Skyline Luge transforms Tongyeong's mountain slope
New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Philip Turner rides a gravity-powered luge cart at Skyline Luge Tongyeong, Aug. 3. / Courtesy of Skyline Luge Tongyeong
By Jon Dunbar
New Zealand's biggest investment project in Korea would have to be something unconventional, and the country known for its extreme sports and outdoor recreation doesn't disappoint.
Skyline Luge Tongyeong offers 2.1 kilometers of downhill track on the slopes of Mount Mireuk, below the popular Hallyeosudo Landscape Cable Car in South Gyeongsang Province. Riders of all ages and experience levels take a gravity-powered ride in a wheeled luge that provides full control on the way down the hill on a purpose-built track complete with twists, turns and tunnels.
“As the rider has full control of the luge cart, every ride can be different, which is where Skyline gets its tagline: once is never enough,” said James Dudfield, general manager of Skyline Luge Tongyeong.
New Zealand's Skyline Enterprises introduced this unique ride in 1985, and now operates such courses in New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and Korea. Skyline Luge Tongyeong opened its first track, the 1.5km “Dandy,” in 2017, sending 2.7 million rides on its course, far exceeding the company's initial expectations. Last month it opened the higher-altitude 570m “Hera” course.
"As a Canadian who grew up with the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, I had some high expectations and I was expecting to be disappointed or underwhelmed, or at least frustrated by the lack of English I expected from a smaller city like Tongyeong," said Craig White, a destination marketing manager and father of two living in Korea.
But he described well-written signs and attentive and competent staff and safety personnel everywhere, helping him feel safe bringing young family members there.
“Highly recommended for families thanks to the ability and expedience to handle the summer crowds and the attention to details,” he said.
New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Philip Turner visited the site early this month as part of his first official visit to the region, meeting with staff and discussing future investment and expansion plans.
“It was great excitement to visit Skyline Luge Tongyeong. I was so impressed by their strong commitment to grow as a Tongyeong citizen, making the biggest New Zealand's Overseas Direct Investment into Korea to date and creating lots of employment opportunities for the local community,” Ambassador Turner said in a press release.
“The beautiful scenery of Tongyeong City and Mireuk Mountain made me realize why Skyline had decided to operate here. It is not surprising at all that Skyline Luge Tongyeong is attracting so many visitors right from the start.”
Skyline Luge Tongyeong employs over 75 full-time workers, with plans to invest a further 10 billion won over the next couple years to complete four more tracks, according to Dudfield. He also mentioned plans to open Korea's second Skyline Luge facility in Busan next year.
“We are so grateful to the people of South Korea who have supported this new tourism venture and continue to support it,” Skyline Enterprises Chairman Mark Quickfall said. “As inventors of the Luge, Skyline is delighted that people enjoy the product as much as we do. We are proud to have delivered 45 million rides across five countries and three different continents.”
Visit skylineluge.com for more information.