Benson 2013 :: Here, now.

*Not an original logo, but I think this is one of the best Olympics logos ever!


Where is Benson?
The City of Benson is placed somewhere on the North American midwest. Its privileged situation, in a plain area next to the Rockies, makes it the perfect spot for a Winter Simlympics bid.

Why Benson?
1. Ours is an small but vibrant city, with very diverse areas, an animated nightlife, a very high living standard and with many interesting landmarks to see. Not only a cold place but a cool place!
2. The venues placed in the Benson city area manage to meet tradition with the most modern facilities, somewhere where athletes will surely be happy to compete in.
3. The nearby Mount Independence ski resort is a popular touristic destination, having earned a great reputation during the latest decades; has proven to be a confortable place surrounded by snow during the Winter months.
4. Benson has a wide range of accommodation for all visitors and participants of these Simlympics.


How are we going to do that?
With lots of illusion, passion for sport, and the venues we'll be seeing onwards!

Next update: Benson city venues

As previously said, the venues placed at in the Benson city proper show the perfect balance between tradition and modernity. Some venues have seen great sports moments for our city, and others, are only temporary and will go back to its regular use once the Simlympics end. Provisional doesn't mean "bad" here, and athletes will never notice they're in a temporary facility. Let's take a closer look to them.


This spectacular stadium with capacity for roughly 42,000 spectators will see the opening and closing ceremonies. The NFL team Benson Express will cease its competition here during the Winter Simlympics, we thank them for their collaboration with the Organising Comitee. Below its fiberglass fabric roof, we're going to host an spectacular show broadcasted live to the whole world.


Moving east we find the Shigley Stadium, a tennis venue. During the Winter Simlympics, as it is done every Winter, it is going to be covered by a thick ice layer, making it the perfect choice for the figure skating and short track speed skating competition. The roof, inspired in Munich 1972 Olympics and in the Rocky Mountains, prevents the ice meltdown, covering all the stadium's south side; this makes that ice will keep being ice during all Winter without the Organisation intervention.


Joe Louis Arena is placed between Benson river and the city downtown, a place that has seen the NHL Benson Red Jackets win two Stanley Cups since its construction in 1977. This venue, with capacity for around 20,000 spectators will have the privilege of hosting the always exciting ice hockey competition. The Red Jackets staff will proudly help with the Organisation to conduct the competition.


This stadium, Benson Tech Skrewdrivers home field, will be aconditioned to host the speed skating competition, also with a thick ice layer over the field. Its length and width makes it a good place to host this competition, given that the Joe Louis arena is already taken by the ice hockey competition. This stadium boasts plenty of public transport and parking space, providing an easier access for all attendance.


Placed in West Benson suburb, this facility was built in 1992 and was specifically designed for curling practice; it has become a very popular sport in Benson since then. It is only a short walk far from Athletes Village, anyways, hydrogen-powered Simlympic Buses will link the Bicentennial Hall and Athletes Village to avoid curlers to carry all the instruments by themselves.

As you can see, the city is all in with the Winter Simlympics!


Next update: Mount Independence venues

We're going west to take a look to Mt. Independence, where the hard-core snow events will take place. Mt. Independence's base can be reached in about an hour by car, and it would have been impossible without it to present this bid.

Its world-class ski resort is only the tip of the iceberg, brand new, state-of-the-art venues are being built at the moment to ensure everything is ready if the Simlympics are hosted here.


Mt. Independence Ski Resort is the epicenter of the Simlympic activity far from Benson city. Crosscountry, Biathlon, Snowboarding, Freestyle, Alpine slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G events will be hosted in these confortable facilities. A truckload of snow cannons is prepared in case it doesn't snow enough to provide the best snow conditions to the athletes.

The fastest events will be held at the drammatic slopes, wide enough to make this possible; meanwhile the biathlon and crosscountry events are expected to take place off the slopes and among the trees, a very beautiful scenario.


The steepest slope is, however, Crest Peak Ski Jumping Hill, a brand new facility specifically built for this bid. After searching the whole county for the perfect spot, our engineers decided that Crest Peak was the optimus place to build a facility that will also last way beyond the Winter Simlympics to become the main facility for the developing of new ski jumpers.


And last but not least, we're unveiling today the key venue of these Simlympics we expect to organize, the Sliding Center. Our designers, engineers and contractors have worked really hard to build this baby on time for the bid, the place we feel the proudest of. There are no Winter Simlympics without an sliding center and this bid wouldn't exist if it wasn't by this venue; were the thrilling bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events will be held. Nearly 4,500 feet of pure excitement both for the rider and the viewer.

And with the Sliding Center, the resume of our venues is over. During next updates, we'll be seeing the different transit and accommodation options throughout Benson and Mt. Independence.

