A spectacular ski race was held on the island of Iž.
Until the trucks with 60 tons of snow appeared first on a ferry and then on the island itself, no one believed that the island of Iž would really witness a ski race. No one, except the inhabitants of Iž who invested a lot of effort and made sure that the name of their island has been heard much further than the crossword puzzles, in which it is always referred to as a “two-letter island,” reports Index.hr on December 26, 2017.
The “Iž Snow Queen Trophy”, as they called their race, brought more than a thousand people to Iž, a small island near Zadar. About 70 skiers participated in the competition on the 70-metre-long track. They came from everywhere: Zadar, Split, Zagreb, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria and even Sweden. Yes, a five-member ski team came to Iž, although we doubt that it consisted of the best Swedish skiers, given that in the end, the winner was a young man from Zadar. He received a medal and a crown which was personally presented to him by the king of Iž.
The night race was accompanied by an entertainment programme, food and drinks, just like at any other proper Advent festival. In the centre of Veli Iž, many Advent kiosks have been set up, just like in all other major Croatian towns.
After the race proper ended, the ski course was filled with boats, sledges and a real bobsleigh, which were used by competitors trying to reach the finish line. According to the latest information, no one has finished in the nearby sea, and the success of the whole event is best demonstrated by the fact that almost all available food and drinks were sold out by midnight.
The greatest benefactors of the event are the children of Iž since the proceeds will be used to renovate the local school, with all event costs being covered by sponsors and the Zadar Tourist Board.
The “Iž Snow Queen Trophy” race was first conceived by the chairman of the local committee Siniša Kulišić, who came up with the idea while having dinner with friends. The model for the race was a temporary ski course which was built last year in Bakačeva Street in Zagreb.
Translated from Index.hr.
