HISTORY OF
SLOVAK GRAND PRIX
BRIEF HISTORY OF GP
►1955 The Grand Prix of Slovakia begins to write its history. The first year is held in Vrátná, in subsequent years GP finds its permanent home in High Tatras
►1957 The third year of the GP was marked by a strike by Slovak skiers who felt disadvantaged by the Czech leadership of the Czechoslovak National Team.
►1960 A modern chair lift to Lomnické sedlo was added to the GP venue, which made the organization of the race easier, but sadly for the first time racers from the skiing superpower, Austria, did not take part in GP.
►1962 After a year of no races caused by the lack of snow in the Lomnické sedlo, another hope for GP arose on Hrebienok where a ski lift was added to the upper course.
►1964 In the tenth year, cross-country skiing was also included in the program. Tatra mountain native Oľga Žampová Bruková also competed at GP.
►1966 The FIS World Cup circuit is established as the highest international series of races in downhill skiing. It is founded by a group of ski racers and experts, among others the French journalist Serge Lang and the presidents of ski associations from France (Honore Bonnet) and from the USA (Bob Beattie).
►1969 GP was held for the first time as one of the series of World Cup competitions, gaining fame in world skiing circles.
►1970 Paradoxically, the GP was not held a year later due to the organization of the World Championships (WC) in nordic disciplines at Štrbské Pleso.
►1971 Young promising downhill skiers Darina Matošová from Smokovec and Dana Krajňáková from Kežmarok entered the GP competitions.
►1972 The seventeenth year due to the lack of snow on Hrebienk was helped by the firemen who imitated snow on the upper course with water from syringes. In addition to Matošová, another woman from Smokovec, Eva Petrovičová, took part in the GP races.
►1973 One year before the World Cup, High Tatras were awarded the European Cup in women's downhill skiing. On Rogova course in Tatranská Javorina, the Harvanov sisters met with Jana Šoltýsová (Gantnerová), Petrovičová and Krajňáková.
►1974 The 19th GP entered the history of skiing competitions as the final of the World Cup for men and women in slalom and giant slalom. The race was broadcast live on television. Ingemar Stenmark also arrives, and takes 2nd place in all disciplines (slalom, giant slalom and combination).
►1975 The 20th GP in Hrebienok was watched by a record number of spectators of around 5000. The race was once again part of the European Women's Cup.
►1976 Jana Šoltýsová, the later champion of Slovakia, takes home the gold in the women's slalom.
►1978 Finals of the European Cup in the men's and women's competition. Almost 200 competitors from 21 countries competed, which was an absolute record in the history of the international competition in alpine disciplines.
►1979 The next year was included in the program of the European Women's Cup.
►1980 GP part of the World Cup for the third time in its twenty-five-year history. The jubilee year was the most important sporting event of that year in our country and was held under the auspices of the Prime Minister, which helped its smooth organization.
►1983 After three years, the world's top skiers met again, this time at Hrebienok, in the fight for the World Cup.
►1986 The thirty-first year was the last World Cup within the GP after a three-year break.
►1995 The fortieth, jubilee GP year was the last (eighth) European Women's Cup held at part of the GP. Due to the lack of snow in the High Tatras, it took place in nearby Plejsy.
►1998 GP moves into a new location, Štrbské Pleso in High Tatras.
►2007 Jana Gantnerová competes at GP and wins the giant slalom.
►2010 In the jubilee 55th edition, 150 competitors from ten countries competed at GP. The novelty was the new Furkota course, which was added as a new course next to the Solisko course. Young Adam Žampa won the slalom. The giant slalom was not run due to bad weather.
►2011 Only 15-year-old Petra Vlhova takes second place in the slalom at the GP.
TRIBUTE TO LADISLAV HARVAN
Ladislav Harvan left an indelible mark on Slovak skiing which also had a significant international impact.
The former competitor in downhill skiing received a first-class coaching qualification. He became the chief referee and technical delegate of the International Ski Federation (FIS) but he left the most significant mark in sports as an official and organizer of skiing events, as well as in the field of developement of sports facilities and their management.
An exceptional representative of skiing and High Tatras
Ladislav Harvan was the chairman of the Slovak Skiing Association and vice-chairman of the federal association (from 1986 to 1992). For decades, he participated in the organization of all important skiing events in the High Tatras. For more than half a century his passion was the Slovak Grand Prix in downhill skiing at which he was the race director for incredible 26 years which were part of the World Cup series several times and their 20th year in 1974 was run as the men's and women's World Cup final.
He was and still is well known on the world skiing scene. After all, he acted as a FIS technical delegate at a number of international downhill competitions, as well as a jury member at the 1988 Olympic Games and at the 1985 and 1991 World Championships. For incredible 33 years he was a member of the FIS subcommittee for the downhill course setting and certification after which he became an honorary member. He was also a member of the FIS Commission for the European Cup.
