Kranjska Gora on the west and Maribor on the north-east are very important ski resorts in Slovenia where ski racing is the most important international sport. One of the biggest ski factories, Elan, which also produces boats and wind-surfers, is located at nearby Begunje. About half of the population of 2 million Slovenians ski and they watch all the races on TV. The Slovenian racers have enjoyed many major international victories in the past 20 years: Juri Franco won a bronze medal in GS at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, in 1986, the late Rok Petrovic conquered the slalom World Cup globe, followed by his teammate Bojan Krizaj in 1987. In 1989, Mateja Svet clinched the slalom title at the FIS World Championships at Vail. And in 1999, Jure Kosir won in Kranjska Gora and Kitzbuhel.
The Vitranc Pokal races in Kranjska Gora were started in the 1960's and in 1968 the first World Cup race took place on the steep Podkoren slopes. The winners' list includes several great champions and huge crowds attend the races as well as raucous racers' fan clubs whooping it up in the finish area . Situated just a few kilometers away from Austria and Italy, Kranjska Gora is also a popular ski resort for visitors from Scandinavia and Germany who like the traditional atmosphere and the enjoyable hotels and good restaurants.