History

While ski jumping is becoming one of the most popular winter sports, gaining new fans in Slovenia and abroad year after year, the love story that connects this sports discipline with Ljubno and its people started many years ago.

More than 70 years ago, Stanko Bloudek, known as the father of Planica, set foot on the Rajhovka hill and planted the first pole. This sealed the fate of the Upper Savinja village forever – soon after, Ljubno became a place whose people were closely connected with ski jumping. It was with the help of the people of Ljubno that the ski jumping hill, which still remains the pride of the Upper Savinja Valley, soon rose above their village.

Many things have changed in Ljubno over the last 70 years, but the wish of its people to preserve the ski jumping hill under the Rajhovka peak as one of the most popular locations for women’s ski jumping in the world remains unchanged. With the introduction of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Women in 2011 and the selection of Ljubno as one of the venues for the competition, the long-standing wish of many a citizens who dedicate their days to the Upper Savinja Valley ski jumping hill has come true. Ljubno has become the smallest place in the world to host a World Cup competition.

Although in recent years a lot has been invested in the renovation of the infrastructure, e.g., in a new plastic surface that allows the development of ski jumping even in the warmer part of the year, everyone involved is aware that it is something else that makes Ljubno special. It’s the people and at the same time its loyal fans who, together with ski jumpers, “breathe” ski jumping and make sure that every year, time and time again, all the visitors to the competitions feel the love that ties the Upper Savinja Valley to this sport.