The positive social impact of surfing on pumped standing waves
The social aspect of UpSurfDown is grounded on the inclusive nature of surfing, which is accessible to people from different backgrounds, different ages and different levels of technical proficiency. We want to create a whole-year sports venue that can be used by people from different strands of society and we also want to offer indoor and outdoor sports facilities that can be operated during all seasons, thereby promoting social inclusion and public health.
At the core of our concept lies a new sustainable technology that significantly cuts energy
consumption and therefore provides a unique surfing experience with minimal negative consequences for the environment. By applying a brand-new technology, which we developed in cooperation with the Vienna University of Technology, we also contribute to positioning Vienna as a hub for research and development, demonstrating specific prowess in creating offers for contemporary sports.
With our surf concept we wish to strengthen cities as a brand for eco-friendly tourism and social integration through sports, by employing a positive image that is based on the spirit of surfing. As a consequence, our project has an impact on social, economic, ecological and health factors. There will be numerous positive features for the local population, for travelers and surfing professionals.
Surfing serves as a great platform to bring different strands of society closer together and can therefore be used as an integration tool in an ever more diverse urban life-world. We thus enable the urban population as well as tourists to practice their favorite sport all year round. Thereby we create a USP for cities as a sports and tourist location. Moreover, we contribute to fostering the popularity of surfing and take an active part in the development of an exciting, young sport that already entered the Olympic program in 2020. We thus want to address two main issues that are connected to the ideas of social integration and sustainability, all while providing a viable business model that is based on a groundbreaking concept in contemporary sports.
Finally, we wish to serve as an inspiration not only for surfers, but for the entire society in order to promote an inclusive spirit in sports in general and to attract a broad audience from different areas of society. By organizing competitions and social surfing events, we aim to provide a framework for people to meet and interact in a friendly and active setting, bringing together different age groups, people from different ethnic and social background as well as pros, intermediates and beginners.