1000 rides and counting: Is this NZ's biggest luge fan?

Izon Grey-Epiha has clocked up close to 1000 luge rides.Supplied

Izon Grey-Epiha has clocked up close to 1000 luge rides.

It all started on a trip to Rotorua at the age of six with his parents. Fifteen years later, he’s made the iconic Kiwi ride his career and now works for Skyline in Rotorua.

“I was pretty obsessed with the luge then and I told my dad back then that I really wanted to work here,” Grey-Epiha told Stuff Travel.

The family used to live in Christchurch’s Papanui, however their house was destroyed in the 2011 earthquakes, forcing them to consider their options. That led to them moving to Rotorua which, conveniently for Grey-Epiha, is the home of Skyline’s luge. Invented in 1985, Skyline now has eight global luge sites across New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia, just recently surpassing its 100-millionth luge ride, and has plans to open a new site in Wales.

“Definitely down in Christchurch you don't have the sort of tourist and adventure thrill park sort of things down there, where you do here in Rotorua.”

By the time he was 17, the luge-obsessed teen applied for his first job at Rotorua’s Skyline. He didn’t get it first time around, but when he applied a second time he was successful. He’s been working there ever

Izon Grey-Epiha (second from right) on the luge.Supplied

“I've started learning some new things, I'm a part-time supervisor. I've learned how to run the gondola, picking up a little bit of engineering on the side,” he said.

Just shy of 21 years old, he’s also travelled to nearly all of Skyline’s luge sites around the world, including South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as both Queenstown and Rotorua sites in NZ. He estimates he’s close to the 1000 mark when it comes to the number of rides he’s completed since that first one at six years old.

His favourites are Queenstown and Tongyeong in South Korea.

“Queenstown because of the amazing views and Tongyeong, I just really like the tracks at Tongyeong. I feel like they're very unique.”

So what does it feel like to go down the luge?

“Excitement, especially picking up speed and stuff like that, that's always enjoyment. One time I've clocked 37 kilometres on the luge before - it's definitely a thrill.” 

He’s grateful for his parents’ support for his niche interest in the luge. “When I was younger and joining the luge, like, in my early days, I told my dad that I wanted to work here one day and I'm so glad to have made that a reality.”

Grey-Epiha still has plans to check out the Canadian luge site, and to travel to the new Swansea one in Wales in future.

Canada Completed

Calgary (CANADA) 11th August 2025 & Mont Tremblant (CANADA) 16th August 2025