Last "dance" in Maribor

"Farmers in some places in Carniola, especially near Turjak and there about, are familiar with a rare invention which I have not seen in any other country; they slide down high hills on snow, in winter, with incredible speed into the valley. For this purpose they use two wooden planks," wrote the famous historian, Janez Vajkard Valvasor, around 325 years ago, seeming to suggest that Slovenians were born with skis by their cradle.
A nation of avid skiers has, however, had to wait for a girl from the small town of Črna for global recognition on the grandest of stages. That girl is Tina Maze, and yet her path to glory was not straight but long and winding, like the many downhills, super-Gs, giant slaloms and slaloms she won during her career.
Hard earned glory

Tina Maze was three years old when she made her first skiing "steps" on the slopes of the surrounding hills....