Every year at the beginning of January everybody in Croatia talks about Vip Snow Queen Trophy, an international skiing competition taking place on Sljeme mountain north of Zagreb. The world’s top skiers compete in slalom races for two days and one night, with thousands of spectators watching and extensive media coverage, so we can talk about a true ski fever gripping the nation. Sometimes there isn’t much snow on the slopes, but there are always snow cannons to produce fake snow if necessary. So take your skis, and let’s go to Sljeme!
Skiing is the most popular of all winter sports. When we talk about skiing, we usually refer to alpine skiing, where a skier visits a ski resort, buys a lift ticket or ski pass, dons cold-weather clothing, skis, ski boots and ski poles or stocks, and embarks on a chairlift or gondola lift. Upon reaching the summit (or top), the skier disembarks from the ski lift and travels downhill along a marked route known as a piste, run, trail or slope.
If you are an old hand at skiing, you will already be familiar with much of this, but if you are a novice, you might find the following tips useful as an introduction to the world of snow sports:
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Get in shape – you’ll enjoy skiing more if you’re physically fit. Also, never skip the warm-up run – it prepares you mentally and physically for the day ahead.
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Buy or rent proper equipment. Have your ski bindings correctly adjusted.
