The weekend of 18 to 19 January 2020 in Zakopane was dominated by family attractions held within the framework of ninth edition of FIS World Snow Day!

This year’s World Day Snow was traditionally initiated in Kuźnice with a ski touring excursion for children. This year, conditions in the Tatra Mountains were very demanding, but even the children who participated in ski touring for the first time in their lives did a splendid job! Participants of the excursion went from Kuźnice to Kalatówki, where in the avalanche center, they had a professional training on avalanche beacons, carried out by a rescuer of the Tatra Mountains Volunteer Rescue Service. The excursion was led by Monika Strojny, a Tatra guide as well as the president of the ZAKOS Youth Mountaineering Club, while sports equipment was supplied by Przemysław Sobczyk, owner Yurta Bar Ski Touring Test Center rental store. Prior registration for the excursion was required, and participating children were provided with ski equipment, avalanche equipment and gifts from the organizer.

This year’s WSD had a slightly modified formula of competitions and games, as organizers put emphasis on family events, which turned out to be the proverbial “bull’s-eye”. Family competitions began on Saturday, 18 Jan. 2020, at the NOSAL Ski Training Center, where the partner of the World Snow Day - STRAMA Ski and Snowboard School supported the organizers in the preparation of the event under the name of Family Skis/Snowshoes Duos. Children and their parents participated in this event which consisted in the fact that a parent ran uphill as fast as he or she could wearing snowshoes, while the child went skiing or snowboarding downhill on a slalom course. Rivalry was very fierce, but there was plenty of fun as well! This competition was attended by several dozen families, which enjoyed this event formula very much. Also the snowboarding competition for children as well as free of charge skiing school for the youngest were held at Nosal. Complimentary skiing school has always been part of the World Snow Day celebration, but this year, interest in it went beyond wildest expectations! This is good news!
The main celebrations of the World Snow Day always fall on the third Sunday in January, so the biggest celebrations took place on 19 January 2020 at Górna Równia Krupowa, where a true variety of attractions awaited all participants! Such crowds were not expect even by the organizers. Despite the cloudy sky, there were droves of people willing to celebrate the 9th Edition of the World Snow Day. Children had the opportunity to compete at regular cross-country skiing competitions, compete on the cross country cross obstacle course and those who had never had cross-country skis on their feet, could rent them free of charge and try the sport with professional instructors. Organizers prepared three types of sporting activities for families. Everyone willing could take part in the family Nordic walking, funny ski as well as family cross-country. During the 9th Edition of the World Snow Day organizers presented the pilot program Family SportLOVE in which the willing could sign up, obtain a special card and collect confirmation of participation in the respective competitions. The first one of them was the Saturday Family Skis/Snowshoes Duos, and the other three were held on Sunday. Families that took part in two competitions and confirmed their participation on the card, returning it at the Family SportLOVE tent, received a mini gift in the form of a small WSD jigsaw puzzle. Families which took part in at least three events, returning the card, received large WSD jigsaw puzzle, in addition participating in different competitions, they received other attractive gifts. In accordance with the rules of the program, to take part in the final classification, one had to complete all four competitions and not only confirm it with a stamp, but also have the obtained time recorded on the starting list kept at the respective competition sites. Determining the best family was done by adding time results obtained in all competitions. Presentation and testing of this program reassured the organizers in the belief that there exists public demand for this type of projects.

As always, the main celebrations of the World Snow Day, featured educational stands of the Tatra National Park, ecology stand, organized by the Environment Protection Department of the Zakopane City Hall and the stand of the Zakopane Police which joined forces with the police officers from the National Police Headquarters in Warsaw. All stands offered the youngest numerous contests and puzzles as well as very attractive prizes. In this year as well as over the past eight years, the Tatra Volunteer Rescue Service was a partner of the 9th Edition of World Snow Day. TOPR rescuers organized an avalanche plot for the youngest, on which everyone willing could try his or her hand in searching with the use of an avalanche beacon.

World Snow Day is also a great fun, which no one was missing this year. Apart from the stage with animators, children could visit the animation stands prepared by Polish Radio One and the program Polish Radio for Children, while the artistically talented participants of the World Snow Day could try their hand at the contest of family portrait drawing with charcoal. Children (and adults as well), also had a snow hill at their disposal, where they rode on tray sledges and other snow sliders endlessly. Cold and hungry WSD participants, could help themselves to some free tea, delicious doughnuts supplied by Samanta Confectionery as well as fruits donated by PHU Brutal.

Prize distribution for participation in competitions and sports activities, began at 1:30 p.m. - this is the moment which all participants of the respective events await with bated breath. Entering the podium set up on the stage and collecting a trophy as well as an award is for the young competitors an invaluable experience! Particularly when these awards are sponsored by such brands as ATOMIC, ALPIN SPORT or 4F junior! Additionally to the main prizes, competitors also received sweets from the firm Wawel.

Throughout the entire day, all adult participants could donate blood in a special blood donor bus, which was provided by the Blood Donation Branch in Zakopane, while fans of sweets could visit the interactive truck, WAWEL TRUCK and take part in interesting educational games to make a selection of the most appropriate components for their favorite sweets and chocolates. Obviously, at the end, everyone received a sweet gift from the firm Wawel.

This event would not have taken place without the people involved in its organization. The idea of the World Snow Day has an extraordinary power of uniting and generating enthusiasm among people who work on its implementation. No idea could materialize without the work of the appropriate people. This year, they numbered over 120 people, the staff of the Zakopane City Hall, representatives of the partner institutions, local schools, volunteers and technical personnel, who worked from morning till night on setting up and cleaning the snow park. We have already worked like that for 9 years and hope that we will all meet again on 17 January 2021!
- Free skis snowboards use
- Free ski passes
- Free ski snowboard lessons
- Free entry tickets
- Free food and drink
- Free gifts and prizes
Opening of the family competitions Ready for start!Official celebration of WSD Zakopane on 19.01.2020