The event, known as the Pig’s Head Competition, consists of a ski race with some truly unconventional competitors, who are only required to have a sense of humor. Most of them wear masks, often referencing recent political events, while others prefer old-fashioned ski equipment. A few have even made their way down the slope on foot. In some of the past races, each competitor had to stop halfway down the slope and drink a shot of Slovenian liquor. The number one ranking goes not to the first-place finisher, but to the skier closest to the average time. And the main prize – which gave the event its name -- is the head of a roast pig.

The first Pig’s Head Competition took place in January 1967. Fifty-seven skiers made their way down the slope that year, and a man named Miran Lakota was the first winner. Every winter since then, some of the world’s most unusual competitors have come to the Črni Vrh ski slope above Jesenice to take part in the event, which organizers try to make as unique and off-beat as possible. Even a very real dispute over the ownership of the slope hasn’t prevented the Pig’s Head from becoming an annual tradition.

The race is just one of the events that take place during the Pig’s Head festivities, which are now typically held in February. Others include the competition for Mayor of the Pigs and the selection of the Lie of the Year. During Communist rule, winners of the latter prize sometimes even mocked the rhetoric of the authorities – always a daring move. Young children, meanwhile, take part in a ski race of their own. The winner of that competition also gets a prize – a cake shaped like a pig’s head.

In a country where skiing is taken very seriously – as evidenced by the number of Olympic medals Slovenia has won since independence – the Pig’s Head competition allows locals to have some fun in the snow. Their irreverent spirit has made the event a tradition – and a source of local pride.