wave goodbye to the meeting room
When the electric motors inside Dreamworld’s Big 6 thrill rides grind to a halt and the last of the day trippers exit the theme park gates, a group of jaded delegates move in.
Dressed in branded ‘boardies’ and fluorescent ‘rashies’ they are here on a mission: to inject some fun into their conference by tackling one of the world’s newest board sports, Flowrider, and the oldest, surfing.
In the years since Dreamworld opened Australia’s first FlowRider – offering a brand new water sport on a perfect wave - there’s been a noticeable change in the demographics of its riders. Once the sole domain of thrill seeking teenagers, Flowrider is now the target of corporate event planners seeking out-of-the-box experiences to cap off a long day of meetings.
Born from the roots of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and bodyboarding, FlowRider pushes a thin sheet of rushing water over a flexible trampoline-like base to create the ultimate non-stop wave. Using a special ‘flowboard’, riders can slide down, carve a turn and cut back on a safe platform.
With over 15 million riders using 40 installations around the globe, this newest aquatic activity is safe for novices and a challenging stage for competitive board riding enthusiast. It’s also fast becoming a popular ice breaking activity for the conference market.
“Corporate conference groups love it,” said Dreamworld’s CEO Mr Noel Dempsey. “This is a new sport and it provides delegates with a refreshing challenge and an escape from the four walls of a meeting room.
“For the conference planner it’s ideal as it offers guaranteed waves in any weather and provides a fun aquatic experience both before and after business hours. When the conference winds down, these activities will get the delegates going.”
Event planners who prefer conventional surf lessons but can’t fit them in around all-day conferences, need not despair. WhiteWater World, located adjacent to Dreamworld, is offering the nation’s first surfing sessions in a wave pool.
Developed in conjunction with Get Wet Surf School, the two-hour surfing sessions are held in the Cave of Waves, a 2,685 square metre body of water which uses the latest wave technology to generate the perfect wave: 1.4 metres high and a distance of 50 metres to shore.
Like Flowrider, the Learn to Surf school offers delegates a protected environment. It can be held at any hour and the activity is free from rips, tides, currents, shifting sand banks and nasty marine stingers. Groups generally range from 10 to 16 people, although an unlimited number of spectators are allowed to relax in the water park.
Said Mr Dempsey, “The beauty of both of these aquatic activities is that in less than half an hour from the Gold Coast, conference delegates can be out of a board room and enjoying what everyone dreams of doing on the Gold Coast: surfing. But this time with a twist. Best of all, they give the entire delegation a good laugh.”
FlowRider:
FlowRider is located in a multi-million dollar recreational zone complete with merchandise shop, food outlet and a chill-out bar to take in the action. A two hour FlowRider session, which is ideal for up to 32 riders and unlimited spectators, starts from $800 and includes professional tuition. Five star catering and themeing is also available on request.
Learn to Surf Lessons:
Learn to Surf lessons at WhiteWater World are held in conjunction with Get Wet Surf School, a fully licensed, family owned and operated business that teaches the skills necessary to ride a board along with surf safety messages and surf etiquette. Guaranteed to get delegates up first time, every time, all lessons are lifeguard supervised. Lessons can be held before breakfast or after dark and catering and theming is available.
