Snow Queen Trophy – FIS Ski World Cup Races

Do you like skiing? Did you know Zagreb is situated just beneath the Medvednica mountain and you can enjoy skiing during the whole winter period of the year? Join us at the International Winter School at Algebra University College and make this winter full of unforgettable memories. But let us tell you more about the Snow Queen and skiing in Zagreb now…

Mountain Medvednica

As we have just mentioned, Medvednica (pronounced [mɛ̌dʋɛdnit͡sa] is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje.  The highest peak, at 1,035 meters (3,396 ft) is Sljeme. On Medvednica there is a dozen of mountain huts for traditional one-day trips in the mountain. Because of its proximity to Zagreb, Medvednica has many visitors, especially during weekends. Among the most popular sites is the Veternica cave with a 2,622 meters long main channel.

Snow Queen Trophy

There is a winter sports center on the northern slopes towards Sljeme and the center has hosted several FIS World Cup slalom skiing races, taking place since 2005, known as the Snow Queen Trophy. In 2005 Croatian Ski Association (HSS) organized the first ladies’ World Cup slalom race and a few years later a men’s slalom race. Snow Queen Trophy races have become among the most watched World Cup races.

• Zagreb is the only capital city hosting World Cup races
• only at the Sljeme races are the winners of the men’s and ladies’ races crowned Snow King and Queen
• the atmosphere surrounding the races is praised by not only the world’s best slalom skiers but also all the visitors

In 2013, the Snow Queen Trophy races were admitted to the Club5 Ski Classics, which gathers traditional organizers of the FIS Ski World Cup races. Zagreb has thus joined the company of the leading organizers of the FIS Ski World Cup races, including Val Gardena, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Kitzbühel, Wengen and Val d’Isere.

Janica and Ivica Kostelić

Croatian planetary popular World Cup alpine ski racers are famous brother and sister Janica and Ivica Kostelić.
Ivica has specialized in slalom and combined, but is also one of the few alpine World Cup ski racers able to score points in all disciplines. His main accomplishments include a World Championship gold medal in slalom in 2003, Olympic silver medal in slalom in 2010, Olympic silver medals in combined in 2006 (traditional combined), 2010 (super combined) and 2014, as well as the overall World Cup title in 2011.

Janica is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and four-time Olympic gold medalist from Croatia. In addition to the Olympics, she has won five gold medals at the World Championships. In World Cup competition, she has won thirty individual races, three overall titles, three slalom titles, and four (unofficial) combined titles. Kostelic’s accomplishments in professional skiing have led some commentators, writers, and fellow ski racers to regard her as the greatest female ski racer of all time.