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Ski Dubai - radical desert snowdome - now open!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
This thread has been updated and re-headed. The eagerly-awaited opening of the spectacular Ski Dubai snowdome, originally promised for September 2005, took place on 30 November.
The official website - www.skidubai.ae - has great interior photos
Go to page 2 for latest news and comment
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Photos of Ski Dubai's interior have been posted exclusively today on the snowboardclub.co.uk (SCUK) site.

Here they are, showing the radical difference in design to any previous snowdome.

The opening of the dome, originally scheduled for September (the huge adjoining shopping mall has already opened), is yet to be announced.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 1-12-05 11:31; edited 11 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Love the interior scenery, much nicer than a few steel columns
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Very nice. Please build one in south-west London Smile
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It's interesting, because of the people behind this and their roots ...

... The very first snowdome in the world (to my knowledge) was the pilot project at Telford, built by Snowmec (now Acer Snowmec) in 1989, This was a mere 30 metres long, contained in a standard industrial unit on an industrial estate. It opened (relying on memory here) in 1989.

The interior was breathtaking, simply because there was a row of real pine trees, drenched in snow, up the side of the slope. But the snow quality also exceeded anything I've seen in a snowdome since - like a fresh powder morning.

The snowmaking contractors for Ski Dubai are Acer Snowmec, whose refrigeration inventor and engineer is Malcolm Clulow. He's not exactly a skier, but always conveyed to me his love of the magic of snow and snowy environments. It looks as it this is what they are attempting here - with some success.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyone ever considered the weirdness of a snowdome in such a climate? For example, would you pay to go to a desert-dome complete with shifting sands, intense heat, and a few oases? Especially if it were located in, say, the Alps? During winter?
Shocked Puzzled
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Love the chairlifts !
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Love the chairlifts !
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
If anyone has any contacts that could source more photos of the dome it would be great to see them!
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David Goldsmith, I know one of the instructors...
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Can you send him a camera, and just remind him that we don't want any camel shots.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
David Goldsmith, the problem is that he can be a bit moody, and if I send him a camera, he might take the hump...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Does he not own a camelcorder?
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No, just a camela - from Japan
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
He also ownes a reclining chair... A Camela Parker-Knowles.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Another for the list of potential snowHead summer fix trips? I went to the one in Japan and have been to Bottrop - I can see myself finding my way to this one sometime too!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Manda wrote:
Anyone ever considered the weirdness of a snowdome in such a climate? For example, would you pay to go to a desert-dome complete with shifting sands, intense heat, and a few oases? Especially if it were located in, say, the Alps? During winter?
Shocked Puzzled


Is it any different from having a tropical biome in the UK - like at the Eden Project?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, The tiny Telford snowdome still exists - Jon had his 7th birthday party there (some years ago now) but you could hire the entire building for £25 per hour.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
We've got a greenhouse in our back garden. I realise now how weird you must find that, Manda, coming as you do from Hampshire.
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bev bish, actually Telford 'World of Snow' (which is how it became known) closed at Christmas 2002, according to Acer Snowmec's website.

Regarding Ski Dubai, there's a discussion about the project here on treehugger.com including this comment from someone who says they're connected with it (no way of verifying the following):
Quote:
Q: How does it stay cold in Ski Dubai?

A: Our facility is specially designed as a massive cold box. The walls have numerous levels of insulation and the roof is 5 metres higher than the ceiling providing very efficient insulation. This makes Ski Dubai one of the best refrigerators in the world! We have 23 blast coolers (air conditioner type machines) that chill the air and maintain a temperature of -1c during operating hours. There are also kilometres of glycol tubing running through the floor (similar to the back of your refrigerator) that chills the snow keeping the base of the snow solid and 30 tons of fresh snow is made daily to cover the base.

http://www.skidubai.ae/

Posted by: the2planker
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so if xscape is -3 and dubai is -1 ... whats the best temp to keep it at, or does it not matter as long as it is bellow 0 ?
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Another handy scoop on the Dubai dome from snowboardclub.co.uk today, with a fourth interior photo (official this time, apparently) ...
http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/tb.php?/news/article.html?newsid1130165436,19818,
... and some comments on the design from snowdome specialist Patrick Thorne.
Still no firm news on an opening date, it seems.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Query - if they really are real trees how will the poor pines survive endless indoor winter ? While they hold up they do look really good.

Re opening date - given that they were trying to recruit instructors for the princely sum of ~ $600 p. m. and asked only for a qualification in first aid, it might be no bad thing that it stays closed for a little longer until the owners realise you need properly trained and qualified people and pay them a living wage to make a ski school succeed.
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makes Cas' looks a bit pants
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Further details of Ski Dubai's architecture and systems have emerged from a press conference. The following quotes are from this press release.
Quote:
Materials, including structural components, metal, glass and stone, were procured on a worldwide basis and fabricated internationally. The intense heat and humidity of the desert Gulf climate required meticulous environmental strategies and technology.

Quote:
"The scale of the technical program, including several separate energy centers and massive redundant mechanical systems, required every inch of the 51 acre parcel to be precisely designed and utilized," says Andy Feola, president of F+A Architects [the California-based designers of the snowdome and adjoining mall]. While the exterior temperature in Dubai ranges from 60 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, the ski area maintains a constant 28 degrees. Two feet of snow pack lies underneath a layer of fresh snow that is replenished every night. Other sections of the complex are conditioned to a comfortable temperature throughout the year.

