Crystal Waves, Silver Lining
URBNSURF’s attractions for the experienced and beginners.
Damon Tudor explains the progress of URBNSURF attractions and how the business is returning to a ‘cautious normality’
S
urfing is an iconic Australian sport and pastime, offering an attractive lifestyle, with millions of active participants. But surfing is challenging. Typically, you need an ocean, and the elements to align - swell, tide, winds, daylight - to score good, let alone perfect waves. And if you want to learn, or are chasing surf, you have to commit time to driving to a coast, checking multiple spots, and be willing to battle crowds at popular breaks. There’s also the risk of marine hazards, including rips, the occasional shark and, in places, overcrowding. At URBNSURF, we think we have a solution. As the operator and developer of Australia’s first urban surf parks we have made surfing available to people of all ages and abilities. With URBNSURF Melbourne, our first venue, and with URBNSURF Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park, set to open in
24 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 148
2023, and with further projects planned around the country we are advancing with our goal to develop world-class urban surfing locations around Australia, to help everyone be in a position to surf more (#surfmore). Despite challenges of lockdowns, which began just weeks after the opening of URBNSURF Melbourne in January 2020, we have welcomed over 100,000 unique guests to the park. Over this period over 200,000 sessions and lessons have been sold. We also offer a Surf Academy supported by trained surf coaches, tailored instruction, female-only surf sessions and, through summer, opportunities to swim in gentle waves patrolled by our trained lifeguards. URBNSURF is a versatile space, with the capacity to hold up to 4,000 people within our event areas while still operating the lagoon publicly.
