Bearfire Resort (Was Ski Dallas! Coolzone Winterplex)

[Mister X]

It has nothing to do with Ft. Worth. I would rather go to Schlitterbahn or the beach than skiing anywhere or anytime. Even if that meant Houston had plastic skiing and Ft. Worth had a beach. Don't be so sensitive and defensive. This project is stupid. Even the local DFW people that were interviewed on the Channel 8 report didn't sound all that impressed by it.

[troyboy]

This project is stupid. Even the local DFW people that were interviewed on the Channel 8 report didn't sound all that impressed by it.

You're so right. It didn't even receive a huge write up in the newspapers. It's not as if Disney or Seaworld are coming to town. Besides these forums, I haven't heard of this project mentioned anywhere else. I'm another one that's very skeptical of this becoming reality and the more I think about it, the more silly the whole idea becomes.

[dfwcre8tive]

http://www.star-telegram.com/189/story/66915.html

Fort Worth ski park plan unveiled

By ANDREA JARES

STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

North Texans could be skiing and ice skating in the hot summer sun if a development group's plans for a 150-acre theme park work out.

At the center of the outdoor park planned for the northwest corner of Eagle Parkway and Interstate 35W in north Fort Worth is a 25-story mountain, linked by gondolas to a woodsy, sprawling ski lodge. The 2.4 million visitors expected annually at the park would ski down the mountain on a specially carpeted surface that mimics snow's slippery properties. The Coolzone Winterplex park would also have luge and ice-raft rides, as well as performances by Olympic and X-Games veterans in an amphitheater.

There will also be ice skating on a synthetic surface that needs no refrigeration. To keep things cool in the sweltering heat, fans will blow a fine mist, cooling the ambient air by 20 degrees. A second misting system embedded in the carpet helps keep the surface slippery.

... (more at link)

SKI FORT WORTH!

Besides a giant resort lodge and a 30-acre mountain, the planned Coolzone Winterplex theme park will have several other attractions:

Moguls, half-pipes and other extreme snowboarding and skiing experiences, as well as recreational slopes and bunny hills for novices

A European village with steeples and cobblestone roads for shopping

Fast-paced luge rides on a synthetic-ice surface called Easyglide-350

A winding path for ice skating on a synthetic-ice surface

Ice rafts, where several people at a time free-fall 252 feet down a slope

A snowball field with manmade snow

Night skiing, with the potential for a light show

A midslope viewing area that will serve refreshments

An amphitheater with professional winter sports performances

Preliminary adult ticket prices: $38 for a ski pass and $52 for an all-area pass.

LIKE REAL SNOW?

Snowflex, a surface designed specifically for skiing and snowboarding, is used on slopes in Lake Placid, N.Y.; Park City, Utah; England; and France. But the mountain in north Fort Worth would be the largest application of the relatively new surface to date.

The surface is made of four layers, all of which work together to imitate a bank of packed powder. Not only is it slippery, but it also has a grip that allows skiers and snowboarders to change direction, just like in real snow.

Snowflex has several advantages over real snow, said Terry Di Stasi, director of business development for England-based Briton Engineering Developments. The surface is always consistent and softer to land on, he said.

Thursday's presentation included film of skiers soaring off Snowflex-covered jumps and snowboarders twisting on half pipes. Di Stasi said those are the type of feats skiers and snowboarders will be able to perform on the Fort Worth mountain.

[Willy1]

I think responses like Coog's here are fair. It disagrees with the concept of the snow park, not the fact that it is a Dallas thing. In fact he points that out. If, on the other hand, a comment was made that the fundamental constituent of the snowflakes was plastic, and that therefore it would not be surprising that it would exist in Dallas, then that may or may not be out of line on this forum, depending on motive. Comments that are outright offensive about Dallas are simply inappropriate, and will not be tolerated on this forum.

I agree - that the above comment by Coog was fair because he's entitled to his opinion of the project. But, the following quote was a direct slam at Dallas.... If we're going to be fair here, then you have to apply the rules to Houstoninas and Dallasites alike, not just when Dallasites react to anti-Dallas remarks. IMO, Dallasboi was just reacting to Coog's anti-Dallas remarks. And, even though two wrongs don't make a right and Dallasboi should have ignored Coog... Coog did swing first on this one. The following remark from Coog was very unnecessary.

