Prof. Milivoje Simić Beli: Skiing is the poetry of health, strength and joy
I dial an unfamiliar number from my contacts, and to my great surprise, a youthful and energetic voice answers. For a moment, I think I’ve called the wrong number and ask if I am speaking with Professor Simić, who is now eighty-nine years old. His response confirms it, and a wave of positive, vibrant energy begins to flow through the words of a man also known as the “Legend of Kopaonik.” Milivoje Simić, famously known as Professor Beli, is the oldest skier on Kopaonik. He completed a five-year teaching school in Kragujevac. He later graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education as an external student while simultaneously working as a teacher. He earned his doctorate at the Faculty of Physical Education in Belgrade. Additionally, 53 years ago, he obtained the title of an international ski instructor with an ISIA license.
Beyond his work as a professor, Simić, along with his then-assistant Vesko Milenković, authored the textbook Methodology of Physical Education, which has been published in five editions. He also wrote Alpine Skiing: Theory and Methodology, a textbook still widely used among students today. His rich career was further enriched by the establishment of a private ski school, which operated on Kopaonik for 37 years.
Originally from the village of Stragari near Kragujevac, Simić first encountered the beauty of this mountain as a high school student at the age of fifteen, which sparked his lifelong passion for skiing.
"I first came to Kopaonik in 1950 when I was in my first year of teaching school. Our physical education professor made us wash our faces with cold water and learn to ski. We covered ourselves with military blankets, and beneath us was straw. The building we slept in was called Lugarnica, and it no longer exists today. After finishing teaching school in Kragujevac, I enrolled at the Faculty of Physical Education. Meanwhile, I worked as a teacher in elementary and high schools and served as an advisor for physical education for the Raška district. Later, I completed my master’s degree and defended my doctoral thesis in Belgrade."
How did you fall in love with skiing?
"I fell in love with skiing immediately, and there is no ski center in Europe where I haven't skied. I also earned the title of an international ski instructor. After completing my doctoral studies, I worked at the Faculty of Physical Education in Priština, teaching skiing and the methodology of physical education. I wrote a skiing textbook and three textbooks on physical education. I was a ski instructor on Kopaonik for 37 years, and thousands of students have passed through my hands. The ski season on Kopaonik lasts three months, which means 120 skiing days per year, multiplied by 37 years. I helped thousands of beginners gain independence on skis. My ski school was unique and based on all the principles of ski methodology. Since retiring, I ski for two and a half to three hours daily without breaks."
He often says that skiing is the poetry of health, strength, and joy.
"For me, that is what skiing is. Spending time on the mountain and in the snow is incredibly beneficial for the body. My body is psychophysically conditioned to handle this level of activity, even at my age."
He often says that skiing is the poetry of health, strength, and joy.
"For me, that is what skiing is. Spending time on the mountain and in the snow is incredibly beneficial for the body. My body is psychophysically conditioned to handle this level of activity, even at my age."
What is the biggest challenge when teaching people to ski?
"The first step is to make them fall in love with the mountain and the sport itself—to help them understand what it means to spend time in the snow, to be active in winter. A group of skiers I taught five years ago surprised me by organizing people from various cities to secretly take my picture and frame it. The inscription on the photo reads ‘Legend of Kopaonik.’ For the past ten years, the ski resort management has given me a free ski pass in recognition of my contributions and assistance, as well as in honor of me being the oldest skier on Kopaonik."
How has Kopaonik changed over the years?
"Kopaonik has changed a lot. I used to ski back to the Rudnica train station, which is 17 km away. When trucks with benches were introduced, we traveled that way, and later, buses started running. That was already the modern era. Today, Kopaonik has become urbanized, but its natural structure hasn’t been ruined. There are large buildings, but they haven't spoiled the mountain. Kopaonik is a promised land, a mountain with the highest quality snow—comparable to that in Grenoble."
What would you say to people about skiing and winter activities?
"Come to Kopaonik, and I will teach you how to ski! I encourage everyone to embrace the mountains and the benefits of high-altitude air. Even if you don’t ski, spend time walking in the snow and breathing fresh mountain air—it will do wonders for your health."
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