FREAK BIKE RUNS BY MOTION OF BODY

A bicycle without pedals, invented by two Chicago men, is designed to operate on body motion alone. Standing on a springy footboard, a rider propels the strange vehicle simply by raising and lowering his body. The rear wheel of the bicycle has its axle mounted off center. A down-ward thrust of the legs tends, after the bicycle has been placed in motion, to pull this axle down to its lowest position, thus causing the wheel to revolve in a forward direction.

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Skiing on Blistering Desert Is the Latest California Fad

IT IS now a common sight at fashionable Palm Springs, Calif., to see skiing parties enjoying their sport on the blistering desert sands.

Somebody recently inaugurated the fad of skiing down the long slopes that border the great California desert in the vicinity of Palm Springs. The Palm Springs Sand Ski club was soon organized and now skiing is a regular part of the daily pleasure routine.

Regular skiis are used. However, a piece of highly polished tin is attached to the running surface and this adds to the speed. Going down a fairly steep incline, it is possible for the sand ski enthusiast to attain a speed of about thirty miles per hour.

“Electric Bike” above boasts a dynamo which stores energy while traveling downhill and releases it to provide power for climbing up grades. It was another of the 6,000 products exhibited at the “Britain Can Make It” show and was designed by B. G. Bowden.

Roller Skates Have Tractor Treads
LOOKING like a pair of toy army tanks, roller skates invented by a Japanese school teacher are fitted with endless treads like those used on tractors. This novel feature is said to make it possible for users to skate over rough surfaces that would stop conventional skates.

Landlubbers Hoist Their Sails and Go Yachting on Bikes
Boats are nice, but not necessary for a sailing trip. Right in Miami, Fla., a city of yachtsmen, two youths who had bicycles but no boats hoisted their sails over the bikes and let the trade winds haul them down the drive.

Bike Racer Hits 100 m.p.h. To Set New World’s Record

ANEW world’s record was established in Los Angeles recently when Frank Bartell, veteran six-day bike racer, pedaling behind a streamlined windshield fastened to the rear of a fast-traveling car, skimmed over a one-mile course at an average speed of 80.5 m. p. h. Beating the previous record by more than four miles, 33-year-old Bartell was confident that he soon would surpass his present time.

The mile straightaway course was laid out on a concrete boulevard. Both auto and cylist passed over the finish line at 90 m. p. h. and were said to be doing 100 m.p. h. before they slowed down.

I’ve only ever seen plastic birdies, so I guess this was a success.

Plastic Badminton Bird
Now available for badminton players is a plastic shuttlecock that the manufacturer claims will last four times longer than a feathered bird. It is true in flight and unaffected by moisture or prolonged disuse.

Ten-Pin Boys’ Work in Bowling Alley Done by Machine

A BOWLING alley with essentially no difference from a regulation type is in operation in Germany equipped with a machine that not only does the work of the ten-pin boy but also registers the count of the games and keeps the players’ scores separate. The machine is mounted under the ten-pin platform. It stands the pins up after they have been knocked down, returns the balls and tabulates the count by an illuminated indicator. It is electrically operated, and no further attention need be paid it after the current has been turned on. The pins are attached to the platform by knuckles which allow a ball to topple the pins if it strikes or grazes them.

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“PUTT-PUTT” Takes COUNTRY by STORM

The ancient and honorable game of golf has gone Scotch with a vengeance. Long a pastime requiring broad acres, expensive club-houses and equipment, the game has now moved into the city within access of all — and it costs only a quarter.

MINIATURE golf courses, which are on the increase in several states, are now being equipped for night golf through a new system of illumination and the game, played under flood lights, is becoming a country-wide craze.

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Yes, THOUSANDS! T.V. sure did change the Olympics.

Winter Olympics Thrill Thousands
SCIENCE and engineering joined forces to provide the most spectacular features of the Winter Olympics held in Germany, bob sledding and ski jumping. Into the scientifically designed, ice banked curves of the runways engineers put all the skill that was at their command, while their work on the ski scaffold make possible jumps of more than 250 feet.

I thought I remembered watching a Daily Show clip where the correspondent tried in vain to use one of these, but I couldn’t find it online.

Ancient Mayan Throwing Stick Modernized by Bowmen

BORROWING an idea from the Mayan Indians of Yucatan, Los Angeles sports enthusiasts have revived the ancient throwing stick to add new zest to the enjoyment of modern archery.

Used instead of a bow to hurl arrows great distances with deadly accuracy, the throwing stick, or “hul-che,” was used for both hunting and combat by the ancient Mayans. Several specimens of the weapon were found by Robert B. Stacy-Judd, famous archaeologist, and were given to Earl B. Powell, nationally known archery expert, who developed them as a modern sports accessory.

Vacuum Cups Keep Score for Fencers
Vacuum cups of rubber fixed lightly to the ends of foils are a feature of a novel fencing outfit just introduced. The tiny cups come loose and stick to an opponent’s protective shield at the point where they touch it. The tips not only insure safety for the fencers, but facilitate scoring by adhering to areas appropriately marked on the shields. Scoring is based on the location of the touch, a thrust at the heart counting most.