This has to be a joke.

Oh Dallas. It's a little bit "Time Square", "Manhattan" and "Colorado" all in one.

Somebody needs therapy.

Dallas - Be yourself!

[2112]

You might want to read my post there a little more closely.

[2112]

...Dallasboi was just reacting to Coog's anti-Dallas remarks. And, even though two wrongs don't make a right and Dallasboi should have ignored Coog... Coog did swing first on this one. The following remark from Coog was very unnecessary.

You are correct. Coog's remarks were not only unnecessary, but very unprofessional and will not be tolerated. Coog, go to your room. 3 young Latinas will be up shortly to apply the spanking. Afterwich you will be bathed, shampooed, and then spanked again. Really, it behooves you to act more appropriately in this forum.

[TxDave]

It is interesting to note that this proposed project in North Fort Worth has been consistently called a "Dallas" project.

However whenever population/city size is concerned, many posters insist that Dallas is stretching to include Fort Worth in its numbers.

I feel dirty writing this, because I DO NOT want to trigger any more Houston vs. Dallas "pissing" contests, but please be consistent.

Honestly, it is completly reasonable to generalize this as a "Dallas" project (and all that implies).

If anyone truly has a problem considering Dallas and Fort Worth as one metro - do not respond with any "Dallas" comments to this project.

Otherwise, everything that has been said is completely fair.

[TxDave]

After my previous post, I feel that I must state, in my opinion, that this seems like a ridiculous project.

Who will want to ski in 100+ degree weather in the summer? Maybe it is intended to be mostly a winter attraction - but even then, it seems like a "weak" amusement park type concept to me.

Perhaps there is more pent-up demand for skiing/snowboarding (wherever/whenever you can get it) than I am aware of. I assume the developers did some kind of demand study (right?). But it seems that the true skiers/snowboarders would prefer to go to a real venue - with real slopes and real snow.

I could certainly be wrong about my assessment (I really know nothing about this topic), but only time will tell.

Either way, it will be interesting to watch how this all play out.

[TheNiche]

The following remark from Coog was very unnecessary.

In all fairness to Coog, he says precisely the same stuff about Houston on a pretty regular basis when people start trying to compare aspects about us to places we aren't and shouldn't necessarily want to be.

I was impressed at first, too, but this thing has three strikes against it: it isn't real snow, it's hot, and it is going to be way too tiny to create the kind of critical mass that would be necessary to make it a regional destination. To me, this seems more comparable to one of those miniature fun-parks that has put-put golf on a big artificial 'mountain', go-carts, and an arcade, than a true amusement park. Perhaps it is best thought of as sort of a cross between the big and the piddly-s***.

[Trae]

Celebration Station on the fake slopes.

[Howard]

While I have been to Ski Dubai and Tamworths indoor snow ski park in England this is different. This is what is called "dry slope" and the last time I rode one was in 1995 in England. This looks to be a different type of construction but I will go by what I know of "dry slopes". They HURT when you fall and I always wore a padded sweat shirt and jeans. Once I tore a hole in a sweat shirt and was glad I wore it. I would see people with pads. It is fun for sure but in England its never as hot as Texas. It will be well used in the winter if your not getting a beat down when you fall. Summer it will only be the hardcore out there as it gets way too hot, night may be better. You have to judge it by the weather like most outdoor activities. I would go when I was craving to snowboard and couldnt get to a mountain with plenty of snow. Its fun but I had to be perpared to get worked. Hope the years have made its construction softer.

[Dallascaper]

It is interesting to note that this proposed project in North Fort Worth has been consistently called a "Dallas" project.

However whenever population/city size is concerned, many posters insist that Dallas is stretching to include Fort Worth in its numbers.

I feel dirty writing this, because I DO NOT want to trigger any more Houston vs. Dallas "pissing" contests, but please be consistent.

Honestly, it is completly reasonable to generalize this as a "Dallas" project (and all that implies).

If anyone truly has a problem considering Dallas and Fort Worth as one metro - do not respond with any "Dallas" comments to this project.

