[DiscoverMB]

A Season in Review

The rides are closed, the music has stopped and the gates are lock. Freestyle Music Park has closed for the 2009 season after a rollercoaster ride of its own.

After purchasing the park out of Bankruptcy from HRP Operations formerly known as Hard Rock Park, officials and crews scrambled to get the park ready for 2009 in just a few months.

Under new owners FPI MBE, which consisted of Baker Leisure Group, MT Development, local investors from HRP and silent partners, he park was renamed under the brand name "Freestyle", first established through MT Development in Russia.

Freestyle opened with some bumps in the road trying including a self-described "lower an expected" attendance.

However, the park quickly responded to issues by lowering prices to unheard of levels and saw some numbers turn around on July 4th. A general admission ticket for the day dropped from around $40 to $17.76 for four, yes four, tickets. The remaining season offered other specials from $17.76 and $19.99 for two tickets for the remainder of the year.

With the addition of a new kids area, which was a complaint under Hard Rock Park, things looked half-way decent for the park, which struggled to overcome the previous year's failure and the continued economic problems.

To date, three lawsuits have been filed against the park totaling about $1.5 million for unpaid bills. But more unpaid bills and talks of financial distress seemed to plague to park.

With the largest lawsuit settled out of court and pending the park responded to criticism and stated that all vendors will be taken care of and they plan to reopen in March 2010 and be in Myrtle Beach for the long term future.

The park closed the season by hosting the Grand Strand Freedom Festival which was organized by the local group BOOST (Business Owners Organized to Support Tourism). But the festival itself came under fire from, as Horry County Council Chairman Liz Gilland said by "The Powers that Be in Myrtle Beach".

Despite the mountains and mole hills, the festival went on to much success, featuring a concert by LeAnn Rimes to honor the victims of 9/11, first responders and the armed forces.

What to Expect Next

That's the million or $25 million dollar question, the cost to purchase the park out of bankruptcy. Plans have been announced to open Freestyle Music Park for its 2nd, or 3rd season depending on how you call it, in March 2010.

Rumors of new rides have been thrown around, including a water attraction in the Myrtle's Beach area and most recently the return of a bumper cars ride, once planned by Hard Rock Park.

Financial problems are an obvious issue for the park as vendors wait to get paid. Will FPI MBE take on new partners to get an influx of funds? Could the park be selling beer under the Anheuser-Busch name? Would Dollywood be interested? What about Six-Flags or Cedar Fair? Even Disney looked at the area about seven years ago. Heck, for that matter if the park were every sold, would the Freestyle name go away if MT Development were no longer involved? They're just some of the strange and kookie questions being asked, some more kookie than others. Trust us when we say these are some of the less crazy ideas people have presented to us.

The park remains silent about it actual plans. Rightfully so as decisions for 2010 are still in the works. Behind closed doors meetings will be going on, budgets will be calculated and plans will be made- whatever they are.

What we can tell you for certainty is that everyone is working to keep their businesses a float this year, hotels, restaurants, attractions, golf courses- you name it. But the story of Freestyle is not over. I guarantee it.

[Rodney]

so exactly what does this mean? will it be back march 1st or not.

[DiscoverMB]

I don't know where everyone came up with the March 1st date. There has been no announcement of the official date in March and the 1st is a Monday. I doubt it would be open on that date.

[Roomfr2]

I would guess mid March

[DJCarolina]

Honestly this article is kind of depressing. Raymond I don't know if you wrote it, if so then i mean NO disrespect. However, I just feel like it's not giving the park a lot of hope. I'm not sure what to make of this park. This summer everything seemed to be going great but I'm afraid that now that the gates are closed, some darker realities may be setting in. I really hope things straighten out for the park because this summer was really great and the park has become such an icon for myrtle beach, it'll be a shame to see it undergo any more criticism or change of hands.

[Troika]

I plan to wait until I hear an official announcement or see some cranes installing new attractions before I buy any passes for next season. I have confidence they'll reopen without any more grief from the old HRP croanies, though. I just hope their financials are healthy enough to add even the modest of new attractions.

I have a family of five, so I need a little more evidence things will be good for next season before I invest in 5 passes. I was spoiled with having 5 "free" passes this year due to HRP's failure. I still can't believe I paid $150 X 5 for HRP "annual" (ha ha) passes.

[Roomfr2]

My wife and I renewed our passes also , I know they will be open next year!

[Troika]

Now that Freestyle is closed for the season, my buzz has shifted to this Wonderworks attraction. Last I read on The Sun News was that is was supposed to open in Spring 2010 at the site of the old Crab House at BATB. To date, I've yet to see any signs of demolition or work on this attraction. Now, I'm getting worried. I also have not heard of anything taking the place of the old Nascar Cafe, and the Nascar Speedpark's pond in the front looks like an insect-infested pea soup swamp. Can't the new owners afford to run those fountains anymore? That area is starting to look shabby. Okay, Mike, stop.......

[Rodney]

Um they said March 1st. They sent out an email like a few weeks back said they will be back march 1st. Plus thats what all the employees were told from what I understood.

