The first skiing competition in this part of Europe was held in Gora on March 8 1895. Preparations had already started years earlier. As Slavko Vidic from the Gora Association recounts: "Gorjane caught the skiing fever in 1888 when Edmund Čibej, a local teacher, ordered a pair of skis from Norway. He tried to teach himself how to ski. Soon, forest rangers from Gora started using this new "means of transport". To promote the use of skis, Čibej, forest rangers and hunters organized the first skiing competition in this part of Europe. That was back in 1895 when a 5-metre thick blanket of snow covered Gora."

Filip Kainradl was the winner of the first competition. The traditional meeting called "Filip's Cross-Country and Downhill" is named after him. Fifty skiing aficionados from all corners of Slovenia took part in this year's competition.

Mojca Dumančič, TV Slovenija;
translated by D.V.