Whoever said island winters are dreary and uneventful might want to reconsider, as the island of Iž is preparing a spectacle that is not to be missed
All of you know Zagreb recently took away the title of the Best European Christmas market for the third year in a row. On top of hundreds of booths stocked with delicious dishes, we were lucky enough to get some snowfall last weekend, rounding up the perfect Advent experience.
And then, there’s the coast, whose numerous cities don’t have much of a chance of getting their own taste of a winter wonderland. What to do? You take matters into your own hands: as part of the Advent programme in Zadar, the nearby island of Iž is going to host its first skiing competition on December 23, 2017.
Yes, you read that right: an Adriatic island is staging a spectacular ski race. Man, this holiday season is getting weird.
According to 24sata, the local authorities apparently got the idea from a similar event that took place in Zagreb last year. To mark the 50th anniversary of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, Croatian organisers of the World Cup races pulled off a bewildering move and installed a ski slope in the very core of the city, stretching downhill from Kaptol with a finish line at the Jelačić square. Tonnes and tonnes of snow were hauled by trucks to downtown Zagreb, so the merry crew from Iž thought to give it a try on their own turf.
The region of Lika is providing the snow, with the Tourist Board Iž and the local council preparing a 60-metre-long ski slope on Galija hill in Veli Iž town, with a finish line at Slanac. The spectacle is set to begin at 19:00, and everyone who’s looking to participate only has to bring their own skiing gear and collect their passes anytime after 15:00.
Named the Queen of Iž (Iška kraljica), the event stands as pretty unique not only in these parts, but on a much wider level – it very well might be the world’s first skiing competition hosted by a small island. How could anyone miss the opportunity to witness something that incredible? ‘Went skiing on an island’ seems like a good bucket list item to tick off, and even if you’re not the skiing type, rest assured there’ll be plenty of gastronomic delights to enjoy and a great deal of mulled wine to keep you warm. Visitors can take a catamaran departing from Zadar on Saturday at 14:00 and returning at 23:00, free of charge. Save the date!
