One of the earliest records testifying to the long tradition of skiing are those which nobleman Žiga Herberstein wrote in 1549 about skiers of the Bloke Plateau (today in southern Slovenia), known for its harsh climate and long, snowy winters. Bloke skiers were one of the first in Europe and they developed an original style of skiing. Their technique and skis were later described in detail by historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor in his Glory of the Dutchy of Carniola of 1689. He wrote: Farmers in some places of Carniola, especially in the area of Turjak, invented a special device, not seen anywhere else. In winter, when the high mountains are covered in snow, they use it to descend with great speed into the valley. They use two long narrow wooden planks, a quarter of an inch thick, half a foot wide and about five feet long, curved upwards at the front. There is a leather strap in the middle and each foot is fixed onto one of the wooden planks. The farmer holds a robust pole in his hands; he places it under his armpits for support and steering, and so he skates, flies or skis down the steepest slopes..."

Today the equipment is much different, although some people still like to practice skiing the old-fashioned way. The latest trends in the field are set by the Slovenian sports equipment manufacturer Elan, which has been supplying gear to the world's top skiers, among them legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark. Bojan Križaj, Rok Petrovič, Boris Strel, Jure Košir, Mateja Svet and Špela Pretnar are the most acclaimed names of Slovenian skiing, which lately has unfortunately seen a somewhat gloomier period. Slovenians, be they young or old, nevertheless continue to enjoy skiing and ski slopes are always crowded—especially during winter school holidays. Moreover, primary school pupils take skiing as part of a special programme called School in Nature. In place since 1963, this is a special programme supplementing the educational process and is aimed at encouraging teacher and pupil creativity. In winter, kids are taken to ski resorts to learn skiing and in summer to the seaside to learn swimming.

There are dozens of ski slopes with ski lifts operating in Slovenia, the most well known among them are Kranjska gora in the northwest and Mariborsko Pohorje in the northeast—both venues for World Cup competitions. Pohorje near the city of Maribor hosts the world's top women skiers every year in competition for the Golden Fox Cup, this year scheduled in late January, while the men's World Cup circuit stops at Kranjska gora for the Vitranc Cup, to be held in late February this year.

The highest altitude ski slopes are those on Kanin, a mountain situated above the town of Bovec and the Soča river in western Slovenia. With ski runs at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres, Kanin allows skiing well into spring, all through the month of May. On a clear day it affords a good view of the Alps and even all the way to the Adriatic Sea. If snow conditions are good, it is possible to ski off the ski trails, but only provided you have a guide leading you safely away from the crevasses and fissures scattered around the area.

Popular skiing destinations are also Krvavec, just outside the Slovenian capital, Rogla and Pohorje near Maribor, Golte above the town of Mozirje and Cerkno in the west. Probably the most famous is the resort at Kranjska gora, situated just off the meeting point between the borders of Slovenia, Austria and Italy and circumscribed by the mighty peaks of the Julian Alps. Kranjska gora was for many Slovenians where they first stepped on skis and made their first curves. A former member of the national ski team, Tomaž Cerkovnik, who was later the head coach of the men Alpine ski team, says that "it has a charm, especially because of its location. Even today I am still impressed by the beauty of Kranska gora and its surroundings. It is there that I first learned to love skiing and it is where I have many childhood memories. Kranjska gora has an appeal and it's impossible to deny it. If I had not fallen in love with Kranjska gora, I would probably not have continued with skiing at all."

The most popular for the people of Ljubljana are the ski slopes of Krvavec, which is just half an hour's drive from the capital. Ski runs spread out on grassland, a reason why a relatively thin layer of snow affords excellent skiing. In snowy winters, the ski season last for up to 150 days.

Not far from the second largest Slovenian city, Maribor, lies the ski resort of Mariborsko Pohorje. Another popular ski destination in the Štajersko region is Rogla, a natural climatic health resort with a well equipped recreation centre. It is further appealing because it lies in the vicinity of the Terme Zreče spa. Vogel, above the town of Bohinj in the northwest of the country, boasts exclusively natural snow and Cerkno in the west has the most modern lifts and snowmaking capacity in Slovenia.

Another option for seasoned skiers is off-trail skiing, while all major ski resorts provide runs for cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowboarding. Cross-country skiers will find excellent runs around the lakes and plateaus, such as Pokljuka and Bloke Plateau. Excellent cross-country ski runs can be found in the Logarska dolina valley, not far from many tourist resorts, which as a rule have some local ski slope with ski lifts. A wide selection of other winter sports activities makes the delights of winter perfect. For a change, winter holidays may be enjoyed riding a snowmobile, horse-driven sleigh or dog sled. Special fun is sledding down snowy mountain passes, such as Vršič and Mangrt, which are closed for traffic during winter.

Freshly fallen snow has created a fairy landscape on Slovenian ski slopes, attracting crowds of ski enthusiasts. This has been a relief for ski lift operators, especially after unseasonably warm temperatures indicated that this season might not be as good as last year's. The Slovenian Ski Lift Operators' Association does not venture to estimate the success of this year's skiing season as yet. They hope though that weather conditions will allow them to achieve the results of last season when they sold 1.6 million ski passes. Lift ticket prices have increased an average of seven percent over last season . Some ski resorts have not marked up their prices, but will rather attempt to attract more skiers by providing additional services. This way they will also improve their chances in the annual ski area evaluation campaign.

An important change for ski resorts is the newly implemented skiing safety act. The law lists basic regulations for the use of slopes and for ensuring safety on ski runs, as well as conditions for organised ski instruction. This new piece of legislation aims at reducing the number of accidents; about one thousand skiers and other visitors get injured on Slovenian slopes every year. The law states that ski area operators must provide optimal safety for skiers and mandates ski patrols to fine skiers who disregard safety regulations.

The changes seem to be a good reason that there be a better turnout. The high interest in ski resorts indicates that skiing remains one of the most popular past time activities in Slovenia.