Raquetteurs

Thirty years ago, snowshoeing was one of the most popular winter sports in the U. S. Colleges in the snow belt staged intercollegiate snowshoe meets. The Appalachian Club promoted mountain-climbing on snowshoes. Cross-country races, hundred-yard dashes and hurdle races were the nucleus of every winter carnival, and many a web-footed sportsman went home with a severe case of mal de raquette (lame ankles).

Today all that remains in the U. S. of the dwindling sport of racquet walking are 42 snowshoe clubs and 2,300 addicts, scattered through Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. These hardy survivors, impregnable against the avalanche of skiing enthusiasm that has swept New England, still meet every year for their national championships. But to recapture the spirit of the old stocking-cap days, they make an annual pilgrimage to Canada for the international convention of snowshoers.

Canadians still like snowshoeing. Quebec alone has 75 clubs de raquette, innumerable snowshoe festivals. Last week, in that quaint old city, 4,000 U. S. and Canadian raquetteurs gathered for their annual get-together. In Mardi Gras mood, with bands tootling, they paraded through its snaky, snowy streets, dressed in the gaily colored winter costumes of the French-Canadian settlers.

Canada's winter sportsmen have developed amazing speed on snowshoes. They have traveled 100 yards in twelve seconds,* a mile in six minutes, five miles in 32 minutes. Highlight of every snow-shoe meet is the ten-mile marathon. In last week's ten-mile event--for the International championship--no Americans dared compete. Favorite was little Gerard Cote, 27-year-old newsdealer of St. Hyacinthe, Que. Cote, recently voted Canada's No. i athlete, weighs only 128 lb. Three years ago, he won the International snow-shoe marathon in the record-breaking time of 1 hr. 3 min. 46 sec. Last year, without snowshoes, he outran America's best distance runners in both the Boston Marathon and the National A. A. U. Marathon. His time for the Boston run set a new world's record of 2 hr. 28 min. 28 sec. for the marathon distance (26 miles, 385 yards).

Last week Marathoner Cote lined up with ten challengers, dressed in woolen tights and wearing on their moccasined feet specially built racing snowshoes, narrower and lighter than ordinary ones. Three years ago, when Snowshoer Cote set a new world's record, the thermometer registered 10DEG below zero--and he crossed the finish line with partially frozen feet and knees. Last week it was warmer, and Cote was in less of a hurry. His winning time: 1 hr. 15 min. 37 sec.

World's record for the 100-yd. dash, without snowshoes: 9.4 sec.

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