The oldest "Classical" event on the women's schedule next to Val d'Isere, Maribor's "Golden Fox" event may well be the most popular of all. The Pohorje ski slopes are not far away from the center of that large and historical town and thousands of spectators from Slovenia and nearby Austria came to watch the races. In January 1999, there was also a large group of visitors from Croatia attracted by the excellent performances achieved by skiing newest star, Janica Kostelic. Ski racing is the most popular sport in Slovenia and the women's team one of the best in the technical events. The ski runs at Pohorje are not very steep so it demands strong technique and great physical shape to clock fast times. Many champions in the history of the Alpine World Cup battled to get to the podiums of this famous event - from Austria's superwoman Annemarie Proell in 1970 to Pernilla Wiberg in January 1999. With seven successes in GS and slalom, Switzerland's Vreni Schneider is by far the greatest winner in Maribor. A nice new hotel has been built near the finish line, but people still enjoy staying in the colorful city, known for its huge wine cellars and its old buildings.