A history of skiing Ruapehu published

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 14, 1 September 1987, Page 7

A history of skiing Ruapehu published

"They arrived in Ngaruawahia today, by the one o'clock train, the largest pair of shoes yet imported into the North Island. They measured from toe to heel 7ft 9in,..." That was how The Ngaruawahia Advocate described the first skis imported "in order to introduce the exhilarating pastime of skiing into New Zealand" the date was July 1913. Fully equipped with their wooden skis arid a copy of "The Ski Runner" by E.C. Richardson, Bill Mead and Bernard Drake, pioneers of the sport, were ready to conquer Mount Ruapehu. In December 1913 they finally achieved the first ski ascent to the Crater Lake of Ruapehu. "Skiing on the Volcano" is an illustrated history of

the development of skiing on Mount Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park, that includes the above information. More than 100 black and white photographs show the changes that have taken place since the days when there were no roads and no facilities for visitors. Horse drawn buggies were used to transport skiers to the snow and in the early days skiers used only one pole and falling was considered to be the easiest way to change direction. The publication of the book coincides with the centennial of Tongariro National Park. In 1887, the paramount chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa, Te Heuheu Tukino IV, gifted the volcano topped mountains of the Central North Island to the Crown, as a national park for all. "Skiing on the Volcano"

is dedicated to the memory of Sir Bryan Todd who died this year. Sir Bryan first skied on Mount Ruapehu in the early 1930's. Two decades later he helped establish Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, the company which developed modern ski lift facilities at Whakapapa. The book was written and researched by Karen Williams and Dave Bamford and published jointly by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts and Tourism Resource Consultants. Included in the National Park's Centennial Celebrations at the Chateau in September will be a formal launch for "Skiing on the Volcano" on the evening of Tuesday 22 September. 1 During the day skiers will be dressing up in ski wear of the past and the future and many of those early skiers will be there to reminisce about the "good old days".