likes to pretend he knows a little about the subject.

The chief difference between these books is in the matter of illustrations. Proctor's has sketches and diagrams. Schniebs' is full of stills from movies taken by McCrillis. These are well done, and much more helpful than sketches. But they must be supplemented by descriptions and to me Proctor's descriptions of the turns seem a little clearer and sounder. Take the single stem, for instance. The chief difficulty is managing the inside ski, about which Schniebs says little, while Proctor gives clear details of the movement of the inside knee which agree exactly with what they tried—unsuccessfully—to teach me in Switzerland. Proctor's telemark is described as old telemarkers have always done it. Schniebs' telemark, quite naturally, is an Arlberg affair, influenced by the Arlberg stem technique. Proctor says, by the way, that the telemark is not suited for abrupt stops. Probably he means stops at Proctor speed, and is doubtless right. At moderate speed it is a very pretty stop. In Schniebs' Christiania one shifts the weight as the body rises from a crouch. In Proctor's one shifts it as the body starts to come down after rising. In this case both descriptions seem perfectly clear and sound. The former is, apparently, the method of the new "Gleitschwungtechnik"; the latter the older way. Both work, but the former is more graceful. Schniebs says one turns the shoulders, Proctor that one turns the hips and knees. The fact is that usually—not quite always—but usually—one does both, necessarily. But only one need be thought about, and you can take your choice. Schniebs says nothing about waxing, doubtless considering the complicated subject not important for a beginner, which is true enough. Proctor has a chapter on it which, to one who has progressed a little, will be worth the price of the book.

The Schniebs and McCrillis book is in more ways than one a tribute to "Otto's" remarkable success as a teacher of skiing. All who have watched the increasing size and rapid progress of his classes, both of students and residents, will join heartily in his praise, and be grateful to McCrillis for getting his methods into print and providing the illustrations. Proctor's book is even more intimately a Dartmouth product. Those of us who have watched his development as a skier will well remember the determination and self-discipline which helped to make him the graceful and effortless runner he has become. His book likewise is simple, lucid, masterly.