A call to Save the MSAC FlowRider

A 60kmph stream of water rushes beneath you, as you perch on a board without wheels or bindings. 

  Dig in and steady on, or tumble onto the tarpaulin and let the jets of water sweep you up to safety.   That, friends, is the exhilarating and quirky sport called Flowriding. It's a discipline that tests and improves our combined skills of balance, mastery, agility and imagination.    Sadly, due to limitations of space and also financial considerations, it appears that the MSAC FlowRider is under threat.   The purpose of this petition is showcase not simply the fun and joy of the FlowRider, but also to share the community spirit and the transformative power that the FlowRider brings.    This is a sport that engages a very broad and diverse demographic. It connects people regardless of age, race, gender, etc.   We'd therefore like to garner people power to petition for Saving the MSAC FlowRider.       Described as a crossover of surfing and bodyboarding, with the ride of snowboarding and wakeboarding and the tricks of skateboarding, this is a sport for all ages.    Sure. Initially, there's a bit of fear and trepidation. But once you step over the threshold and realise that you can master the speed of the water, it brings a transformative smile to faces of kids and adults alike.    Circa five years ago, the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) brought the only Flowrider in Victoria, to a centrally located venue in our southern hemisphere. It appears to be one of only three in the whole of Australia.   The challenge we need to overcome, with the decision makers at MSAC, is around the opportunity cost of the space and its operating costs.   The MSAC FlowRider requires a dedicated lifeguard to be on duty at all times of its operation. There are challenges around queues, wait times, new memberships, winter seasons, etc.    But let the decision not be made behind closed doors. And rather than shut it down, let's have a conversation about how to improve the marketing, pricing, membership and education around this sport.   The FlowRider is without a doubt, an attraction that brings a different and impressively broad demographic to the doors of MSAC. For example people who don't normally swim indoors and even those who cannot swim at all.   This is a discipline that once lost, cannot be replaced. It's beauty lies in how it breaks down inhibitions and reminds us of what it's like to have fun again.       Let's have a conversation and save the FlowRider.