Elmira District Secondary School - Oracle Yearbook (Elmira, Ontario Canada)

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I-H-E O-RACLE centre of this mountain community. Mounting guard over the whole country- side, its bell called the faithful to prayer hourly on Sunday mornings, and made sweet music through the hills. Soon the long procession of skiers, taxis, and sleighs had vanished over the top of the hill and everything regained its usual quiet. However, fifteen minutes later pandemonium again reigned. It did not take long to leave the other skiers and we were soon struggling up the first long hill. At the topof the first hill there was nothing to do but climb the second hill, but as it was longer than the first we began to feel rather tiredg in fact the only thing that kept us moving along so fast was the anticipation of the slide down the other side. Ituwas presumed by all that some of us would not ski the whole way down, for one wit in our party said, 'fl learned to ski in twelve sittings. The other side of a difficult bump, or just around a rather icy and sometimes steep curve, we would gather and watch the next victim display his skill. If he fell we all laughed at him, for it is not considered ill-mannered to laugh at a skier who has taken a tumble. At this point one of the fellows, anxious to show the others that he knew a thing or two, did a gelandesprungg that is, he dug his poles into the snow at the top of a bump and executed a small jump. This unfortunate, however, lost his balance in mid air, and plunged head first into a snowbank so hard that only his legs were left sticking out. We held our breath until we saw him wiggle, and then knowing that he must be alive we all gave him the Hal Hal, and yanked him outg eyes, ears, nose, hair full of snow. It nearly was a noble achievement but there's many a slip- in skiing. V' At the top of the next hill we could see for miles. In every direction bare peaks and summits reared their hoary heads. About fifteen miles to the north a train was winding its tortuous length 25 1 around one of the many mountains and we could hear the whistle. Then after gazing at the scenery we pushed off, one by one, until I was the last left on the top. The cool green firs laden down with their blobs of snow on each branch stirred gently in the breeze and some- where off in the distance a dog barked. The run looked long and steep, and during my meditations my companions had reached the bottom. There they waited. I started with a sharp push-off to gain more speed. As the slope was bumpy an Arlberg crouch was neces- sary. The hill now flashed by in a white blur, my knees working like shock ab- sorbers. I finished at the bottom with a grand swooping Christiana. Then, our Ski Club being over the next rise, we hurried along. I It was the time honoured custom of our Club that the first member to arrive got the key of the house from its place of concealment. This unfortunate then had to make a fire and bring in wood for the stove. Soon the rest of the gang had arrived and dinner was started. Everybody got his own and helped with the dishes afterwards. Then the last one out made everything shipshape, locked the house and hung the key in its ac- customed place. As the trip back to the station was mostly downhill, it was easily navigated by all and as we entered Mount Rolland at dusk, we were thinking of our coach so cozy and comfortable on the siding. We soon stumped into it, brushed the snow from our clothing and peeled off our boots and jackets. Someone started singing L'Alouette , so 'we all joined in. The train began to move and the lights of the siding blinked away into the darkness. Occasionally a blur of light flashed by, indicating we had passed another stop. On arriving home. we turned on the lights and the radio, lit the fireplace and relaxed lazily in front of the fire. It had been another glorious day. g -IAN MARK, XIII

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26 THE ORACLE 0N SKIING I poise on the hill and I wave adieug I My curving skis are jirm and truel The slim. wood quickens, the air takes fire And sings to me like a gypsy's lyref' One can not begin to imagine the thrill and enjoyment derived from ski- ing until one has had actual experience. There is first, of course, pain, which often accompanies the learning of the fundamental rules of' manipulating the skis and ski-poles, but after two or three well-biasedi' falls, the beginner avoids such unpleasant occurrences in the future. I think it is mostly animal in- stinct that keeps the good skier on his feet-he surveys, very quickly, the route just ahead of him, and reflex nerves do the rest. Can't you imagine the thoughts run- ning through the skier's mind as he is about to go over a rather high jump? He doesn't stop to think of the danger there might be in the action, he just enjoys the completely hollow feeling in his stomach as he allows gravity and the old winter wind to toy with him in mid-air. When he has landed safely, and the momentum of the landing sends him speedily along the remainder of the track, he perhaps hopes that his lady love has watched him do the jump, even though it has caused her some anxiety. He almost feels as though he has done something brave, but the wind plays tag about his ears and up his sleeves, and with a slight shiver his thoughts turn to new adventure, perhaps to hitting the ski-trail which istwo miles long. The first hundred yards is not at all fast. Our skier leisurely sways in and out among trees, jumping their shadows just for sport. He wonders what fate has up her sleeve as he gazes at the miles of landscape below him. There are numerous hair pin turns in the trail to prolong its length and very often the deep green, but snow-laden evergreens, which seem to be passing in opposite directions to him, loom up ahead, and although they look very comfortable and soft for landing in, he knows it to be just a deceptive illu- sion and quickly pivots on the handiest ski-pole. On this slope the sun is on his back, sending before him a shadow of him- self, somewhat unproportional, though with glints of beautiful blue. He is amused at the long spindly limbs of the shadow and the short trunk of the body fbecause he is stooped for balance.J The ski-poles jutting out on either side of the image make it resemble a very old-type sea-plane and he at once sets about doing ustuntsi' using his shadow and his imagination. This has a very unexpected and unpleasant result. As the next group of evergreens looms up telling him to turn, first his shadow, then he is in the midst of them. This time, as he awkwardly tries to untangle himself from his skis and the snowy, prickly branches of the trees, he is thankful that his lady love is not watch- ing. -BRUCE RUPPEL, XIII i K! 'I I Suomi I Continued from page 161 Finland has produced athletes- Nurmi of Olympic fame. Muscular en- durance is the endowment of the Finn. Finland is a farming and forest coun- try of small farms and land-owners. Frontier conditions are still here. Each man is his own master and the best man wins. No great riches are here as Fin- land is happily a poor country. All careers are open to women except the church and army. Also, when married, they may keep their positions, and fe- male suffrage has justified itself in that seventeen women are in Parliament, out of two hundred members. - Sibellius still lives, her great artist of music. He has composed songs of the marshes of his beloved homeland known the world over. Finland, now under the Russian heel, will rise again and once more F inlandia, Sibellius' song, will be sung in the land of Suomi . -IAN MARR, XIII