OCR Text |
Show THE Page 12 And Now... Cross Country NASTAR With skis carefully waxed, poles in hand, and NASTAR racing bib secured, we line up at the start. When "Go" is yelled, 25 racers stride out onto the course. There is a groomed. winding trail stretching ahead of us no gates to dictate turns. For this is a different format for NASTAR-Cross Country racing. Immediately across the start line, several men glide out in front. But the lead continues con-tinues to change as the endurance en-durance of each racer governs individual progress on the five kilometer trail. Spread out on the course is a string of men, women and children of varying ages and abilities all stimulated by second 20 in each category are awarded a silver patch, while the third DO";, take home a bronze. NASTAR was introduced to cross country skiing last winter in a pilot program at three ski areas: Snowmass Touring Center in Colorado. Telemark in Wisconsin, and Kirkwood in California. As the poularity of Nordic skiing has spread through the world, so has interest in recreational cross country competition. Under the sponsorship of Dannon Yogurt and Golden Grahams, NASTAR has expanded ex-panded to meet this surge of enthusiasm, and Cross Country Coun-try NASTAR is now offered at 24 areas in the United "...the NASTAR patches gwe cross country skiers a sense of achievement. " physical exhilaration and a competitive challenge. The pace quickens as the finish approaches. One by one, each racer funnels through a finish line chute, urged on by cheering onlookers. The skiers congregate near the scoreboard as clocked times and finish orders are tabulated to reveal' which 61 of the racers will merit a NASTAR patch. Grouped according to age and sex 14 and under, 15-18, 19-35, 36 and over the first 10 of the cross country NASTAR participants sliding through the finish receive a gold patch. The States. Midway through this season, recreational skiers on skinny skis have competed com-peted in over J25 Cross Country Coun-try NASTAR races. This new dimension in NASTAR racing has elicited a positive response from participating ski areas. As Ron Farra, the owner of Saratoga Mountain Ski Touring in New York, explains, ex-plains, "the NASTAR patches pat-ches give cross country-skiers country-skiers a sense of achievement." Saratoga Mountain has conducted several Cross Country NASTAR races in conjunction conjunct-ion with the Saratoga Springs Winter Carnival. Radio and TV stations were on hand to cover the NASTAR events, while free Dannon Yogurt samples repleniHoH the energv of each competitor. Cross country races at night have been held under the lights at Pule and Pedal Touring Center in New Hampshire. This area has also hosted a Cross Country NASTAR to benefit a muscular dystrophy drive. Jeff Jacobs, manager of Pole and Pedal, reports, "We're getting 20 or more racers for each event, and the races are very competitive. com-petitive. This program is a winner for us." Telemark Ski Touring in Wisconsin, where Cross Country NASTAR was initiated last vear, has a special Cross NASTAR com petition. Entitled the "25 Club," a prize is awarded to any NASTAR racer finishing within 25 of the time of Telemark's Adun Endestad, a top Norwegian cross country coun-try racer. The Director of the Nordic Ski School at Sun Valley, Idaho and the coach of the 1952 U.S. Olympic Nordic Team, Leif Odmark, describes NASTAR as "a great way to introduce skiers to the excitement of cross country racing." John Eckhardt, the manager of Stratton Mountain Moun-tain Touring Center in Vermont, Ver-mont, says, "Cross Country NASTAR is a great addition here at Stratton. Our best devised Country race occurred during the Stratton Trade Fair on March Mar-ch 7. Among the competitors were former U.S. Olympic Nordic Team member, Mike Gallagher; a former member mem-ber of the University of Vermont Nordic Team, Morton Mor-ton Garrud; and NASTAR's Marketing Director, Peter Kirkpatrick." Throughout the United States, cross country racing has brought people and families together for an inexpensive, healthy and fun activity, while simultaneously heightening the personal experience of winter's beauty. An integral part of cross country racing is the selection selec-tion and application of the correct ski wax. To obtain the best results, skis should be dry and clean before waxing, and if possible, wax indoors. A "dry" wax should be smoothed on the ski bottoms with a waxing cork when temperatures fall below 2CF. As the temperature rises, a rougher wax is called for, especially on the center section of the ski. Skis that slip backwards signal (hat too "cold" a wax was used. A "kicker" of "wet" wax on the middle of the ski bottom should provide more grip. On the other hand, ski bottoms that drag and collect snow need the "wet" wax smoothed out with a cork or scraped off entirely en-tirely in order to apply "dry" wax. ANNOUNCEMENT We are pleased to announce a "first" in