Janez Gorišek has passed away (1933

With Janez Gorišek, the ski jumping family has lost one of its long-time members. 

Janez Gorišek was born on September 13, 1933, in Ljubljana, where he finished elementary school, grammar school, and the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, and graduated in 1961 with the title of a university graduate in civil engineering. His career path has lead him all over the world, from Skopje, where he participated in post-earthquake reconstruction, to Benghazi in Libya, where he helped rebuild the destroyed city of Barca. After returning to his homeland, he was employed by the Water Management Institute Vič, in 1973 he became a director in the SOZD Irc Planum Inženering organisation, and later worked at the Planum športing company until his retirement.

Janez took up ski jumping when he was eight years old. He became addicted by ski jumping and it left a mark on him for the rest of his life. He was a national representative for many years, twice even the student world champion. It is no coincidence that Planica was the venue where he achieved his personal record, when he landed at 105 metres. When he concluded his sports career, he dedicated himself heart and soul to designing ski jumping and ski flying hills, not only at home but all over the world. In cooperation with his brother Vlado, he designed the most beautiful and famous ski flying hill in the world. The Gorišek Brothers Flying Hill, which is set in the cradle of this sports discipline – in Planica. After his brother’s untimely death, he continued designing with his son Sebastjan.

The ski jumping hills he designed are located all over the world: in Norway, Italy, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the USA, the Czech Republic, Germany, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and, of course, in Slovenia.

The Gorišek Brothers Flying Hill has made Planica and Slovenia world famous. With it, Vlado and Janez established a new skiing discipline – ski flying, which was recognized by the International Ski Federation FIS in 1971.

Janez Gorišek was granted many decorations, awards and recognitions for his work. Among others, the Order of Labour with a Golden Wreath, the Silver Order of the Republic of Slovenia for Merit in Sports, the Bloudek Award, the Award of the Slovenian Chamber of Engineers for Lifetime Achievements, the Certificate of Honour by the Slovenian Olympic Committee and many others.

Throughout his active years, Janez Gorišek has left a mark on the activities of the Ski Association of Slovenia and OC Planica. Without him and his bold ideas, the development of ski jumping and ski flying would be quite different.
He will be missed but never forgotten.
Thank you Janez.