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The article offers information regarding the 1972 Winter Olympics that was held in Sapporo, Japan, which lasted in 10 days and featured 35 events. It states that speed skater Ard Schenk was regarded as the brightest among all the starts in the Olympics, winning the beefcake award and three gold medals. It says that the cross-country skiing was dominated by the well-trained Russians. Meanwhile, it was believed that the 1972 Winter Olympics had fulfilled the Olympic motto.

The article discusses the experiences of two New York-based cross-country skiers who visited Anchorage, Alaska in the winter of 1973. It cites Mike Hershberger, who served as a tour guide for the visitors. Hershberger is the president of the Anchorage Hunters and Fishermen Association and tour director of the Anchorage Nordic Ski Club. The skiing experiences of the two cheechakos or visitors with Hershberger and skier Judy Spivey in the Anchorage mountainsides are also cited.

The article profiles Bradford McKean, a multi-awarded high school athlete from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started winning trophies at age ten after he won the cross-country race. He joined the Little League and became a pitcher at age 12. The following year he became one of the top players for the basketball and football teams of his school. He set national records for swimming before he turned 15 with the guidance of coach Al Rose.

The article discusses the dominance of host Norway in the FIS World Nordic Ski Championship. It cites the strong performance of the Norwegians skiers on Holmenkollen Hill after a slow start at the men's 30-kilometer cross-country race and Russia's strong showing in the women's cross-country events. Norway's top performers include ski jumper Bjorn Wirkola, winner of the Holmenkollen title, and Gjermund Eggen, winner of three cross-country events.

This section offers sports news briefs. The international Ski Federation (FIS) decided to permit national federation and Alpine and Nordic skiers to accept money for ski advertisements as well as helmets, gloves and poles. Ski racers are reportedly forbidden to accept money for appearances in ski events or participate in ski races for cash prizes. The two types of competitors include the authorized professionals and the true amateur who should not accept money at all.

The article focuses on the comparison between cross-country skiing or ski touring and downhill skiing. It mentions that ski touring is easier to learn while a downhill skill requires two to three weeks of coaching. It says that cross-country packages in ski stores in Minneapolis area amount to 50 to 100 dollars while downhill package ranges from 250 to 600 dollars. It states that cross-country skiers use low-cut boots and bindings which do not lock the whole foot to the ski to prevent fractures during spills. Meanwhile, airlines pilot Dick Gronning notes that a ski tourer needs to hike out into the farm lands while a downhill skier is tied to a lift line.

The article focuses on the problems facing the Denver Olympic organizing committee in Colorado in staging the 1976 Winter Games at Mount Sniktau due to the Continental Divide. The committee faces the embarrassment of manufacturing artificial snow for downhill racers, bulldozing a hillside and counterslope for ski jumpers, packing spectators in small locations and cutting gaps in private backyard fences for cross-country skiers. Experts feel that relocation is the only alternative and the Copper Mountain on the western slope is being considered.

The article describes the successful effort of a reporter for WNEW-FM to ski through Central Park in New York City. The ski tour took him from the Park entrance at Fifth Avenue and Ninety-sixth Street to the Plaza Hotel. He found the Park in perfect condition for cross-country skiing and no other skiers were spotted on the tour.

The article offers updates on cross-country skiing, which was popularized by Nordic racers plowing along at speeds that enable them to ignore the cold. Analysts say that cross-country skiers are stubborn competitors because they struggle along trails by themselves amid the cold and body pain. Schedules for seasonal cross-country skiing races are mentioned, including races in Colorado, Alaska and Sweden.

A photo essay which depicts the difficulties experienced by the American cross-country runners on snow-covered courses during the winter-held National Collegiate Cross Country Championships on the Michigan State University campus in 1955.