Why To Ski Like Jackrabbit
I’m Susan Allen and I’ll be back with the program that celebrates the life in the West ...thus nothing more appropriate on a wintery day then to reflect on the impact snow skiing has had on our western economy and really it’s all thanks to a guy named Jackrabbit. Jackrabbit Johannsesn was born in Norway right after the Civil War and was still cross-country skiing a hundred years later. The man often credited with being the first to bring ski’s to America taught Cree Indians how much faster they could move over distances on ski’s when running their traplines. During Jackrabbits long lifetime skiing went from a form of winter travel to the booming business of resorts and lifts. When the rope tow was invented Jackrabbit was outraged “ what pay to ski!” Many of the popular cross country ski trails in Canada and the North East were cut by the wirey man who became and still is for many a symbol of western outdoor adventure . This ski pioneer also felt strongly that people didn’t get enough wilderness when they were young saying ‘If they had had a childhood in the snowy woods and the good fortune to grow up as I did they would know a way that might let them carry on until they are well over 100. Johannason was one of the first advocates of long slow distance training and aerobic exercise. It worked, he skied every day into his early hundreds and died at 111 in 1989 on a trip to Norway. So now you powder hounds (also known as powder pigs for your joy in wallow in white stuff) have Jackrabbit to thank for making it all possible.
