Luging at Skyline, Rotorua

Hello again. We blogged about our Zorbing experience previously and it got me to thinking how it might possibly be done at our local ski hill in Red Deer. I wonder if the owner's of the ski hill would be interested.

After doing the Luging, I (Bob) started thinking that could be another activity for the ski hill as then the hill  could be used year round.

We left the Zorbing facility and went a few kilometers down the road back towards town and entered the Skyine facility. It has multiple venues from Gondola rides, luge runs, the Sky Swing, and zip lines. It also has Gravity Park, a whole series of mountain bike trails. This week till March 25 the mountain bike association, CrankWorx, is holding a world class downhill event. They were setting up their different tents and working on the track as we were there. Some of those jumps were very scary looking.

Apparently CrankWorx host's these events all over the world and will be in Whistler later in the year. So here are some shots of the facility.


On our way up in the gondola. Naomi was a little tense but did enjoy the view...but heights like this are not her thing.  She would rather hang glide versus a gondola or ski lift...go figure? 
Some of the hillside seating for the upcoming mountain bike event





Shaping and grooming the jumps


Rotorua from the gondola

You can see both mountain bike trails and luge run from here


Start of the luge runs, scenic route to the left and intermediate run straight ahead. They closed the advanced run after someone left the track and got some..ouwies!

At the bottom; and we used that chairlift to get back up to our starting point. Naomi and I bought tickets for 3 runs each and she did fine on the luge track but could only do the lift once. She ended giving me her ticket so I did 5 runs that day .....Yahooo!!...she enjoyed a glass of New Zealand wine.


The luge Carts get brought back up by the chair lift.

You could see sections of the mountain bike track from the lift


Here is Bob graduating to the intermediate track and thinks he is some kind of a Pro at this Luging thing


Naomi turned in her Luging helmet and wandered around and witnessed some tourists getting blown away on the Sky Swing; one young macho-type male got totally humbled on this swing...ln front of his girlfriend.



This group of seniors were a tour group from Ontario.  They had lots of feedback for the young couple but none got into the lineup


.....and here again is the Terror of the Track whizzing by at about 100mph!
Lift the bar Gramps!!! Hurry up!.. he says.....Wrap it up!....says me(NOT as spry as I used to be)

I'm bad...I'm Bad! (Good thing no one was around to watch me try and get out of those little luge thingies at the bottom)






More track shots on the way down

Just had to take a pic of this bike jump in the trees...how the heck does one get on It?!!

Now look closely to the right. See that little patch of dirt? That's the "launching" platform. Hate to see someone miss....ouch! After this shot we headed over to our next stop. Te Puia

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