The cultural exchange between New Zealand and Europe continues. For about three months Poland’s natural track luger number 1, Adam Jędrzejko, coaches the New Zealand natural track luge team and the youngsters. Temporarily the home country of Adam Jędrzejko is New Zealand. The Polish natural track luge racer started a job as trainer and is going to work with the New Zealand track luge racers and the offspring at the so called “Ice Camp” – including Curling, natural track luge and ice skating – and the “Luge Camp”. Jędrzejko will be in action – not only as coach but also as worker on the track and of course because of his own preparations for winter. The arrangement was initialized by Patrick Pigneter (ITA) who spent some weeks in New Zealand last year working with the youngsters. “Geoff Balme, president of the New Zealand Olympic Luge Association, asked me last winter if I had wanted to come back to New Zealand for three months this year. I couldn’t manage to go there myself and then I suggested asking Adam instead.” Why he recommended his Polish colleague? “Adam is for sure the best for this job. He is very well versed in natural track luge and participated successfully in the International Instructor course of the FIL which was held in fall 2012 for the first time.” Pigneter knows his successor very well: “We have already made friends some years ago, practiced a lot together. I knew that Adam was going to finish his studies this spring and was looking for a job then.” And then there was the offer from New Zealand. During the past three years the Latvian Guntis Rekis had been managing the training there. Jędrzejko’s first impressions from his first stay in New Zealand: “During the first days I had problems with the jetlag. I always woke up in the middle of the night. But apart from that, I feel very comfortable here. The people are great.” Concerning weather conditions Jędrzejko has already had everything. “I couldn’t do anything during the first days. There was no snow and it was raining most of the time. But then it started snowing and didn’t stop for a few days’ time. So we have more than enough snow now.”