We are very much hoping it will become one of the country's major sporting features Event official

Modern ski jumps reach 200ft - 300ft (60m - 90m), but skiers on Hampstead Heath only had enough room to jump to about 90ft (27.43m).

The London ski jumping competition, as it is known, held a trial contest yesterday evening involving only the Norwegian skiers.

The event the crowd was waiting for, however, was this afternoon's contest between Oxford and Cambridge University.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the sunshine to watch the University Challenge Cup.

It was the first time ski jumping had been seen by most of the crowd. A broadcast commentary on the competition kept everyone informed of the quality of each jump.

Spectators, however, seemed to be more interested in how deep each skier disappeared into the straw laid at the bottom of the run.

In the end, the Oxford team, captained by C. Huitfeldt, won the competition, while the London challenge cup - open to all competitors - was won by Arne Hoel of Oslo.

An official said of the event, "This exhibition has been such an unqualified success that we are very much hoping it will become one of the country's major sporting features."

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