Quote:
There are two international food courts, and a wide selection of restaurants, some of which will overlook the ski slope through a 160 meter glazed wall. The entertainment precinct includes a Magic Planet entertainment centre housing indoor rides, simulators and bowling lanes, the largest sports retailer in the region, and a 14-screen cinema.


Reuters are reporting that Ski Dubai's opening has been delayed to December. Click here.
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So they will not be open for the end of Ramadan Eid holiday (approx 4th Nov) but might be targetting the second (and usually longer) Eid holiday which comes 40 days later (i.e. mid Dec). Or maybe they are just building up the snow base and it takes as long as it takes.
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... or maybe they're going for the Christmas trade!
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David Goldsmith, you may be posting in jest but the shopping malls in Dubai actually dress up very well indeed for the Festive Season (they tend not to use the C.... word). I've never seen so many real poinsettias as one Xmas in the CityCentre Mall. Waafi Mall usually does a huge animated display with bears or reindeers and artificial snow flakes on the hour, every hour. Dubai is a super place to spend Xmas - and you can of course swim happily on Chrimbo Day without wearing a wet suit !!
{ Kuwait sadly does little by way of special preparation / decoration but as I'm a bit of a bah humbug when it comes to Chrimbo I can't really complain. }
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The apparently illicit photos of Ski Dubai's interior have been posted onto the Moosh forum on ski.com.au, which is based in Oz, and there's a lot of excitement. Catch this thread for some classic Aussie excitement about the employment opportunities. This, from 'Fangin' Wolvy':
Quote:
Imagine working in the complex. 9-5 snow, afterwork desert heat enroute home, albeit aircond. car.
Tax free money.
Mmmm not bad, not bad at all.
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You know it makes sense.
Ski Dubai's website photo gallery has now been filled with several exciting shots of the snow-filled interior: click here.

There remains no official opening date.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Is that snow on the seats of the chairlift? Now that's an authentic skiing experience for you. snowHead Looks terrific.
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kuwait_ian, I think the trees are fake - one photo shows them with steel bases below what will be snow level.
I would have thought that smaller trees in pots could be moved in/out to simulate seasons.
Real trees would add a nice feel to UK slopes, so long as ther don't take too much space Little Angel
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Here's how all that lovely snow is being made in Dubai, using the British Acer-Snowmec system:
http://www.skidxb.com/howsnowismade.pdf
[thanks to snowboardclub.co.uk for pointing out that page in their news section]
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lampbus, well spotted. Even artificial trees help the atmosphere and give some perspective. Doubt if any potted pine would take kindly to being moved from -1C in artificial light to ~ 40C at 95% R.H. and strong sunlight.
David, TVM for finding all this stuff. That pdf is a really good simple explanation of how it all works. I believe the glycol undersnow cooling piping is also used for ice rinks, so that part is very well tried and trusted technology.

Next Query - If they are constantly 'topping up' the snow with little overnight freshies and nothing ever melts, the snow pack will increase steadily in depth. How do they get round that ??
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The snow may not melt but it will get pushed from top to bottom by the people skiing or boarding down, also I expect it will compact in the manner of an outside snowfield so I would imagine that it will need regular topping up to keep it in good condition
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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An opening date of 2 December is now expected.

For those wanting to read lots more about the technical wizardry behind the Ski Dubai dome, here's a very interesting article from ITP Business.

The snow system is reported to be making 120 tonnes of snow every 24 hours:

Quote:
Using Acer Snowmec system technology, liquid water is atomised to create a cloud inside the building. This cloud is then ‘sprinkled’ with tiny hard ice particles (10 micron diameter) which allow snow crystals to form and then fall from the cloud as real snow.

Quote:
With a full capacity of 1500 visitors, damage to the slope caused by over-zealous skiers and snowboarders means the snow will need constant replenishing to maintain its quality. To maintain the ski experience the top layer of the snow will be replaced every day.
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A further report in ITP Business claims that Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson will "Next week ... make a dramatic entrance down the new ski slope at the mall."

The publicity is to tie in with Virgin Megastores opening one of their biggest branches at Mall at the Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic commencing scheduled London-Dubai flights from next March.

Here, again, is the link for snowy interior photos of the new dome:
http://www.skidubai.ae/gallery1_eng.htm?mid=1&sid=4
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Strangely, The Independent reports today that Ski Dubai "has just opened its doors". Click here for report.

This is odd because the dome's own website - linked to at the end of the article - still says "Opening Soon" with no confirmed opening date even now.

Still, there's some added detail in the article. Just don't catch a plane ... just yet.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Looks like that standing invite to visit my mate who now works in Dubai next year will have an added attraction snowHead
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David Goldsmith, I think it's only open for gawpers and toboganners at present. Nice to see the bearded one hasn't lost his knack for publicity.

That article refers to a 'connecting flight' from Abu Dhabi to Dubai via Abu Dhabi's very own new airline Etihad actually being on a bus !!!! If you are ever on Etihad to Ski Dubai, if I were you I wouldn't bother with the bus. Which depending on the route taken might pass by the new dome anyway and will drop you at DXB Airport from where you'll have to work backwards about 30 kms to get to the dome. I'd just fly to AUH and rent a car in Abu Dhabi airport. From AUH airport to the new Dome will be about 1 hour's drive (traffic permitting). The new indoor ski slope is just off one of the major highway junctions on the Abu Dhabi side of Dubai emirate (if you see what I mean......) and is nowhere near the centre of Dubai City or Dubai Airport.


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 20-11-05 8:57; edited 1 time in total
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kuwait_ian, I am visiting my brother next October in Dubai and will definitely go to the dome for a day or two.
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