MEDIA RELEASE (provided by URBNSURF)

The highly anticipated sister site to URBNSURF Melbourne is stoked to be pumping waves out West 

SYDNEY, [13 May 2024] — URBNSURF Sydney is stoked to announce that the much-anticipated surf park is now officially open to the public, with waves pumping out West from today (Monday 13 May 2024). With an investment in excess of $75 million, URBNSURF Sydney is not only bringing the perfect ocean like waves to the city but is poised to make a substantial impact on the local economy. 

Located in the iconic Sydney Olympic Park Precinct and the second surf park development for the URBNSURF group, URBNSURF Sydney spans a vast 3.6-hectare site, with the lagoon similar in size to the Sydney cricket ground, designed to accommodate over 1,000 daily visitors, seven days a week. The park also features a Surf Academy, a leisure swimming pool, a skate pad, a Rip Curl retail store, a health and wellness center and two food offerings by Applejack, RAFI URBNSURF and Sandy’s. 

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 ensures members, guests and those trying surfing for the first time will be able to experience perfect waves all year-round with a one-hour session providing up to 12 perfect waves for each guest. 

Foodies can also rejoice, with URBNSURF’s partnership with Applejack ensuring a unique hospitality experience like no other. From today guests can enjoy Sandy’s, the park’s casual surfside eatery; later experiencing premium dining at RAFI, set to open in winter. 

Rip Curl is URBNSURF Sydney’s exclusive retail partner, ensuring guests have unparalleled access to leading apparel and technical equipment, seamlessly integrating 50 years of product development into the customer experience. This partnership continues URBNSURF’s long-standing alignment with Rip Curl, with the two surfing power houses partnering since URBNSURF Melbourne opened in 2020. 

Damon Tudor, CEO of URBNSURF, expressed his excitement about the park officially opening its doors, “It’s a huge moment for the URBNSURF team, our shareholders and our strategic partners who have been involved in helping us bring our dream for URBNSURF Sydney to fruition. Finally seeing the gates open and the wave machine pumping is a feeling like no other,” 

“Just like Melbourne, URBNSURF Sydney offers the perfect surfing conditions that cater for high performance athletes and advanced surfers through to people trying surfing for the first time. We’re extremely proud to be celebrating this achievement and we are stoked to see our customers ripping it up in the lagoon. URBNSURF is much more than a surf park and one of the benefits born out of Melbourne is the strong sense of community guests feel when walking through the doors, creating a sense of culture is deep rooted in our core values and we’re excited to start to build our Sydney community,” Damon Tudor said. 

Chair of Surfing Australia and seven-time surfing world champion, Layne Beachley, is on the board of directors for URBNSURF and participated in raising funds for URBNSURF Sydney, “I am stoked to see URBNSURF Sydney open and to introduce the wonderful world of surfing to more surfers and aspiring ones, of all ages and backgrounds. Surfing brings so much joy and URBNSURF provides a safe and controlled environment for those learning the sport,” Layne Beachley said. 

The NSW Office of Sport provided $1 million to URBNSURF Sydney through the Greater Cities Sport Facility Fund towards the development of the $2.2 million URBNSURF Surfing Centre of Excellence. 

Office of Sport Chief Executive Karen Jones said the Surfing Centre of Excellence will provide a world-class high performance centre that will enable surf athletes to combine both in water and out of water elements of training and preparation. 

“We are delighted to have supported such an exciting development and are looking forward to providing Australian athletes with a significant competitive advantage in future Olympic campaigns, international WSL Championship Tour and Challenger Series events and tournaments,” Ms Jones said. 

Over the next two decades, URBNSURF Sydney is projected to contribute a net economic benefit of $250 million to the Sydney Olympic Park area, solidifying its position as a key player in the region’s recreational landscape. The long-awaited sister park of URBNSURF Melbourne means Australia is the only country in the world to offer two man-made surf parks – a fitting claim to fame for a country with a long association with surfing and home to some of the best surfers in the world. 

Sydney Olympic Park Association CEO, Carla Armanet says URBNSURF Sydney will be a unique and exciting addition to the already robust precinct. 

“The opening of URBNSURF Sydney will have an immense impact on the local community and their experiences at Sydney Olympic Park. A first for NSW, and an exciting addition to our active recreation and sports facilities, the wave park is bringing the best of surf culture, education and great waves to the West. Located amongst the Park’s thrill seeking attractions, including the Monster BMX track and proposed Haslams Pump Track – URBNSURF is set to be extraordinary” Sydney Olympic Park Association CEO, Carla Armanet says. 

To further solidify URBNSURF’s commitment to safe, controlled, and accessible surfing, the park has joined forces with Surfing New South Wales to foster growth and innovation in the surfing community and shape the future of surfing. The partnership is set to provide unprecedented opportunities for skill development and provide safety initiatives to continue to educate and empower the surfing community. 

Available for interviews: 

  • Damon Tudor, CEO of URBNSURF 
  • Carla Armanet, CEO of SOPA 

URBNSURF Sydney Lagoon Information: 

  • URBNSURF Sydney is the first ever wave generated park in New South Wales and the second in Australia, the first being URBNSURF Melbourne 
  • URBNSURF Sydney will provide perfect waves for in excess of 1,000 people daily 
  • There are nine wave types, ranging from perfect first-time surfer beginner waves to heart-in-your-mouth barrels 
  • URBNSURF Sydney is set on 3.6 hectares and will utilise the state-of-the-art Wavegarden “Cove” technology 
  • Members, guests and those trying surfing for the first time will be able to experience perfect waves year-round. The lagoon generates a wave every eight seconds, enabling surfers to catch 10 to 12 waves in just one hour 

URBNSURF Sydney Products and Pricing: 

    • Surf in The Bays and Boog in The Bays (Adult) From $39 Perfect for beginners. Price includes softboard / bodyboard hire. 
    • Surf Sessions – An hours’ worth of perfect waves on the right, left or on The Point. Numbers are capped on each side of The Point so each surfer scores 10-12 waves per session. Sessions: Cruiser, Progressive Turns and Intermediate– From $104 
    • Advanced Turns and Advanced – From $109 
    • Expert – From $159 
    • Surf Academy Learn to Surf – Beginner and Beginner Progressive – From $104 
    • Membership Options – From $175 
    • For further products, including URBNSURF Multipacks and Gift Cards, please head to URBNSURF Sydney online here. For the bookings system, please see here. 

-ENDS- 

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Chloe Dunn, Bastion Amplify | chloed@bastionagency.com l 0423 227 737 

Georgia Comensoli, Bastion Amplify l georgiac@bastionagency.com l 0403 724 772 

ABOUT URBNSURF: 

URBNSURF is a proudly Australian company with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. The team are stoked to be building Australia’s first urban surf parks to help people of all ages and abilities to surf more, and to surf better. URBNSURF Melbourne is the company’s first venue, followed closely by URBNSURF Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park, with further projects planned around the country. URBNSURF has won numerous awards, recognised as the Most Appealing Surf Park Destination, The Most Popular Surf Park for Beginners & Intermediates and The Most Appealing Surf Park Amenities, at the 2021 Surf Park Awards hosted in San Diego in October 2021.