THRILLS OF THE CRESTA

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1928, Page 4

THRILLS OF THE CRESTA

I had hoped to lie able to give a description of the thrills both of holvsloighing and riding the Cresta. Unfortunately, however, the Cresta, when I recently left St. Mortiz, was open only for the last 300 or 400 yards—from “Stream Corner”—and there was no real thrill in it whatever. It was the snow which most annoyingly prevented me from sampling the bob-run. Mr Cecil Rim. cliosen to represent England in the Olympic Games at this sport, arrived only the day before I. left, and I had reserved the experience of going down the bobsleigh run until his arrival. For the last forty-eight hours of my visit snow and the ’Varsity ice-hockey match made my descent impossible. English people frequently confuse the two perfectly different sports of riding the Cresta and going down the bobsleigh run. A bobsleigh is three times as large as a skeleton and carries a crew of live men or girls. ’l’lie front man, lying head-foremost, steers with a device like that oi a motor car’s driving wheel. The next person lies along his shoulders!, and the next along him, and so on. The last man is known as Hie

brakesman, but in fact there is a fine if the brakes are employed before the finish of the course—when it is necessary to reduce speed after passing the winning post. The crew wear hard feather elbow-pads and knee-pads and circular steel discs on the backs or the hands, like small mediaeval breastplates, with which to protect themselves off the hanks. The speed attained is about forty miles an hour, which ,however, seems much greater as the head is only a foot off the ground. To see the start is an amusing spectacle. The first three men lie along each other on the bob; the last two run alongside it on either flank, pushing to give it further impetus. Xo. -1 then jumps mi board, while Xo. 5 still runs and pushes. After about 30 yards Xo .5 (the brakesman) jumps on board, and then the bob disappears round a lift-hand corner with the brakesman clinging on by hands and knees and violently jerking his body forward from the waist in a series of apparent spasms that are said to increase the speed of the boh. A short distance ahead comes the notorious “Sunny Corner,” which is very high and sheer ice. It is lefthanded. and is followed immediatelyby “Horseshoe Corner,' 1 which is right-handed. Then comes “Shamrock Corner,” where Lord Xorthesk fell off while 'bol-hing with the King of the Belgians hist week, after which it is fairly plain sailing. The Crestn, on the other hand, is only 1 320 yards long and Is ridden on a ■skeleton. This is a one-man steel affair, with a sliding seat like that of an “eight” and a flat cushion. The rider is compelled to wear a crash-helmet in addition to the pads and guards of the bob-runner. He must also wear iron contraptions in each boot. These are spikes radiating out from the too like a fan, and may be used as brakes, necessary enough when it is realised that the 1.320 yards lias been done in -fo.Osee. and a speed of SO miles an hour is attained

at various points. Last year only about a dozen nic-n dared go down from flic top. The remainder descended from “Junction,” which is half-way, or “Stream,” three(juarters of flic way down.

No one is allowed down from the top unless lie has previously descended from half-way, and incidentally no tme has been killed on the Crestn since 1923. The number of falls from the top is 7 per cent; from “Junction” -I per cent; from “Stream.” 1 per cent.

The annual report of the St. Moritz Bobsleighing Club, just published here, gives a number of tips to novices.

It points out that the Crestn is not a “slide.” It has to be “ridden.”

This is illustrated by the fact that if a curling-stone is allowed to descend from the top it docs not complete the journey, hut flies over the top of one of the many hair-raising hanks. The report also says, not without reason, that the Crestn should be treated with respect and taken ns slowly as possible at first. “11 you do not.” il snvs warninely, “you will find yourself in hospital.” Having inspected the run, 1 entirely agree. CHAU I KS (>U AYES.