PHOTO: Green Light for Zagreb´s Snow Queen

The skiing federation inspector, the Slovenian Gorazd Bedrac, authorized the red slope for the upcoming world cup races in Alpine skiing.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - Zagreb’s mayor Milan Bandic and his associates finished the inspection of the red slope on Monday, which is being prepared for the skiing races Snow Queen that starts on Sunday January 4 at 9:45am. The group that was inspecting the slope from the ski lift were: Dragutin Ziljak, Gordana Pokrajcic, Vedran Pavlek, Miha Glavic, the president of the organizational committee of the race, as well as many journalists.

Looking at the slope from the ski lift, we saw that it was totally ready for the race, and many workers on the slope are making final preparations for Sunday’s race. The grandstands and tents for VIPs and the media are ready, there is enough snow, and the red slope will be open for the citizens after the Snow Queen is over, said Dragutin Ziljak, the director of the city company Sljeme-Medvednica.

Sljeme ready for Queen

Five days before the race in the women’s slalom, the peak of the Medvenica mountain, Sljeme, is ready for the Snow Queen, reported the inspector of the international skiing organization, Gorazd Bedrac to his superiors. At a press conference that was held in the “Tomislavov Dom” building after mayor Milan Bandic and the press inspected the slope, Bedrac said that the whole slope is covered in 40 to 50 cm of snow, and that there are two points where there is only 35cm of snow, which will be additionally covered in snow by artificial snow cannons.

“Sljeme is prepared and I immediately said that from the ski lift via telephone to the directors in FIS for the women’s and men’s slalom races, said the Slovenian Bedrac. He also said that he is happy that the dream of Vedran Pavlek turned into reality, mostly thanks to mayor Milan Bandic, who is mostly to thank for the only European metropolis having a ski cup race.

After the tour in the ski lift, Milan Bandic was very happy with the gained knowledge and praised all of those who have worked for months in order to prepare the slope for the World Cup.

“I would especially like to praise Ziljak junior and senior, who are on the slopes day and night, and are talking care for everything to pass in the best order. I would not want to bypass Rena Fleis, who has not come down from Sljeme from the start of November, and all of the others who are responsible for the Snow Queen passing in the best order again. Gordana Pokrajcic, the director of the organization for managing sports objects, said that even if there was no snow, Ziljak would draw it and do anything for the snow queen to be held.

Vedran Pavlek informed the press that for both of the Snow Queen races, and the veterans of the ski cup race, they accredited 500 journalists, of which 200 are foreign, and that 20 countries will see a live transmission of the women’s and men’s slalom, and 50 countries will show it in a delayed recording.

Cheaper skiing for citizens

Mayor Bandic called upon all of Zagreb’s residents to turn up in large numbers at Sljeme, and said that after the World Cup skiing race, Zagreb’s residents all who wish to come, should go to Sljeme and delight in the new year’s gift.

“After the Snow Queen, all who come to ski on Sljeme will pay 30% less for all daily tickets for Sljeme. That is a new year’s gift to our fellow citizens, so that more will be able to afford skiing on Sljeme” said Milan Bandic.

Take a look at photographs from the red slope in the photo gallery: Zagreb’s Sljeme is Ready for Snow Queen.