Ice sports enthusiasts throughout Central Otago were delighted with the recent cold snap, which meant an early start to the season for skaters, curlers and lugers.
Alexandra's outdoor ice rink, Iceinline, opened on Friday night and had a steady stream of customers all weekend, while the outdoor luge at Naseby is likely to be open for business at Queen's Birthday Weekend.
The coating of about 20cm of snow in Naseby on Friday and at the weekend was "absolutely perfect" timing for the start of the season, New Zealand Olympic Luge Association president Geoff Balme said yesterday.
"We'll put a bit of water on it to flatten it down and with a frost or two predicted - it's supposed to get down to minus 5 on Monday - we'll be all set to open at the weekend."
This will be the third season for the luge, the only one of its type in the southern hemisphere.
New coach Guntis Rekis, a Latvian luger and veteran of four Olympics, is already in residence in Naseby.
"He's spent the past couple of weeks repairing and tuning sleds and getting everything ready for the coming season," Mr Balme said.
Interest in the facility is high, with 25 young lugers from throughout the South Island booked in for the school holiday camp in July and the possibility of an Australian development luge squad spending a week training at Naseby in July or August.
The International Luge Federation, which has its headquarters in Germany, has donated another 18 Italian-made sleds, worth $10,000, to the Naseby luge.
"We're the only facility in the southern hemisphere, and of course, they want to attract more people to the sport and make it grow. We're very grateful they've decided to send us another shipment of sleds," Mr Balme said.
At the ice rink in Alexandra, ice skating and ice-hockey training is already under way, along with curling lessons and matches.
