FlowRider (Dreamworld)

FlowRider is a sheet wave FlowRider attraction at the Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[1]

FlowRider
Dreamworld
AreaOcean Parade
Coordinates27°51′55″S 153°18′58.17″E
StatusClosed
CostA$1,500,000
Soft opening date23 June 2006 (2006-06-23)
Opening date24 June 2006 (2006-06-24)
Closing date12 August 2020
ReplacedThunderbolt
Ride statistics
Attraction typeFlowRider
ManufacturerWave Loch
DesignerTom Lochtefeld
ModelFlowRider Double
Capacity16 riders per hour
Participants per group8
Duration30 / 60 minutes (bodyboard/stand-up)
Height restriction110 cm (3 ft 7 in)
Cost per session$10 / $20 (bodyboard / stand-up)
This is a pay-per-use attraction

History

In early 2006 construction began for the FlowRider. It was constructed on part of the site of the former Thunderbolt roller coaster which was removed in 2004.[2][3] On 23 June 2006, the attraction had its soft opening which was attended by the attraction's designer Tom Lochtefeld as well as several surfers, snowboarders, wakeboarders and skateboarders.[4][5][6] The next day, on 24 June 2006, the attraction officially opened to the public.[1] The original Thunderbolt station was converted into a merchandise shop, changing rooms and toilets.[2] It was later redeveloped to provide an internal gate through to WhiteWater World.[7] At the time of opening, it was Australia's first and only FlowRider.[8]

The FlowRider later formed part of the marketing initiative "Adrenalin Alley" which was launched in 2009. It incorporates the after-hours use of the FlowRider, AVPX and V8 Supercars RedLine.[9]

On 12 August 2020, Dreamworld announced that FlowRider along with the Big Red Car Ride were permanently closed. Both rides were operational before the temporary closure of the park due to the COVID-19 pandemic. FlowRider currently sits dormant behind a wall.

Operations

Throughout most of the day at Dreamworld, the FlowRider operates in bodyboard mode. Groups of 8 riders share a 30-minute session on the FlowRider (The wave used to be split in two to allow for 2 riders at a time). There are also separate stand up sessions that run for an hour designed for those who want to use the full FlowRider on a stand-up flowboard.

On selected Friday nights after the park closes, Dreamworld also operates the NightRider. Similar to the stand-up sessions during the day, these sessions run for an hour each and are designed for those who want to use the full FlowRider on a stand-up flowboard.[8][10]

Current session times are as follows

11:00am – 5:00pm (7 days) - stand up sessions are currently unavailable (as at 8 May 2019) [11]

Competitions

The FlowRider at Dreamworld has also played host to a variety of local, national and international competitions including:

See also

References
  1. "FlowRider (Dreamworld)". Parkz. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  2. Wilson, Richard (23 June 2006). "FlowRider (Dreamworld)". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  3. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Dreamworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  4. Meers, Daniel (24 June 2006). "Coast goes with the flow". Gold Coast Bulletin.
  5. Wilson, Richard (23 June 2006). "FlowRider (Dreamworld)". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  6. Wilson, Richard (23 June 2006). "FlowRider (Dreamworld)". Photos. Parkz. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  7. Hollibone, Paul. "FlowRider (Dreamworld)". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  8. "Dreamworld is home to Australia's first and only FlowRider". Dreamworld. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  9. "Adrenalin Alley". Dreamworld. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  10. "Book Your Spot". Dreamworld. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  11. "FlowRider Bookings". Dreamworld. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  12. "Screamworld 09th February 2007". Archived copy of press release. Parkz. 20 January 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  13. "Jake leaves them in his wake". Courier Mail. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  14. Westthorp, Tanya (4 August 2010). "Gold Coast centre of flow-boarding". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  15. Tuttiett, Henry (28 January 2011). "Dreamworld hosts flowboarding contest". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  16. "Dreamworld Hosts Australia's First International FlowRiding Competition". Dreamworld. September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
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