Otherwise, everything that has been said is completely fair.

I think this project has been called a "Dallas" project because when it was first announced last year there was no mention of Ft Worth. Here is the original announcement posted to Dallasmetropolis from March 27, 2006:

Winterplex

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Year-round winter theme park planned for Dallas

Dallas Business Journal - 2:12 PM CST Monday

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/s...ml?surround=lfn

A North Texas development group aims to bring the Dallas-Fort Worth area its first year-round winter sports theme park.

Bearfire Group L.L.C., formed in 2004, says it has put together a team of professionals, including Orlando, Fla.-based Baker Leisure Group, Long Beach, Calif.-based Kirk Design Inc. and Burbank, Calif.-based Thinkwell Design & Production, to design and develop the Coolzone Winterplex.

The park has a $375 million pricetag and is slated for completion in late 2008. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter. Bearfire, based in the Dallas suburb The Colony, has identified several possible sites in the Dallas area for the park and is finalizing negotiations, a spokeswoman said Monday.

The theme park will use snowflex, a new technology developed by Briton Engineering in Great Britain that uses a hydrogenated, multi-layered skiing mat that mimics qualities and conditions like those of mountain snow.

The project manager for the park will be McGillivray Consulting Group of Orlando.

Coolzone Winterplex is raising capital for the project and has reached an agreement with former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who will assist in finding potential equity investors and will act as an adviser to the company.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fort Worth was never mentioned as a possible location until news about this project resurfaced last week; so this is now a Fort Worth project. Maybe the original poster can change the title of the thread.

[HtownWxBoy]

I was all about this project being a long time skiier until I found out it's actually outside and not on real snow (though man made)... no thank you! :closedeyes:

[J.A.S.O.N.]

Saw this on the news last week. Its really nice

[VelvetJ]

Well, with all of the criticism this thing is getting, it is a heck of a lot more than what Houston is doing. If Houstonians want to ski on more realistic snow, drop plans to turn the AstroDome into a hotel (which will be a total rip-off of what's in Dallas complete with the fake Riverwalk) and turn it into a Snow Skiing facility. Houstonians could snow ski, then be on the beach in 80 degree water within the same hour. How many American cities could boast that?

Any type of progress being done in other cities is viewed by many Houstonians as "corny" or "trying to be like someone else", while we sit back doing nothing or waiting until other cities have done it before we decide Houston could benefit from some of the same projects.

[RedScare]

I wondered how long it would take VelvetJ to come in with his 'Houston sucks' post. You're a little slow on the reply button aren't you, J?

If you read the thread closely, you'd see that the Dallas posters think it is lame as well. This isn't a bash Dallas thread. It is a bash dumb ideas thread. And, I promise you, if some moron thought that an outdoor, fake snow skiplex would work in Houston, YOU would be the only one not making fun of it.

[VelvetJ]

I think I'd rather go to Schlitterbahn or the beach.

Yeah but if you think the folks in Dallas are jealous of Schlitterbahn, you should do a little research of what's going on up there with regard to waterparks. Schlitterbahn in Galveston is really nice but it is far from the type of park that is in New Braunfels, and it has nothing that Dallas does not already have or will have in the summer (including the indoor/outdoor year around waterpark concept). Schlitterbahn in Galveston is better than the one on Padre Island but several around the country are just as comparable.

I wondered how long it would take VelvetJ to come in with his 'Houston sucks' post. You're a little slow on the reply button aren't you, J?

If you read the thread closely, you'd see that the Dallas posters think it is lame as well. This isn't a bash Dallas thread. It is a bash dumb ideas thread. And, I promise you, if some moron thought that an outdoor, fake snow skiplex would work in Houston, YOU would be the only one not making fun of it.

Well Redscare, that may be so but if this thing is built, let's see how many Houstonians it attracts.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Well, with all of the criticism this thing is getting, it is a heck of a lot more than what Houston is doing.

LOL!!

[Mister X]

Who exactly are you btching at, Velvet? Houston isn't a person you know.

It sounds likes a one trick pony. One sad, sick, little pony.

