Wave Riding
Secret Birthday Bash for Mat Wyborn
Photos and information courtesy of :
What to do when mother nature can’t provide?? Well you seek other means. After a week long flat spell and even longer since any of us got barrelled, Mat Wyborn’s birthday gathering couldn’t have come at a better time. You see he invited a bunch of mates to his party which happen to be at a prototype wave pool in a secret shed location. This is a brand new model was throwing man-made stand up barrels thanks to a heavy diesel generator and litres of gushing water. The owner/designer of the wave machine said he has many improvements to make, but I can tell you some of Coffs best surfers were having an absolute ball…. giggling like little kids in a playground. The potential for this thing is pretty exciting.
Birthday boy; Mat Wyborn…… great party dude.. yew!!
Pool side gallery…. about 3 meters from their mates in the chorine tubes
Harley Ingleby: World Champion Longboard rider.
Father and son team
Wave of Interest For Coffs-Developed Surf Simulator
Pipe Dream Now A Reality
Leigh Jensen Coffs Coast Advocate
Inventor Steve Kriticos and former world champion bodyboarder Michael Eppelstun getting shacked on the Latitube
STEVE Kriticos says his pipe dream, the Latitube wave simulator, has effectively captured the rush, velocity and intensity of a barrelling wave.
The amazing development, stored in the Coffs Harbour warehouse of Swimplex Aquatics, presents massive international possibilities – not to mention a new meaning to the term “tube riding”.
Unlike other wave simulators and wave pools, the Latitube pumps water through a flexible 20mm mat know as “the curtain ride surface”, which is similar in feel to a backyard trampoline.
Harnessing the energy of 2 X 2000 litres per second water pumps, the prototype can change the shape and the type of wave the operator wants to ride.
The electronic settings can throw up left and right-handed barrels and pits ranging from 1.5 to 3 metres high.
All the while, the boardrider floats on water pumped through jets from a large water tank.
“Basically the Latitube reproduces the required liquid energy and velocity of a big wave,” Mr Kriticos said.
“It’s the invention I’ve spent years trying to bring to reality, and here it is.”
Placing total faith in his idea, Steve threw every cent he could muster into the Latitube.
After developing the concept, he reached an agreement with Swimplex Aquatics, the local company which recently completed the upgrade of the Coffs Harbour Olympic Swimming Pool.
“We could see the instant potential and possibilities for this product when Steve came to us four years ago,” company director Geoff Leaver said.
“The Latitube has worldwide potential and it sure has been a long road getting to its launch.”
Tested out by former leading Australian bodyboarder Michael “Eppo” Epplestun, the Latitube got a big thumbs up from the one-time world champion.
“He loved the potential of being able to train people to surf on it, and improve their wave riding technique while standing there right next to them.”
Mr Leaver said the company has approached the Lands and Property Management Authority over the scope for a wave simulator to be included in an aquatic centre proposal, suggested for the Coffs Harbour Showground.
“While it’s still very much just a proposal at this point, we believe it would be a great tourist attraction in Coffs Harbour, where the Latitube has been developed.
“The thing about the Latitube is that two girls, who were first-timers to surfing, were riding the wave simulator at the launch like absolute professionals,” he said.
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