Skilng, for the novice, is still the one sport in which the participant invariably becomes battered, bruised, and frost-bitten, possibly breaks a leg or two, and still enjoys it. The more experienced participant does not undergo quite so much physical punishment, but--at Harvard--he makes up for a lot of it with mental anguish.

The problems that the Crimson skiing team has been battling fairly successfully, according to Captain John Houser, are a sparsity of H.A.A. funds and a marked improvement in the calibre of intercollegiate skiing.

Source of the second difficulty is the College's distant location from places with winter-long snow. Dartmouth, Middlebury, Vermont, and New Hampshire are situated right in the heart of such areas, and snow for daily practices at their backdoors gives them a tremendous competitive advantage.

In fact, last winter saw almost no snow at all at the Woburn and Prospect Hill runs, the only ones to which the team can travel daily, and the skiers were forced to sandwich in weekend and vacation practice between meets.

As for the financial problem, H.A.A. support comes to $300 annually--enough to buy ski wax, and to cover breakages--so skiing is lent the distinction of being the most expensive sport for enthusiasts in the College. For example, Houser calculates that a "four event man," or competitor who can handle downhill jumping, slalom, and cross country, will have to pay up to $420 maximum for his complete equipment of skis, boots, bindings, and clothing.

In spite of these obstacles, the team draws a larger number of candidates every years. At an organizational meeting last Monday, a record of 65 skiers turned out.

Houser heads a tentative eight-man team lineup, and Coach Graham Taylor, who is director of the Student Employment Office, calls him the outstanding man at downhill and slalom events--the latter being obstacle racing around poles. Tim Wise, who played varsity baseball last spring is the stand-out jumper, according to Taylor.

John Hart, one of the College's most esoteric sportsmen, has left his single scull rowing, and will almost certainly lead Harvard's cross country skiing--that is, until he has to start training for the Wellesley bicycle race.

Don Kennedy, Butch Horner, and Jim Lawson should also be starting this year. However, a group of seven outstanding sophomores, now eligible for the varsity, could change this picture. Among them, potential four-eventers are Neil Dixon, Kris Lehmkuhl, Hens Vitxthun, and Ed Summersby, while Daryl Hawkins, Noel Scullin and Steve Walker may fill some of the downhill slots.

Several outstanding competitor will be missing this winter: Jim Weaver, who captained last year's squad, Skiddy Lund, jumping and cross country expert, and Ed Ritvo, who led in downhill and slalom. Houser hopes, though, that new men, White Black, George Wilson, and John Glessner, may plug some of the game.

The first scheduled meet is at Lyndonville, Vermont, on December 29, when the Crimson will have its first and last chance this year to head the Junior Eastern division of the Eastern Inter-Collegiate Skiing Association. If successful, it will go on to tackle the bigger fry in the Senior Division: Dartmouth McGill, New Hampshire, St. Lawrence, and Middle bury.

Houser is making no predictions about this contest until he has seen some of his skiers on the snow. He points out though, that Williams, which won the Junior Division last year, now has a professional coach, and that Yale, which placed one above Harvard, at second, will go to Aspen (partly at Y.A.A. expense) for ten days of intensive ski schooling.

If unsuccessful at Lyndonville, the Harvard team will remain eligible for meets running every weekend through February, March, and April. Some of these will have six team events, others will have four, and still other will be for individual entries.

The climax, in one way or another, will be the Dartmouth Winter Carnival.