A rider on the Naseby luge track during a training camp
last winter. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Naseby's luge track has just opened with a top-quality
base, which should extend its season.
This will be the second season for the 360m, 10-curve luge
track, and New Zealand Olympic Luge Association president
Geoff Balme said a refrigeration system had now been
installed in the track base.
"We're doing the final preparations for what we expect to be
two very busy weeks and three busy weekends during the school
holidays," Mr Balme said yesterday.
The facility was open to the public now and a group of five
or six volunteers would work on the track this weekend,
smoothing it out.
A few "hiccups" had led to the track opening later than
expected, although close to the date it opened last year, he
said.
The refrigeration system was linked to the adjacent ice
skating rink and work on the rink's system was slowed down by
much rain in May.
"Then, when we were ready to make snow for the luge track,
Naseby had really weird weather, much warmer and more humid
than usual, and it was only in the past 10 days or so that it
has been cold enough to make snow."
The track was in a much better state than last year and
should remain frozen longer, with the new refrigeration
system helping, Mr Balme said.
"We're hoping it will last well until the end of August."
Luge camps next week and the week after will be among the
first activities on the track this season.
Mr Balme said he had 19 people registered for the camp so far
and hoped that number would increase to 30.
Hosting a demonstration luge event as part of the Winter
Games New Zealand, on Sunday, August 23, would be one of the
highlights of the season, he said.
The luge is open from 10am-5pm every day.
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