---
title: "Horace Goes Skiing"
id: 72486
type: "computer_media"
slug: "horace-goes-skiing"
url: "http://localhost/computer_media/horace-goes-skiing/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/computer_media/horace-goes-skiing.md"
published_at: "2026-10-24T00:59:43+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-24T00:59:43+00:00"
author: "David Anderson"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/skiing-1.png"
excerpt: "Guide Horace across a busy road to rent skis, then back across and down a slalom course between the flags while avoiding trees."
post_tag:
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    taxonomy: "post_tag"
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    taxonomy: "post_tag"
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  - name: "Timex Computer Corporation"
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    taxonomy: "post_tag"
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  - name: "TS 2068"
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    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ts2068/"
model:
  - name: "Timex/Sinclair 2068"
    slug: "ts-2068"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/ts-2068/"
indiv:
  - name: "William Tang"
    slug: "william-tang"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/william-tang/"
genre:
  - name: "Game"
    slug: "game"
    taxonomy: "genre"
    url: "http://localhost/type/game/"
media_type: "Program"
programmers:
  - name: "William Tang"
    slug: "william-tang"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/william-tang/"
download_url: "https://archive.org/download/timex-sinclair-software-archive/Horace%20Goes%20Skiing%20%281984%29%28Tang%2C%20William%29%28TS2068%29%28US%29%28Program%29.zip"
tsrun_member: "Horace Goes Skiing (1984)(Tang, William)(TS2068)(US)(Program)/Horace Goes Skiing (1984)(Tang, William)(TS2068)(US)(Program).tap"
mediadate: "1984"
producer_company:
  - id: 11401
    title: "Timex Computer Corporation"
    type: "company"
    url: "http://localhost/company/timex-computer-corporation/"
  - id: 11087
    title: "Melbourne House Publishers"
    type: "company"
    url: "http://localhost/company/melbourne-house-publishers/"
images:
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/skiing-1.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/skiing-2.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/skiing-play.png"
article_media:
  - id: 42465
    title: "Horace … At Last!"
    type: "article"
    url: "http://localhost/article/horace-at-last/"
  - id: 10544
    title: "TS2068 Review: The Horace Saga…"
    type: "article"
    url: "http://localhost/article/ts2068-review-the-horace-saga/"
related_products:
  - id: 26085
    title: "Horace Goes Skiing"
    type: "product"
    url: "http://localhost/product/horace-goes-skiing/"
media_type_tags: "Game"
license: false
---

# Horace Goes Skiing

Horace must first cross a busy multi-lane road of cars, trucks and bicycles to reach the SKIS hut, where he rents skis with his cash. He then crosses back and skis down a slalom course, passing between the flags and avoiding trees. A demo mode plays until a key is pressed.

The title screen scrolls “COPYRIGHT © 1982 BEAM SOFTWARE — WRITTEN BY WILLIAM TANG”. The game was first published by Melbourne House, and Timex sold this TS2068 version (catalog 06-4015) in 1984, with Psion named on the product listing. Its companions, Hungry Horace and Horace and the Spiders, are also archived here.

## Program Analysis

### Loader

The BASIC loader does `CLEAR 30000`, sets paper, ink and border to yellow, loads a title screen and a 9,216-byte code block at 32768, and starts it with `PRINT USR 32768`. Constants are written as `PI-PI` and `PI/PI`, and `POKE 23659,0` (DF SZ) comes before each step.

### Notable Techniques

- The game is machine code. The BASIC uses `LET z=PI-PI` and `LET o=PI/PI` to save memory on numeric constants.
- Setting DF SZ (23659) to 0 before each `PRINT AT 22,0` lets the loader use the bottom lines of the screen.

This copy came from a Larken disk and was converted for tape: the `PRINT USR 100` disk prefixes and the LOGICALL line were removed. It was tested on a stock TS2068 in ZEsarUX: title screen, demo mode and play, with Horace moving and scoring.

## Source Code

```
   10 CLEAR 30000: LET z=PI-PI: LET y=6: LET o=PI/PI: LET l=22: LET m=23659
   20 BORDER y: PAPER y: INK y: CLS 
   30 POKE m,z: PRINT AT l,z;;: PRINT USR 100: LOAD "skiing.C$"SCREEN$ 
   40 POKE m,z: PRINT AT l,z;;: PRINT USR 100: LOAD "skiing.C1"CODE 
   50 POKE m,z: PRINT AT l,z;;: PRINT USR 32768
 9992 PRINT USR 100: SAVE "SKIING.B1" LINE 1
 9998 PRINT USR 100: LOAD "L.B1"
```