Park City dining: Soft, tuneful, romantic piano background music to complement an excellent candle-lit dinner. World traveler ERIC LUNDBERG'S reminiscent ram-blings ram-blings at the piano and occasionally on the accordion-bringing accordion-bringing back "new nostalgia" and international melodies we feel will truly delight you. You know, there's not much of this kind of music around any more. We are sincerely confident you will thoroughly enjoy it. Appetizers L'Escargot 3.00 Oysters on a Half Shell 2.75 Sauteed Mushrooms 1.50 Shrimp Cocktail 3.00 French Onion Soup 1.50 Clam Chowder 1.50 "Entrees All entrees inc lude Salad. Vegetable clu Jour, baked Potato with Sour Cream, Chives or Butler or Rice Pilaf and Beverage Fresh Sole 'Filet poached in Herbs Wine 8.95 Trout Amandine Ohe traditional Western 'JxainboW Urout 7.50 Darnes de Saumon Grillees au Beurred Escarots Salmon hasted in herbed butter 7.95 Poisson Farcia a la Florentine 'Florida Red Snapper prepared with jresh spinach dressing sen'ed whole 10.50 Coquilles St. Jacques a la Parisienne Scallops presented in the shell simmering in a white wine sauce 7 .SO Lobster Owo broiled 'Australian lobster tails 13.95 Alaska King Crab Sen'ed with lemon butter 9.50 Crab & Steak 'Alaskan King Crab leg combined With a prime jillet 10. Roast Duckling Montmorency One half duckling sen'ed with Wild rice cohered With cherry sauce Sr'jlamed tableside 10.50 Veal Madere 3 ender VtW seasoned with mushrooms, shallots -' Madere 8.95 New York Steak Charbroiled to your specifications 9.95 Charbroiled Tenderloin Filet Large 9.95 Medium 8.95 Turnedos Henri IV et Choron Escoffier 'A tour dejorce in French cooking. Medallions of beej on artichoke bottoms cohered with beamaise choron sauces 1 2 . 95 Boeuf Wellington Ohe classic combination oj beej, pate pastry. 'Please allow 35 minutes Jor preparation 13 .95 Desserts Banana Flambe 2.50 Peaches Cardinal 2.75 Italian Rum Cake 1.25 Cheese Cake with Strawberries 2.00 Please ask yo"- ...iter about children's dinners Fifteen percent gratuity added to bill for groups ot six Or more m i with Craig Aftschul Want to know how to make friends in Kitzbuhel, Kitz-buhel, Austria? It's easy. You just do what I did. Stroll down the village street and say much too loudly.. ."Look, they copied the architecture from Vail." I have spent years embarrassing my fellow ski journalists on the slopes of the United States, but this winter I finally took my act to Europe. We jumped on the Lufthansa plane out of JFK airport in New York for the overnight trip to Munich via Cologne and I plopped down in my seat by the window, ready to settle in for the night. Within moments a stout German gentleman in a blue striped suit with a diamond Rotary pin sat down next to me. "Hello," I said. He grunted. He looked me up and down and reached in his coat pocket. Out came a powder blue with lace border eyeshade. He gave me a final glare and put it on. I turned to my friends in front of me and in an up-politic voice, (thinking he only spoke German Ger-man ) , told them he was just early for a Fasching Costume Ball. As soon as I said it the fellow pulled the eyeshade up slightly and grunted again. I wasn't going to win on this trip. Finally, after an interesting evening in Munich, we motored our way into the Alps and into Kitzbuhel. This was the beginning of the end. It was the start of being slowly wienerschnitzeled to death. And if the schnitzel doesn't get you, the strudel will. And, if the strudel doesn't get you, there's an apple and pear brandy called "Obstler" that can't possibly miss. Combine all that with beer and you're a goner. ' I tried to make the inevitable comparisons between skiing in America and skiing in Austria, but I soon gave up. It's apples and oranges. Skiing is not something done for "holiday" over there, it's a way of life... and a good life at that. There is not the all-consuming drive to be the first one down the hill in the morning or the last one in front of the sweep at night. Breakfasts are leisurely... it takes a good hour to devour 'all those little round rolls... and most' people don't hit the snow much before 10 a.m. They ski for a couple of hours and then yodel off to some little roadside town or slopeside farmhouse farm-house for a couple hours of lunching (always with schnapps). Then it's time for another few SKI RENTAL & REPAIR ALL NEW EQUIPMENT PERSONALIZED SERVICE ONE BLOCK TO LIFTS PROFESSIONAL SKI TUNING & REPAIR SKI ACCESSORIES LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN $6.00 DAILY RENTAL $35.00 WEEKLY RENTAL LOCATED AT THE RESORT ENTRANCE 649-8430 COURTESY TRANSPORTATION call 6498430 $7.50 DAILY HIGH PERFORMANCE DEMO SKIS DEMO SALE STARTS March 15 Get 'em while they're hot Vi PRICE OFF ON TOWN RACE DAYS NEW LOCATION At shop on Lower Level of Silver Mill House Resort Center Wednesday, March 15, 1978 runs. ..and that's a pleasant ski day. Our instructor was named Hans. I