On February 16th 1930 the Bulgarian Youth Tourist Union, division “Rila” organized the first race in the history of Bulgarian sport. The idea for the racecourse was “a downhill run through the woods from Sitnyakovo to Borovets”. The eleven participants walked the distance to Sitnyakovo with skis over their shoulders and after lunch, started the race. Mihail Krashniak junior, son of Tzarska Bistritza hunting lodge supervisor, whose family settled permanently in Samokov after 1919, skied down through the woods first, to mark the course for the rest.  (The Beginnings, L. Nenkov)