AMERICAN SKI ERS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 454, 23 June 1937, Page 4

AMERICAN SKI ERS

NEW ZEALAND TOUR May Visit Mt. Egmont One of the world’*, finest ski-ers may visit Mount Egmont next month, when an American team will be in New Zealand. Final details of their New Zealand tour have not yet been arranged, but four Americans will probably visit Mount Ruapehu, Mount Egmont and Mount Cook before leaving for the Australian ski championships, at which a New Zealand team, including several Taranaki ski runners will alto be competing. The American iteam will consist of Richard Durrance, Laughlin, Richard Bradley and Stephen Bradley.

Durrance is United States’ champion skier, and has held the American title for both downhill and elalof events. He was 11th in a field of 60 in the downhill (straight) race at the last Olympic Games, and was eighth in a field of 30 in the slalom race. He was 12ith in the world’s championship race at Innsbruck last year, and eighth in the Kandahar slalom. The Bradley brothers are adepts, at ski-jumping and cross-country racing, and are expert ait downhill and slalom events. Australian Championships. The standard of Durrance’s skiing may be judged by comparison with Tim Mitchell, Australian champion, who is well ahead of New Z°alanders. At a meeting comparable with the Olympiad he finished 55th. The Americans will arrtve at Auckland on July 9 and will visit Ruapehu. Later they will probably have a try-out at Mount Egmont before competing at the South Island meetng at Mount Cook in .the last week of July.

The pretence of the’ Americans will give the Australian championships a really international flavour. Misses P. and J. Murphy, Kaponga, and Brian McMillan, Stratford, will be members o-f the New Zealand team of nine, as will two former Taranaki residents. Mis* Joyce Beale and Brian Murphy. Another man is yet to be selected and ho will almost certainly be a Taranaki skier.