Naseby could host an annual ice festival with the establishment and growing popularity of curling, ice skating, and natural-ice luge facilities in the township.
New Zealand Olympic Luge Association president Geoff Balme said next weekend's event could be the first of many Naseby midwinter events timed to coincide with school holidays.
Naseby's ice luge will be officially opened next Saturday and the adjoining Maniototo International Curling Rink and Maniototo Ice Rink will host open days with free curling and skating to mark the occasion.
"We hope there will be a luge week comprising a coaching camp each year, and in the middle weekend of the school holidays we can have an open day of the three ice facilities in Naseby.
"It won't clash with the Queenstown Winter Festival, and as Naseby is now being recognised as New Zealand's ice capital, it should have its own festival with curling, ice skating, and ice luge tournaments and activities," Mr Balme said.
The 360m-long Naseby luge is the first track of its kind to be built in New Zealand and from Monday will be the centre of a week-long luge development camp hosted by International Luge Federation coach KarlFlacher, of Austria.
Mr Flacher, in his 60s, is a former Austrian luge champion, and has coached Austrian and German teams in European and international competitions.
Mr Balme said the highly credited coach would teach luge enthusiasts everything there was to know about the sport, including how to get the best time on a track, the technicalities of starting, and how to maintain equipment.
"Mr Flacher is one of only four coaches in the world to be hired by the federation. It will be the first camp on a natural luge like this to be held in New Zealand," Mr Balme said.
After participants have trained all week Mr Blame will hold, and possibly take part in, a series of luge race competitions for those enrolled in the camp, as well as their parents and anyone else keen enough to take part.
To date about 20 people have signed up for the camp, which is open to secondary school pupils in years 9 to 11.
There was still room for people who wanted to join, Mr Balme said.
Most interest had come from families living in Dunedin, with cribs at Naseby, or from others who had visited before, he said.
Man-made snow has been packed on to the luge track this week as temperatures allowed
