Case Studies, Flow House, FlowTour, News, Uncategorized

A Look Back on 2015

Wow, what a year!  FlowRider can use all of the overused superlatives – great, outstanding, super – all wrapped up into a nice, tidy little year-end recap.  The key for us is that we continually focus on making our riding experience the best and safest on the planet.  Our patented tension fabric ride surface definitely helps us be the best, but the thinking was, “What’s next?”  Collectively resting on our laurels was not an option, so we ratcheted it up to a whole new level (Thanks, Brad and Vishal).

We introduced WaveOz™ – 180 degrees of pure fun decked out with our newly patented inflatable ride surface!  No foam on substrate, no helmets necessary – just 187 feet of pure stoke rail to rail.  The initial unveiling of WaveOz at this year’s WWA main meeting absolutely brought the house down.  A wave of goosebumps and a 60-second “oohs and aahs” aftershock hit the meeting room floor after thousands of attendees got their first glimpse of the ride.  They weren’t the only ones wowed – the first ever WaveOz video gathered 1.7 million views on YouTube in the first 6 days!!  No wonder it went so viral – new technology, new wave, and new dimensions have given us a fully redefined ride experience.  We have two more installations in progress and many more right at the tipping point, so expect to see the circular wave at a theater near you!!

We also introduced LatiTube this year (Thanks, Steve K. and Josh).  This ride has a one-of-a-kind patented mesh riding surface that allows tiny tots to grannys to experience the thrill of surfing.  The easy shut-off feature eliminates residual water flow, so operators and riders alike can walk freely on the surface.  South Hedland Aquatic Centre in Western Australia was the first venue to install a LatiTube.  Everyone is stoked and everybody gets tubed on a LatiTube.

We came out with a new version of flowhouse.com (Thanks, Till, Jo and Andrew), which is much more up to date and modern than its predecessor.  Our goal in life is to have fun and to bring the fun to all of the flowboarding constituents on earth, so a FlowRider® in a Flow House is basically a fun explosion (or “funsplosion”?)  Unless of course you’re getting 10’+ barrels in Fiji – then we have an argument!!

We reinvigorated our retail site – flowridershop.com – and continue to make the shopping experience as easy as possible (Thanks, Rob).  But hey, we don’t have all of the answers so please let us know what we can do better.  We have an aggregated list of product improvements, websites, new products and processes that can help us get better.  And, we prescribe to the theory that a “complaint is a gift,” so bombs away – we can handle it!

The sport of flowboarding continues to grow under the guidance of Rob and Adam (Thanks, guys) with upwards of 35 annual competitions worldwide, all sponsored in some way by FlowRider, Inc. and WhiteWater West, our guiding northern light out of Richmond BC.  In fact, it is safe to say that if we did not take such an active interest in the sport, it may not exist…just the facts, man!

We are also one of United Airlines’ best friends.  While hopping around the globe this year to make sure all of our existing and future customers are continually satisfied, the Frequent Flier miles piled up!  With close to 190 waves in operation, this is a monumental task but one we take very seriously.  It is sooooo important to us.  Our aftermarket service is beyond compare (thanks, Guy, Alex and Alex) and we continue to go to great lengths to try to figure out what the consumer wants to ride and what our customers want to see in the way of new attractions.  We don’t dictate – we ask!

The beauty of it all – there is never a dull moment at FlowRider, Inc.  We are constantly motivated by our present and future – many times blowing off the surf that may be pumping in our backyard because we are dedicated.  As addicts of surf, that is monumental!  As addicts of fun, this is sensational!!  As addicts of our business, we are here to help you!!!

Stay healthy and safe & make some waves in 2016!!

Happy New Year,

Marsh

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