As many as 50 heli-biking enthusiasts could be whizzing down Northburn Station, between Cromwell and Clyde, today during the inaugural Fat Tyre Heli-Bike race.
Organiser and Fat Tyre Adventures owner Greg McIntyre, of Queenstown, said it was the first one of its kind in the Lakes District-Central Otago area.
"It's just cool - it beats pedalling up the hill.
"It's something that we [Fat Tyre Adventures] do and mountain biking is a normal sport now, [but] heli-biking is gaining in popularity.
"Just about half my business now is heli-biking."
Mr McIntyre said the track was about 14km long and totalled 1600m of downhill riding, comprising "natural back-country riding", unlike man-made courses, which were tailored to suit bikes.
