LED LIGHTING for ICE TRACK OBERHOF – EISARENA MODERNIZED

The new lighting of the luge and bobsleigh track 

The LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA Oberhof is considered to be one of the most difficult courses in the world due to its challenging and selective curve profile. After major modernisation, the facility known as the "Ice Snake" now shines in new brilliance. Efficient ERFURT LED HIGH OUTPUT luminaires from NORKA offer DIN-compliant lighting with outstanding visibility for athletes and spectators alike.

Winter sports have a long tradition in Oberhof. As early as 1900, the aristocracy and high society met up in the fashionable town in the Thuringian Forest, enjoying their time on racing sleds or on the cross-country ski trail. Later, film stars like Marlene Dietrich came to Oberhof, which was considered the St. Moritz of the East. After the founding of the German Democratic Republic, the town developed into a "health resort of the working class," offering 4,500 beds in its state-run recreational and spa facilities. At the same time, one of the cadre forges of the GDR's winter sports was created here. Bobsleigh legend Wolfgang Hoppe and biathlete Frank Ulrich, now a member of the German parliament (Bundestag) in today's reunified Germany, trained in Oberhof and won gold at the Olympics. To make winter sports location Oberhof fit for the future, the Free State of Thuringia and the German federal government have invested more than 80 million euros in the expansion of the sports facilities and surroundings of Oberhof in recent years. The Oberhof luge track and the LOTTO Thüringen ARENA were given a complete facelift, and a youth performance centre was also built.

Extensive modernisation

The Oberhof facility was officially opened as the world's second artificially iced luge and bobsleigh track in 1971 and has been known as the "LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA" since 2020. In preparation for the Fourth World Luge Championships in January 2023, large-scale modernisation began three years earlier. In addition to the refurbishment of the functional buildings, the main entrance and the finish line area, as well as the construction of a second service road parallel to the track, the new roofing made of wooden shell elements is probably the most eye-catching element of the renovation measures. The roofing offers protection from (driving) rain, snow, wind and sun, minimises the radiation of cold when making ice and during use and, thanks to the greatest possible freedom of support, guarantees maximum visibility for the spectators and TV broadcasts during competitions.

Uniform, glare-free light

In addition, the lighting is naturally HD-compatible – and not only that: In all sections of the extremely curvy and therefore demanding track, ERFURT LED HIGH OUTPUT luminaires from NORKA guarantee bright, uniform and glare-free lighting pursuant to DIN EN 12193 and the requirements of the International Luge Federation with illumination levels of 800 lux (up to 1,000 lux) for competition purposes. Athletes must be able to assess the course of the track in all its details. Every shadow, every reflection on the ice could be distracting. In contrast to other tracks, the ice arena does not have many long gliding sections, but athletes can still reach top speeds of more than 120 kilometres per hour. During the fast trip through the ice track, which has a total length of 1,354.50 metres with a difference in altitude of almost 100 metres and an average gradient of 9.2 percent, athletes must master 15 curves, whereby, with a g-force of 6-7 g, curve 13 is particularly challenging.

Robust and sustainable luminaires

With IP65 protection, extreme weather conditions cannot damage the ERFURT LED HIGH OUTPUT luminaires. Neither cold, fog, moisture and wintry weather nor UV radiation affect their function and they constantly withstand ambient temperatures from -40 °C to +40 °C. Lined up like a string of pearls, the twin lamp luminaires – 780 in total – follow the course of the ice track, illuminating it uniformly with wide beam light distribution. The reflector tubes made of PMMA Transopal^® (impact strengthened) emit a soft, glare-free light. They can be swivelled independently of each other and locked in 10° increments, allowing them to be adapted to the topography of the track and its inclination and precisely aligned with the surfaces to be illuminated. To provide additional assembly safety, the luminaires are mounted with special fastenings that act as anti-theft devices in other applications. They also have another special feature that positively affects the sustainability of the system in addition to their high energy efficiency: The luminaires are equipped with "easy eXchange LED", which means that the reflector tubes have replaceable LEDs that can be easily exchanged as required by means of a plug connection while the reflector tube continues to be used.

Ready for the next race

"The heart of luge beats in Oberhof" was an online headline released by the Thüringer Schlitten- und Bobsportverbandes e. V. (Thuringian Sledding and Bobsleigh Sports Association) on the occasion of the World Luge Championships earlier this year, which thrilled more than 16,000 fans in Oberhof. The next international competitions are already just around the corner; in February 2024, the LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA will host two World Cup events on two weekends. Thanks to the extensive modernisation, the "Ice Snake" is ideally equipped for these events.

Used Products

Photos: NORKA/Günther Fotodesign