March 18, 2019

After 1933 German ski Jumpers competed under their country's new flag. In 1938 Austria was annexed and Austrians such as Josef Bradl, the first person to have jumped over the 100 metre mark, also competed under the German Nazi flag and wore a swastika armband.

In 1941 five world records were achieved by Austrian and German jumpers in Planica, which is why the Wikipedia page on ski jumping world records looks like this:

You can also see swastikas on arm bands of at least two jumpers in the video below, which was filmed in Planica between the years 1936 and 1941.

Planica 1935 - 1941 from matjaz zbontar on Vimeo.

One month after the 1941 competition in Planica, Germany invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the ski jumps only returned to Planica in 1947.

You can find all our sotires on Planica here.

March 15, 2019

In 1936 Joseph Bradl, Austria, became the first ski jumper ever to jump over 100 metres at Bloudek Giant (Bloudkova velikanka) in Planica.

Bradl landed at 101.5 metres in 1936 and at 107 metres two years later, also on March 15.  This world record in Planica was taken from Bradl in 1941 by German jumpers wearing Nazi armbands, who dominated that year's competition with five world record jumps in a single day.

Bloudek Hill, completed in 1934, was the largest ski jumping hill in Planica until the Gorišek Brothers Hill was tested for the first time in 1969. The latter was also the site of the first jump over 200 metres mark, by Toni Nieminen from Finland in 1994.

March 14, 2019

By tradition the Ski Jumping World Cup begins in Kuusam, Finland in November, and concludes in March with the finals on the Gorišek Brothers Flying Hill in Planica, Slovenia.

Planica was also the site of the first ever flying World Cup competition in 1972, and you can check below how things worked back then:

Did we just see an athlete on a cigarette break at 4:06?

Apparently, things seem to be changing all the time in Planica as well, and this is not only the case for the competitors but spectators too. You might have already figured out that climbing around the hill and the surrounding trees and getting drunk on the way is not allowed anymore. Besides, there are other things the organisers would like this year’s visitors to Planica to pay attention to.

Getting there (and back)

In line with the Planica sustainability policy, the organisers will be giving right of way to organised and public transportation.

Since 2013 it has been possible to travel to the venue for a relatively low price using a combination of train and bus. On Saturday and Sunday there will be special trains taking Planica spectators and regular passengers from Ljubljana to Jesenice, where they will take free bus rides straight to the hill and back to Jesenice after the event. Train tickets will be sold at 50% less to those in possession of event tickets (25% price for children between the ages of 6 and 12, free of charge for kids younger than this).

Like in previous years, people who nevertheless decide to drive to the event in their own car are encouraged to park in Kranjska Gora, where free shuttle buses will operate on a circular route to Planica.

Entering the controlled area in Planica

Sixty thousand people are expected to attend the four days of ski flying in Planica this year, and all will enter the spectators’ area at several checkpoints. To avoid overcrowding and bottlenecks, security staff will exercise ticket and security controls separately: visitors will have to show their tickets first, and will be examined for any disallowed items such as pyrotechnics and alcohol later.

Visitors are also asked to pay attention to six information points with markings high enough to be seen from a relative distance – you go here in case you get lost or lose somebody, need to get help, etc.

Tickets

You might want to inspect the layout of the site before purchasing tickets, with a mind to where the sun will be, and whether you want to stand or sit. 

Your one-in-a-year chance for a unique cardio workout in the Julian Alps. 

A fitting end to a magnificent season for the flying Pole. 

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here, along with a translation. 

Those magnificent men on their flying skis.