guess most of them are. Every ski area has a "Hans." He's one of those marvelously patient fellows in his 60's who can find ways to tell you what you're doing wrong in the form of a compliment. None of the "Ben-Zee-Knees, Two Dollars Pleez" stuff was evident to me (or to Americans I talked with ) , and the attitude of the ski instructors instruc-tors was loose and enjoyable. They have lunch with you (your tab), and a post-ski schnapps or tea (also your tab), and that's it. There doesn't seem to be the hustle-bustle of U.S. skiing except for one notable exception: Getting on ski busses and gondolas. If you think managing the New York subways is tough during rush hour, you've never battled the German and Austrian contingent getting into a gondola. It is a case of survival of the fittest and don't ask me how I survived. I barely fit. Apres ski is another big difference. Here, soft zither music, rum cakes and tea replace the blaring, late afternoon stuff at our resorts and it's a delightful way to end a day. As one of our group pointed out. .."It's even civilized." In the evening Kitzbuhel comes to life again. Anv kind of music from a folk lounge to a glossy disco called the "Club Tenner" is available. From Kitzbuhel, we traveled a couple of hours through the stage set for "The Sound of Music" to Badgastein in the Gastein Valley. Let me tell you about Badgastein. It's Goodgastein. A road winds its way just a couple of miles through what seemed to me to be some of the best kept secrets around... Dorf gastein, Bad Hofgastein and Badgastein itself. Each of the little towns has its own ski area... most of them huge... and its own set of charms. The "Bad" means bath. And, for American skiers who thought going to Europe to ski with the current shape of the U.S. dollar would be essentially taking a bath... they are sort of correct. People come from all over Europe to take the "Kur" which, as I understand it, will cure anything from bursitis to your sex drive. Amazing what some gassy hot water and mud-packs mud-packs can do for the soul. You ought to see all the "sick" people ski, too. It's a great place to be a convalescent. We tried the baths one day when the wind was blowing the charilifts around. You can be saunaed and pummeled and steamed into oblivion in just a matter of hours. All I got was cold. The skiing in the Gastein Valley is endless -and I '11 -wager there's riary a reader of 4hisokuni who has ever heard of the place. Americans don't need to know the language. I figured out a few words and phrases and that was all that was necessary. Many of the Austrian resorts take seriously the ' ad slogan "Austria American Skiers Best Friend." In Badgastein, for example, the best friend is Alois Schafflinger, formerly of Sugar-, bush and Great Gorge in the U.S. Stop by his of- fice and he'll point you in all the right directions. It's a good concept and it is effective. Write Bob Wall of Syracuse, who has spent more time on European slopes than St. Ullr, taught me how to say "Paar Wurstl Mit Brod" and that always got me a couple of hot dogs and a piece of bread. He even scowled properly at me when I rolled them into an American style sand-which. sand-which. You don't do that, I discovered. You just dunk the doggies into the mustard and chomp. Then if you learn three worlds: "leicht," "mit-tel," "mit-tel," and "schwierig" you can find your way around any mountain on the map. It was simple. Anything marked "schwierig" I figured was something to avoid. I ended the trip just like I started it. I caused a mini version of an international incident. When I returned to my hotel after an evening of dining and, admittedly popping a couple of glasses of wine, I had discovered those efficient Austrians had packed my bags since we had a 5:45 a.m. departure. The room was bare. So, I went to sleep, blissfully thinking how nice they were to pack for me. I woke with somewhat of a start the next morning when I heard the bus pull in front of the hotel. I tossed some water on my face and casually walked into the lobby. Gerhard Markus of the Austrian Tourist Bureau was in a cold sweat. A search party had been formed going door-to-door. I was a missing journalist, I discovered. I don't know how to tell you this, but I slept in the wrong room. Don't ask me how the key worked. I don't know. Don't ask me which room I slept in... I don't know. But, I may never hear the end of it. I swear to you it was the sauna, not the wine. We returned via a Fasching Ball in Munich. I decided to dress as a missing person. Lufthansa asked us to sample "first class service" ser-vice" on the way home and all I can say is "first class" is better. Anyone can handle 14 meals. I had no trouble adjusting to American life again when I got back, except for the day I stopped stop-ped at the corner grill in New Haven, looked at the sweaty chef, and said, "Paar Wurstl Mit Brod." He told me to keep my SKI TIPS up. Sibscrlb |