[DiscoverMB]

DJCarolina, on 15 September 2009 - 09:13 PM, said:

Honestly this article is kind of depressing. Raymond I don't know if you wrote it, if so then i mean NO disrespect. However, I just feel like it's not giving the park a lot of hope. I'm not sure what to make of this park. This summer everything seemed to be going great but I'm afraid that now that the gates are closed, some darker realities may be setting in. I really hope things straighten out for the park because this summer was really great and the park has become such an icon for myrtle beach, it'll be a shame to see it undergo any more criticism or change of hands.

The article was not meant to be depressing. I thought it was actually very fair and honest. For every action I did write a reaction. Like getting a lawsuit and then settling before it blew up and went to court; or like turning things around and ending on a high note with the Freedom Festival.

As for the future, the point was- no one knows for sure (on the outside). I think you have to read between the lines of the story.

[Roomfr2]

If we knew everything then what would be the point of this forum ...

[kirk]

I hope my info is way off base. I have been told that someone (I will not mention names) is going to buy this park, add more stupid kid rides and turn it into something like Magic Kingdom. This will be a full fledge amusement park. As we all know there is quite a difference between an amusement park and theme park. I was hoping and still hope for this to be a theme park. I did like the Hard Rock Park atmosphere so much better. The rides were all the same, except for the 4 new kid rides, for some reason people thought there was nothing for kids last year, I disagree. I and others hated CSI, Flip 5 is good but should be moved to CSI stadium, get rid of CSI. Bring back good concerts on flip 5 stage. Keep the Ice show, which I have heard is not coming back. I do not think there would or could be enough improvement for monstars of rock, just start all over. I wish the park nothing but success and would love to see it succeed. There are so many retired people here that they do not want anything to succeed. They will talk down anything. There are plenty of us that still do want everyhting to succeed as it need it for our future. I guess I have know gone off topic. Anyway, I hope I am wrong about the park being bought out and turned into an amusement park. I hope Freestyle sticks in there and continues to grow and grow and make it a success.

[DiscoverMB]

If Rodney and gbrooks could see me, they'd know what biting my camera strap means.

[Rodney]

oh #@!$ now you have me worried.

[DJCarolina]

Ughhh, if they do away with the ice show, i'll be formally PISSED OFF. Nights in White Satin was one thing, but when u start messing with the few good things the park was able to salvage, that's just wrong.

How can we help? I really want to see this park succeede. It's not even AS CLOSE to me as it is to some of you, but I feel like it's in my backyard and I really love it and would hate to see it turned into another trashy tourist trap.

[DiscoverMB]

Rodney, on 17 September 2009 - 11:14 PM, said:

oh #@!$ now you have me worried.

Don't worry. Be Happy.

[Rodney]

DiscoverMB, on 18 September 2009 - 06:30 AM, said:

Don't worry. Be Happy.

ok so something good must be coming.

[Troika]

kirk, on 17 September 2009 - 07:54 PM, said:

.....and turn it into something like Magic Kingdom. This will be a full fledge amusement park.....

Did you mean to say "Family Kingdom"? Magic Kingdom would be great, but Family Kingdom, no way baby!

I hope this is some kind of a joke. Rumours are rumours though.......

[TheInsider]

FPI MBE has a lot of debt for millions of dollars with their vendors.

$1,400,000 - Brandon Agency
$360,000 - Roundbox
$375,000 - Tetra Financial Group
$7,000 - Eck

These are just the amounts made public from lawsuits. Do not forget all the other vendors whose debts are not public and are most likely owed tens or even hundreds of thousands. Businesses will be out a lot of cash flow if they are not getting paid and some, I suspect, would have to close their doors if the problem is widespread with a businesses other vendors.

Freestyle has put out a statement saying, "As of late this afternoon, Freestyle Music Park has not been served with the Eck Supply or Tetra lawsuit, therefore we cannot comment on either suit at this time. Freestyle Music Park remains committed to paying all of our debts. General Manager Steve Baker personally sent letters to each vendor stating this commitment. We look forward to working out all debts amicably."

The issue is when? If they have the funds available now, they are sitting on it and making vendors suffer. However, I don't think that is the case.
A more likely scenario is that the park has no revenue coming in since they have closed for the season. If they have no money the nest question is where will the money come from? It would either come from investors, or loans or perhaps selling the park to someone else.

Loans would be a stretch to obtain because of the state of the park's success to date. Taking on new partners is a strong option because it gives a quick infusion of much needed money to operate in 2010 and pay their vendors. Selling the park is another option. If FPIMBE were to sell they would either take a small lose and just look to get out or sell for a profit, since they bought it cheap, pay off their vendors and have a new company start fresh. If it were sold, the new owner could also be responsible for their debt and if they do not pay immediately, expect many more lawsuits to be filed causing the local businesses to never deal with them again.

In following the park on this site, I assume FPIMBE is an advertiser since before they opened the season. They still have a large presence with their ads. The site owners have either been paid or they are sitting and waiting from the beginning of the year since no lawsuit has been filed on their part.

I have also read on other sites how people are upset that vendors are not standing by FPIMBE in filing lawsuits, which is ludicrous. Are these businesses to just sit and wait with no idea when they will get paid? Baker's statements to vendors is one thing, but in our world, money talks.

I do hope for their success.

[DiscoverMB]

I appreciate your input, Insider.

For our part we can not comment on our business dealings with Freestyle Music Park, which I am sure you understand.

Thank you.