Deep in the heart of Brazil….
Isn’t that how every great story should begin? Well, this is a great story and it actually didn’t begin there, but the ending was sweet, and in Brazil.
8 years ago, a young engineer had a clay model on his desk. This engineer (Ori Vicente) used to stare at the model, which looked like a boiled egg – hence we always referred to it as his “Huevos.” We used to look at it and wonder how we could build a wave “in the round,” so to speak. When the FlowRider® IP and brand were acquired by Whitewater West a few years back, we had our opportunity, and we have seized it!!
Introducing WaveOz™ (pronounced “huevos”), the ground breaking achievement from FlowRider Inc. WaveOz combines all of the best sheet wave, simulated surfing experiences that you have come to know from FlowRider, and integrated it into the greatest ride experience on the planet. Utilizing our latest ride surface technology, you are literally riding on air! That’s correct – a large, wonderful, comfortable carpet of air, as the inflatable technology we have been pioneering for the last two years has come to fruition in our largest wave to date!
This product is so versatile that you can have expert riders shredding in one area, while the novices and newbies to our sport can practice on the sides and get tips from the pros!! Or, take down all of the inflatable dividers (another innovation from the team at FlowRider) and allow the experts to put on a show, as riders truly have the wet skate park of their dreams!!
But beware, this product isn’t for the faint of heart – with a massive footprint on nearly 7,000 sq ft, the mantra of the FlowRider innovator Tom Lochtefeld rings true…. “GO BIG OR GO HOME!”
We have done just that, and so have our partners from Thermas dos Laranjais and the assistance of the Jorge Luiz Noronha family, who had the understanding, patience, and teamwork to help us all GO BIG!
Without such an understanding client, this might not have ever happened, but we believe that it has been worth all of the time, travel, and energy, and the first video that “Thermas” posted on YouTube is now over 1,000,000 views in 3 days!!!! EPIC is the only term we know for that kind of viewing!
As we wrap up our project at Thermas, we begin to move forward from our awesome experience deep in the Brazilian landscape, and forge ahead to the next WaveOz installation in the sleepy little community of Arroyo, Puerto Rico. It is another opportunity to bring the stoke and thrill of riding a real ocean wave, to anyone, and anywhere in the world. This is what we do, as we attempt to cover the globe with FUN. Fun brokers, yes, fun brokers are what we are. Just look at the smiling faces and you will know why FlowRider brings the fun and stoke, every day.
