Press release from URBNSURF:
URBNSURF Melbourne, the original and most surfed wave park on the planet, has officially turned five – celebrating not just a milestone, but a movement that’s redefined what surfing looks like in Australia.
URBNSURF Melbourne marked the occasion with surfing legend Layne Beachley AO (7 x ASP Women’s World Champion) surfing the 10 millionth wave, pumped out utilising Wavegarden technology to create the perfect man-made wave.
The fifth birthday celebration acknowledged the spectacular success of the park, which has operated for 1,559 days, welcomed more than 300,000 visitors and seen 102,450 people learn to surf at the park, making it the biggest surf school in Australia if not the world.
“During the past five years, URBNSURF has been incredibly proud to welcome thousands of surfers of all abilities through our gates,” said URBNSURF CEO Jennifer Vandekreeke.
“We set out to be a place that is warm and welcoming, where the thrill of surfing is within reach of everyone who is up for the challenge.
“Along that journey we’ve created more than 500 jobs, with many of our staff learning to surf themselves at the park, and we’re super stoked to have helped generate major economic and tourism value for Victoria.”
Visitors come from across Australia, with 25% traveling from interstate, making URBNSURF Melbourne one of the city’s leading tourism destinations.
Ms Vandekreeke says that as big a contribution as URBNSURF Melbourne has made to Australian surfing, the park has evolved to become much more today than just a man-made surfing precinct and hub for surfing.
“It’s about community, inclusivity and creating lasting memories.
“URBNSURF is changing the face of surfing by making this quintessentially Australian sport welcoming to Australians from all walks of life including women, parasurfers and those who haven’t grown up along the coast,” explained Vandekreeke.
For many, URBNSURF is where they surfed their first wave – including Masi Mobin, an Afghan refugee and now a surf coach at URBNSURF Melbourne.
Having arrived in Australia by boat at the age of 14 – one of only four survivors – Masi faced unimaginable adversity. He settled in Melbourne, learned to surf at the park and is now a core member of the growing URBNSURF community.
URBNSURF Melbourne has posted an impressive 47% growth in female surfers over the five years. The park is also recognised for fostering a strong female surfing collective through its Girls Go Surf’n’Sip series. The lagoon is filled once a month with women and girls only, and now has more than 2,000 online members, driving overall female participation at the park from 18% to 35% across the five years.
Layne Beachley AO stresses how important it is for organisations to be able to support women in sport, specifically surfing.
“It was a huge honour to ride the 10 millionth wave at URBNSURF Melbourne today – as a woman who’s spent her life in the ocean, it’s inspiring to see how URBNSURF is championing a more inclusive and welcoming surf culture,” she said.
“It’s proof that real change is happening. By combining access, opportunity, community and support, URBNSURF is creating a space where more women feel confident to paddle out and truly belong.”
Special guests that hit the waves for the fifth birthday included former and current WSL professional surfers, Australian Surfing Hall of Famer Luke Egan and surfing fans including musician Tash Sultana and crew and members who have been with URBNSURF from the beginning.
URBNSURF continues to prove its bona fide surfer creds with everyone from pros hitting the waves for training and WSL events hosted in the lagoon to A-list celebrities such as Chris Hemsworth, Blakey Johnston, The Foo Fighters, Novak Djokovic and Lewis Hamilton who make sure to grab a wave when they are in town.
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