The Tobruk Memorial Pool in Cairns, Australia got a major facelift recently; a $23.7 Million AUS to be exact. There is now a new 10-lane 50 meter pool, an upgraded 25 meter pool, a new toddler waterplay pool, immaculate landscaping, swooping shade sails, new locker rooms and of course a cool-as-ever FlowRider® Wave in Box Double! The beautiful facility officially re-opened its doors to the community this past sunny Saturday.
“It is a great privilege to be part of something so positive in the community,” said one of Australia’s most honored army men and the official opener of the memorial pool, Ben Robert-Smith, VC, MG. The original erection of this memorial site in 1960 was in honor of the Rats of Tobruk, the men marked down in Australian history as bravely fighting in the country’s first major battles in the Second World War. This is why Robert-Smith, who comes from a long line army men, proudly gave the keynote address and presented the official re-development plaque to the community’s attendees.
“The Tobruk Pool has long been regarded as an important community asset. This renewed facility now opens up new opportunities to bring top-level competition to our city and to train future athletes,” stated Cairns’ mayor, Bob Manning (source: http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au)
Although Cairns is known as Australia’s main gateway to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef, it can now be known for this amazing facility and for a place to go enjoy the sport of Flowboarding. I believe Mayor Manning is in for a pleasant surprise when he sees first hand some of flowboarding’s greats (e.g. Nick Nguyen, Eric Silverman, Xana Nash) crushing it on Tobruk’s brand new FlowRider. He will then realize the to the full extent what a wonder asset this really is to the community he leads.
The FlowRider team is pumped to play a part in the reviving of this war memorial effort and simply, as stated above, to spread our awesome sport to this exciting corner of the world.
The FlowRider at Tobruk Memorial Pool will be open for private lessons or casual sessions for which you can sign up here! Also stay tuned on upcoming events at all FlowRider venue events on www.flowboarders.com.
See ya on the wave!