I can see it now...People go up a little mountain, slide down a scorching hot plastic matt, burning, bruising and beating their skin into a fine hamburger like consistancy. And then go home and never come back. But not forgetting to tell all their friends about the "fun" they had.

I give it 9 months. Max.

[Dallasboi]

Who exactly are you btching at, Velvet? Houston isn't a person you know.

It sounds likes a one trick pony. One sad, sick, little pony.

I can see it now...People go up a little mountain, slide down a scorching hot plastic matt, burning, bruising and beating their skin into a fine hamburger like consistancy. And then go home and never come back. But not forgetting to tell all their friends about the "fun" they had.

I give it 9 months. Max.

Now that's a funny visual

[dfwcre8tive]

http://www.snowflex.com/news/latest/fort_w...ard_resort.html

[Trae]

Good luck with that.

[RedScare]

I love the 60 foot yacht moored in the pond.

[MidtownCoog]

Bearfire?

[Dallasboi]

I love the 60 foot yacht moored in the pond.

Ok.....Now that is Kinda far fetched, unless it is some type of stationary entertainment venue.

[troyboy]

This is looking more and more like some developer's wet dream fantasy. It gets more proposterous with every rendering. Does anyone really believe this will get built at all, and if it does, does anyone think it will look anything like this cartoon rendering??

[dfwcre8tive]

Wall Street Journal Video:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/b.../bctid902099517

[TxDave]

Seems pretty "cheesy" to me (for lack of a better word), but perhaps there is a market for that...

[BaylorGuy314]

I'm sorry but I don't get this at all. Not in the least.

Ski Dubai was/will be successful because you can't take a three hour flight and get to the real thing. Ski Dubai also uses real snow while this will be turf. Those factors immediately discredit any similiarities between these two projects.

Why I feel this is silly:

It's bound to cost quite a bit of money to ski there. Texans will pay $40/day per person to ski in the Rockies because you are paying for the entire experience. The cold weather, the (real) snow, the mountainous terrain, all of the things that make Colorado unique and "different" from Texas. This will not be, in any way, shape, or form the same. Outside of the period from early December through February, Texas is hot, so this ski resort will have to be pulling in customers when it is hot outside. I don't see people wanting to pay $40/day to ski on fake snow/turf in 85+ degree heat. You aren't in the mountains and you aren't on real snow.

On top of all of that, let's look at the "fun" aspects of this. Surely most that are commenting have been snow skiing multiple times. How many times in a row have you gone on the same run? I usually don't go on the same run more than a time or two in a trip. Why? It gets boring to do it over and over and over again. What makes it fun is going down different parts of the mountain with different views, etc. No one likes to go down the same exact waterslide all day. This 15-20 acre park will only offer a couple of runs, so in effect, it's like a waterpark with only a few slides.

People want to ski in Colorado because of the experience. It's 180 degrees different than anything they see in Texas- from the terrain, to the weather, to the towns, everything is different. You simply can't duplicate all of that. This project is really just a really nicely themed amusement park with only a few rides. I'm not sure many people will pay that much money for that.

The Wolf Creek Lodge concept is a completely different animal. The waterpark there is small, is available only to people who stay at the hotel, and actually loses money for the hotel on an annual basis. That is, essentially, a hotel with a really nice pool and a couple of eating options.

Some may counter that this proposed ski project is a hotel with a really cool thrill ride option, which is similiar to Wolf Creek Lodge. That may be true, but the problem is that this place is going to be relying on people coming just for the ski aspect. Everything is centered around having people come and ski. If they don't get skiiers, the park won't make it. The hotel, on the other hand, makes their profit on being a nice hotel and conference center. The pool just help entice families to stay there instead of any other place in town. The really don't care if people use the pool at all. It's just a nice feature to get more people to stay at their hotel.

[C2H]

and also since the weather doesn't really get cold here, i don't see how an outdoor ski park will work. No body will want to dress in overcoat and alot of clothes because they'd sweat to death from the warm weather. I don't think they'll want to go skiing in shorts either because if they fall on that fake snow, they'll get ice burn! I just don't see how this will work.

Now the one that was being talked about in Houston a while back, at least that one is indoors.