‘Gamechanger’: New tourist attraction set to blow minds
Sydney’s latest heavily-hyped tourist attraction has been labelled everything from risky to a gamechanger, ahead of it’s much-watched launch next week.
Sydney’s latest heavily-hyped tourist attraction has been labelled everything from risky to a gamechanger, ahead of it’s much-watched launch next week.
Sydney Olympic Park’s URBNSURF Sydney opens on Monday, giving surfers of every level from beginners to pro the chance to ride waves, miles away from the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever, in a city not short on beaches.
It’s Sydney’s first every surf park, Melbourne has had one of their own for a four years now, (labelled a ‘game changer’) offering the bold promise of ‘perfect waves rolling through the line-up’.
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URBNSURF Sydney.
Luke Warzecha surfing. Sydney’s First Wave Park URBNSURF. Picture: Rohan Kelly
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The park also offers a swimming pool, skate pad, health and wellness centre and food outlets.
Hayley Wallace, URBNSURF’s head of marketing told Media Week: “When we were developing the concept for the Sydney Olympic Park, we wanted to ensure it offered a premium experience for surfers, families, and enthusiasts, while also celebrating the relaxed, laid-back, and inclusive Australian surf culture”.
The park will offer those unfamiliar to surfing a door through which to experience the sport.
It will also offer more experienced surfers the promise of more predictable conditions and the very real possibility of plenty of time actually riding waves and plenty less time sitting in the line-up thinking about riding waves.
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The venue features a surf park, swimming pool, skate pad and health and wellness facilities.
And several eateries.
It’s open for business on Monday.
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URBNSURF will also likely increase the number of tourists visiting Sydney Olympic Park which can at times struggle to attract outside of sporting events like NRL and AFL games.
It has had success as a boutique venue for temporary pop-ups like the well attended recent Jurassic World feature.
“URBNSURF parks, providing perfect, ocean-like waves in an authentic, safe and controlled environment, catering for all ages and abilities,” the Sydney Olympic Park website reads.
“URBNSURF is more than just a surf park – it is a lifestyle precinct that combines surf culture with the best of the city: great food and drink, venues that feel like your local and events, large and small.
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URBNSURF Melbourne. Picture: Sue Duddington
“
It’s been open for four years. Picture: Jason Edwards,
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Recognising the iconic Sydney surf culture, the park offers an inclusive way to experience the sport of surfing from expert to beginner wave settings and everything in between
“The world-class WaveGarden technology will ensure members, guests and those trying surfing for the first time will be able to experience perfect waves all year-round.
“All sessions are on hour long, pump 400 waves per hour and provide up to 12 perfect waves per person
“The park features a Surf Academy, a leisure swimming pool, a skate pad, a Rip Curl retail store, a health and wellness centre and two food offerings by Applejack, RAFI URBNSURF and Sandy’s.”
However the park did court controversy over it plans to serve alcohol.
In one submission opposing it, a local resident said serving alcohol to visitors could pose a risk of “children being unsupervised”.
