Schlitterbahn May Reopen By Spring

GALVESTON — The island’s $30 million Schlitterbahn Waterpark, left with a big Hurricane Ike mess to clean up, is racing to reopen for the summer season and possibly by spring break, officials said.

“We’re feverishly cleaning up and will definitely be opening right around spring break,” said spokesman Jeffrey Siebert.

The return of the park, which already is selling passes for the island’s all-important summer season, is big economic news for Galveston.

Schlitterbahn, with its speed slides, winding rivers and uphill water coasters has lured nearly 2 million visitors since it opened in March 2006 on 26 acres at Scholes International Airport.

Hurricane Ike, which struck Sept. 13, didn’t do much harm to the park’s slides and amusement rides, Siebert said. The rides were tested and are structurally fine, Siebert said.

But storm surge left yellow inner tubes in trees and generally made a mess. Office buildings and warehouses that most visitors never see sustained most of the storm damage, Siebert said. The admissions booths and retail shops also took a hit from the surge, he said.

The hurricane forced Schlitterbahn to sit out the winter season, when it usually is promoting Wasserfest, its 70,000-square-foot indoor waterpark.

The indoor park gained industry attention for its convertible roof, which was shredded by Category 2 hurricane winds.

Wasserfest typically begins in September. During the winter months, the indoor park is a balmy 84 degrees.

The island’s Schlitterbahn is the third waterpark for the Henry family, which opened the original waterpark in New Braunfels in 1979.

The growing empire has another park in South Padre Island.

This summer, Schlitterbahn, which is German for “slippery road,” also plans to open a $750 million entertainment complex in Kansas City, Kan.

The project will represent one of the world’s largest tubing parks, with miles of interconnected rivers and attractions.

Back home, Anrem Corp., an affiliate company of island-based American National Insurance Co., is a majority owner of the Galveston Schlitterbahn park.

Siebert declined to say what kind of financial pain the storm inflicted on the park. Schlitterbahn, however, did have insurance, Siebert said.

“We are coming back,” Siebert said. “We are coming back bigger and stronger; the park should look brand new when it reopens.”

FOUND IN THE GALVESTON COUNTY DAILY NEWS