2/9/2006: Indoor ski resort
 

http://cellar.org/2006/snow-1.jpg

Where else but Dubai? In the background you can see the hotel that IotD has featured a few times, most notably with Tiger Woods driving a ball off the heliport. Turns out they needed a ski resort. In the desert. And since they have more money than... anyone, they can manage to get that done.

http://cellar.org/2006/snow-2.jpg

http://cellar.org/2006/snow-3.jpg

http://cellar.org/2006/snow-4.jpg

http://cellar.org/2006/snow-5.jpg

Doesn't look very cold.

May be a reasonable substitute destination for driving 4wd SUVs.

Oh! My! God!

They'll be wanting to host the Winter Olympics next time.

There are quite a few of these things in Japan, and I think one recently opened in Shanghai too.

Yup.

We should think about this whenever we fill up our SUVs.

Personally I think it's pretty grotesque, but that's just me. I mean, people in Texas go to Colorado to ski- seems like Dubaians (I made that up) could jet to the Alps (oops...Alpine glaciers are melting too).

Chris

Check out the lift lines. There is hardily anyone there.

jackets are all the same. think they're rentals? or is that the ski patrol?

I need pictures of some non-crazy Arabs. Please, somebody show me something that looks normal.

The best thing about sking is the fresh mountain air and the scenery......uh. nevermind. :smack:

I can't imagine the energy needed to keep that thing running, nice waste of resources...

:thepain3:

Does anyone else think it's stupid that they still have lifts?

Every once in a while, when the snow gets dirty, they shut off the power and trade their skis for surfboards. ;)

How else do you get from the bottom to the top with skis on?
Welcome to the Cellar, PhillipOnLine. :D

Are their women allowed to ski too, or is this just a toy for the boys? I mean you have to have chicks on the slopes, right? What's skiiing without snowbunnies?

Ski poles make handy and lightweight woman-beating implements as well!

I noticed they placed a few trees strategically in case anyone is feeling 'bono-ish'.
I wonder if the thingies on the walls are speakers playing 'Frankenstein' or are they refrigeration units?

Little known fact: the bear shown is the mascot of the Hamas and was also on holiday, still sporting the green flag of his home team.

This is one of several large projects aimed at diversifying their economy. They want to build up their tourism industry because their oil wells are expected to run dry by 2016. I don't think I'll be making reservations for a middle-eastern vacation anytime soon, though.

Before they flipped on the air chillers, their wells were predicted to run dry by 2020.

Damn, I second the "waste of energy" comment. Ice rinks are cold, but they don't keep them cold enough to snow in!

inFREAKINGcredible

When Steve Martin became wealthy he bought some stuff: a gasoline-powered turtle neck sweater, an electric dog polisher...a fur sink. Then he bought some dumb stuff. Like this.

Warning...this is an extremely politcally incorrect statement:

Does this mean we'll have to start calling them Sand *Eskimos* now?

Ahmed, look, I'm writting "Allah" in the snow...

The rich will still fly off to where ever the jet-set go to ski. This is a perk for the poor relations and the help. :)

Must be hard to ski without tripping over your burqa...

don't you mean snow niggers?

I saw this when it was featured on "Modern Marvels". There are a couple kinds of gases being pumped through pipes under the snow, keeping it cold enough. It sounded like it was for the tourists, mostly. The project fell a couple months behind, so the mall opened on time but without the ski slopes ready. The instructors and other "ski help" arrived way too early also. These pictures look like the ones that were shown on TV before the slopes opened, and it looks like the people in the blue jackets are the instructors and the other help.

We don't get snow anywhere near where I live and I've never even seen snow. If there was an indoor ski resort in the area, I'd go to it just for the fun of it.

I'm sure the less wealthy people in Dubai could quite possibly feel the same way I do.

Aliantha - I can bring you some - we will be in Brisbane in April. Actually we are staying with some friends that live in a town I can't pronounce. I'm emailing him right after this to find out how you spell it.

I suppose it isn't as big a waste of energy as GASCAR but it is pushing it.

But how will you keep it cold? lol