Slovenian volleyball national team captain, Tine Urnaut, took on a special challenge in the ski flying mecca of Planica, Slovenia. He symbolically served the ball all the way to the ski jumping world record of 254.5 meters, held by Domen Prevc – and he was successful!
Planica is more than just a valley in the Julian Alps; it is a monument to human daring and the “Cradle of Ski Flying.” This Alpine arena has seen the boundaries of physics pushed further and further. While former Slovenian ski jumping star Peter Prevc was the first human to fly to the 250-meter milestone in 2015, his younger siblings have since redefined the limits on the Gorišek brothers’ hill. Domen Prevc sent the home crowd into a frenzy by soaring to 254.5 meters in 2025 and setting the current world record, while Nika Prevc landed a 242.5-meter flight this past Friday at the Ski Flying World Cuphow; she not only set a new women’s world record but also marked the first time a female athlete flew past the 240-meter barrier in Planica.
In a unique crossover between winter sports and volleyball, Planica briefly became a “court” for the Slovenian national team’s captain, Tine Urnaut, who performed a ceremonial serve from the 200-meter line, sending the ball all the way to Domen Prevc’s world record distance. This spectacular feat served as a great way to promote volleyball by bridging the gap between the court and the mountains.
Urnaut is this year’s ambassador for the “Botrstvo v športu” project, which helps young athletes from socially disadvantaged backgrounds realize their dreams and achieve a better life through sports. This charitable serve also announced the start of ticket sales for the next spectacle, a volleyball exhibition match to be held on June 1st in Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana.
There will actually be two matches: in a friendly encounter at 20:30, Slovenia will face Serbia, while at 18:45, a unique volleyball All-Star match will take place, led by Mitja Gasparini and Dejan Vin?i?. These former Slovenian national team players will each gather well-known Slovenian athletes and celebrities on their side of the net. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the “Botrstvo v športu” (Sponsorship in Sport) project under the dedicated leadership of our national team captain.
