Another edition of the FIT4NOVI sports event has come to a close, which once again gathered a large number of participants in various activities organized over the four days of the last weekend in May. Although the weather was less than ideal, with the bora wind making an appearance in what was almost a summer period, all the outdoor activities went ahead, much to the joy of both children and adults.

The event kicked off with a walking tour to the Ledenice Gradina, a viewpoint that not only offers a beautiful view but also tells the history of the region. Heritage interpreter Marijana Mužević, who complemented fitness trainer Mario Valentić perfectly, led the tour. The participants did some stretching exercises at the meeting point before heading up to the viewpoint and then to the fortress, where Mario led breathing exercises amidst the stunning natural surroundings. Upon returning, the group did some stretching and took a group photo in Ledenice.

That same day, the Junior Chess Tournament was held, where in the boys’ category, Juraj Biondić won first place, followed by Josip Šojat in second, and Karlo Papić in third. Among the girls, the top three were Nika Franić (first), Lucija Gletić (second), and Rita Matijević (third). A total of 29 children competed in the tournament, which had a time control of 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move, and the competition was played in 7 rounds using the Swiss system with computer pairing. The senior tournament took place the following day, with 21 players competing. Ivano Tomljanović took first place, followed by Goran Tomljanović (second) and Milan Prpić (third), with the same time control and competition system as the juniors, but over 9 rounds.

Despite the wind, the sailing presentation was held on Monday morning, and thanks to Lukas’ experience in sailing, who can handle any weather conditions, it was a wonderful sight to witness. Sunday, however, was ideal for the cycling tour through the hinterland. The 31 cyclists who took part started from the Korzo and headed toward the Sviba viewpoint, then back through Bribir to Novi Vinodolski, covering a distance of just under 45 km. The refreshment stops at the viewpoint and Batera were much appreciated, as this challenging route wasn’t easy to complete, especially in the wind.

The raw food workshop was fully booked, further confirming that this trend is gaining popularity and demand across all generations. Everyone enjoyed the event, as the first day included exercises for seniors, the second day featured sports games for preschoolers, and there was also a workshop on preventing poor posture and scoliosis for schoolchildren.

The tennis tournament took place at the courts in Ivana Mažuranića Park, where Dario Krišković took first place, followed by Dražen Manestar (second) and Hrvoje Krišković (third), which shows that tennis is very popular in Novi Vinodolski.

Two futsal tournaments were also played – the “Dijelovi Grada” tournament and the children’s futsal tournament for older morčići, organized by NK Vinodol. The winning team in the “Dijelovi Grada” tournament was Prisika, followed by Krasa (second) and Šćedine 1 (third). Dino Deleut was named the best goalkeeper, Toni Petrinović the top scorer, and Noah Ugrinović the best player. In the older morčići category, the winner was ŠN Ogulin, with NK Crikvenica in second, ŠN 1. Gol in third, and NK Krk in fourth.

In the school sports hall, a mini handball tournament was held for children born in 2013 and 2014, organized by ŽRK Vinodol. Gospić won the 2013 category, with Senia 1 in second and Senia 2 in third. In the 2014 category, Rab took first place, followed by Vinodol from Novi Vinodolski and PŠR in third.

The table tennis tournament was also very successful, attracting around 60 players. In the 60+ category, Joso Maričić and Stanko Robinščak won, followed by Fedor Mudrovčić and Milorad Kalanj (second), and Šegulja Dubravko and Deranja V. (third). There were also 25 pairs competing, with Semion Robert and Marić Borislav taking first place, followed by Vidović Denis and Špehar Predrag (second), and Muškić Mario and Gržac Gabriel and Bertone Andrija and Orlić Ivica (third).

In addition to the games, exercises, hiking, cycling, and tournaments, FIT4NOVI this year also featured a dance element. Monday kicked off with children doing zumba fitness, followed by pilates and zumba from SRD Bodyfit. After that, the audience was treated to a true dance delight, as Elio Bašan taught salsa and bachata steps to everyone, bringing along dancers from the Dansel Dance School who performed several dances. The evening was topped off with fantastic music. Ante Gelo and his band, along with the amazing vocals of Iva Ajduković and Alen Đuras, were the special guests, while DJ Poweplayer ensured the good vibes continued. This evening was perfect for enjoying beautiful music and the lovely spring evening in Novi Vinodolski.

The Novi Korak Association also participated in the event this year, giving it a humanitarian touch. This association, which supports children with developmental disabilities, sold t-shirts with the event’s name, thus supporting the event and helping with the association’s activities.

“I am truly very happy with how this edition of the event went. As the Tourist Board, we took on the organization, and although it was very challenging, having excellent partners such as the City, the Culture Center, clubs, and associations made everything much easier. Spending time outdoors, engaging in physical activities, and focusing on health are incredibly important, especially in today’s lifestyle. We wanted to emphasize all of this through our sports event, given that we have beautiful nature, hinterland, and a pleasant climate. We also tried to enrich the event with activities that everyone visiting Novi Vinodolski could join, and I believe we succeeded in doing so, and we will continue to think along these lines in the coming years,” said Tena Peričić, director of the Novi Vinodolski Tourist Board.