As important as venues, transportation is another aspect a city must shine if it wants its Simlympics shine too. Despite being a relatively small city, Benson boasts a variety of means of transport, that will make the task of reaching Benson much easier to both athletes and visitors.


For most of our visitors, the entrance gate to the city of Benson will be the David F. Woodward Intl. Airport. It currently services only domestic routes, but if the games are awarded to Benson, it's going to be improved to host international flights and work at its maximum capacity.


During the Simlympics, most of the small aircraft concourse will be fully dedicated to the connection between Benson and Mt. Independence. Our sponsoring airline plans an air bridge between the two centers by using small aircrafts, the only ones capable of landing at Independence Airfield.


This tiny airfield, primarly dedicated to civil aviation and charter domestic flights on Winter, will see an age of glory with the Simlympics, as it's going to be the main transportation hub for the events held at the slopes.

Obviously, not only air transport is important in our bid. Any city-scale event in Benson is impossible to organize without counting with our main transport center.


Commuter rail, Amtrak, HighSpeedRail, Benson Light Rail and BTA commuter buses meet at the very city center, a two minute walk far from Benson downtown. Visitors and athletes from our continent will have no problem on reaching Benson with the current scheduled services, both at high or at lower speeds. During the Simlympics, BTA bus transit will be derived to the nearby Greyhound Terminal to make room for the Simlympic Bus service connecting all the venues and also Mt. Independence.


The Greyhound Terminal is the place where visitors with a tighter budged will meet. Placed at Benson Downtown and surrounded by many historical landmarks, it is also considered an historical landmark; an art decó marvel.

Next update: Accommodation.

Finally, an small review to the accommodation options in this Simlympics bid will close our bid before proceeding to the authorities' speeches.

There's no bid without an Athletes Village, and this is Benson's. It is placed in West Benson suburb, a five-minute walk far from the Bicentennial Hall and only a couple of miles far from David F. Woodward Airport. All athletes taking part in events held at Benson city will be staying here, and will boast brand new facilites right next to a rural surrounding.

The other half of athlete's accommodation will be placed at the town of Uintah Springs, at the very base of Mt. Indepencence ski resort. Just like its Bensonian counterpart, athletes will feel at home in these newly built apartments, with plenty of space for all athletes' equipment. The white apartment building is reserved for media members who are not willing to travel between Benson and Mt. Independence.

The Atlantic Hotel is the place where foreign authorities, press members and collaborating staff will be staying during the Simlympic Games. It is placed in Avenue of the Americas, at Benson city downtown and very near the transportation hub and Greyhound bus terminal. This hotel has been recently renovated, and hass all kinds of commodities to ensure the visitor's confort: unlimited Internet Wi-Fi access, satellite TV, 4 different restaurants...

And finally, to close our bid, we'll hear two short speeches from our authorities.

Monique McKenzie, Governor of the State of Benson

ISC members, media members, visitors.

Let me begin my speech giving thanks for your attention to our bid.

I don't know which city will be awarded with the Games of the V Winter Simlympiad, I don't know if we deserve these games, I don't know if we are the best bidders out there. But one thing is for sure, we've put our best effort on it because this is our chance, it is our time to shine, it is here and now.

As the maximum autority from the State of Benson, I can say, I can promise, that these women and men from SBSC have worked hard, really hard. Their task won't be acknowledged if we are not awarded the Simlympics, or after the Simlympics; then, let me acknowledge their huge task from this hall. Guys, you've done a great job.

As can be seen, working on this bid has been like assembling a gigantic puzzle. It involves local public authorities, state-wide public authorities, private corporations and contractors, transport companies, sports teams, private owners, manufacturers... But it is there, it is solid, it can be touched but it also can be felt. Our bid isn't based on artist inceptions or worked out artwork. Our venues are built of bricks, glass and steel, our snow is up there and our transport networks are fully prepared for the Simlympics right now.

Governing isn't easy, as you may know. Most of the time, it is a nerve-consuming task, you sometimes reach home thinking on resigning the day after. But other times, you live almost magic moments; like the first time I visualized the whole bid. Thinking all what's behind of it is so heart-touching and rewarding that I can say that I have a deep respect for each one of all SBSC members.

Now, the SBSC President Michael Spalding will pronounce his speech. Thank you all very much.

Well, thank you Governor, for leaving me without speech... [laughs]. There's not much more to add to her speech, seriously. We have drunk gallons and gallons of coffee and energy drinks, we have stayed awake lots of nights, we have had lunch in motels, open-air areas, inside bureaus and inside cars, we have been on the phone during hours, during days; our e-mail accounts have been smoking... We have worked hard, and whether we are awarded or not, this fact is something we own for sure. It has been some hard but otherwise passionate days, and the result is what you have just seen, which we hope you like. Now, it's up to you.