Skier, forester, conservationist and director
Ladislav Harvan was born on February 26, 1931 in the game reserve under the Kežmarské žlaby. He grew up in a forestry family and skied from an early age. He graduated from the Faculty of Forestry in Brno. During his studies, he started in Zakopane at the 1953 academic world championships, where he finished ninth in the giant slalom. More than five years later, skiing almost became fatal for him, when an avalanche fell from the Lomnický ridge during a gathering of the best Slovak junior skiers at Skalnate Pleso.
After completing his studies at the Faculty of Forestry in Brno and military service, Ladislav Harvan first worked as the head of the nature preserve department at the Tatra National Park Administration Office (TANAP) in Tatranská Lomnica. In the years 1972 – 1991, he was the director of the state facilities administration office in Tatras. He managed over six hundred employees.
Skiing was his passion especially the Grand Prix of Slovakia
In addition to work, he was intensively active in the field of sports. For more than half a century, Ladislav Harvan's passion was the Slovak Grand Prix in downhill skiing, where he was the race director for 26 years. He was one of the main creators of the most famous era of this event, when in the years 1969-1986 the world's best downhill skiers visited the races at Hrebienok and Skalnaté Pleso five times, while in 1974 the World Cup Finals both men's and women's took place in our High Tatra mountains.
According to Ladislav Harvan, several important ski resorts applied for the SP final every year, so it was really not easy to get it. But it was even more difficult to organize it and then ensure a faultless course. For example, they had to take cabins for commentators to Skalnaté Pleso by helicopter, build their stations, transport dozens of technicians, referees, delegates, official guests, and of course, competitors there. And also to prepare a dignified presentation of the Crystal Globes, which was really not easy when more than ten thousand spectators and a lot of journalists visited.
As the chairman of the Tatran Sports Union Tatranská Lomnica and later of the High Tatras Sports Union, Ladislav Harvan also participated in the organization of a number of other important sports events in Slovakia.
He was the vice-chairman of the organizing committee of the extremely successful world championships in Nordic disciplines in 1970 in the High Tatras. For a long time, he also participated in the organization of the Tatra Cup in Nordic skiing disciplines.
He contributed significantly to the organization of the FICC World Camping and Caravanning Meeting in 1974 in Tatranská Lomnica, the INTERSKI World Congress in 1975 in the High Tatras, the Junior World Championships in classic and downhill skiing in the High Tatras, respectively in Jasná, as well as ski competitions of the World Winter Universiade.
Ladislav Harvan was the general secretary of IV. of the Winter European Youth Olympic Days (EYOD) in 1999 in the High Tatras, which was the most important Olympic event held in Slovakia for over twenty years. He took a significant part in the preparations for the candidacy of the High Tatras first for 1980 and then Poprad-Tatry for the organization of the Winter Olympic Games for 2002, respectively 2006.
On the international skiing scene
Ladislav Harvan's work in the structures of the International Ski Federation (FIS) was also very important. For 33 years, he was a member of the FIS commission for downhill courses certification. He has approved more than a hundred courses in winter resorts in Europe and Asia.
He also worked in the FIS as a member of the European Cup commission and was a FIS technical delegate for 17 years. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary and at the 1985 and 1991 World Championships in downhill skiing in Bormio-Valtellina, respectively in Saalbach-Hinterglemm he was a member of the jury.
This work was very successfully followed up by his daughter, also an official of the Slovak Skiing Association, Jana Palovičová, who is a FIS technical delegate and served as a member of the jury at the most important events in downhill skiing.
Between 1971 and 2006, Ladislav Harvan participated nine times in FIS congresses. After many years of work in international skiing events, he was accepted as an honorary member of the FIS and received the highest award of the FIS.
Other significant merits and awards of L. Harvan
Thanks to the professional knowledge acquired during his studies at the Faculty of Forestry in Brno and improved during his work in the TANAP Administration, Ladislav Harvan significantly participated in the adoption of ecological measures in the preparation of Tatra ski resorts. For several years, he worked as the secretary of the Slovak Olympic Committee (SOV) commission for the environment. His work in this field was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2002 with its annual Sport and Environment Award.
On Olympic grounds, Ladislav Harvan's extremely significant contributions to the development of sports and Olympism in Slovakia were recognized in 2011 by being accepted as an honorary member of the SOV and awarded the SOV Gold Badge, formerly the SOV Silver Rings (2000).
Since 1954, Ladislav Harvan has been a member of the Mountain Service, while for 21 years he was the chairman of the regional committee of the High Tatras Mountain Service. For many years he was a member of the chairmanship of the Mountain Service of Slovakia and the chairman of the Seniors' Club of the Mountain Service.
Ladislav Harvan is the author of several books in which he recapitulated the history of some sporting events in Slovakia and especially in the Tatras. These are, for example, the "Grand Prize of Slovakia 1955 - 2005", the "Skiing Festival in the High Tatras" or the "Tatra Cup". His last book "How it was" is the most comprehensive of all, because it includes his most important experiences.