Waxing Warm 

a saucy snow bunny adds sparkle to the ski season 

Ethnologists tell us skiing originated not among weekending revelers at Aspen or Sun Valley, but among the frosty-bearded hordes of Stone Age Europe. It has since become a many-splendored art form, blending agility, grace -- and the informal social graces of the ski lodge. Sleekly garbed for the slopes or beguilingly peeled in a rustic retreat, eighteen-year-old Barbara Ann Lawford can boast a many-splendored art form all her own. We found our adventurous Playmate in California, in a Sherman Oaks sport shop, buying gear for her very first ski trip. Naturally, we invited ourselves along. At the ski lodge, Barby took to her room, got out of her traveling clothes and decided to wax her skis -- as you can see for yourself in this month's eye-filling gatefold -- before donning stretch pants and parka. During the fun-filled weekend, we coaxed Barbara into returning with us to Playboy headquarters in Chicago where this beautiful snow bunny is presently brightening the lives of members as another kind of bunny, complete with rabbit ears and cottontail, at the Playboy Key Club on Chicago's Near North Side.