Our Story
Surfing is an iconic Australian sport and pastime, offering an attractive lifestyle, with millions of active participants. But surfing is challenging!
Typically you needed an ocean, and the elements to align (swell, tide, winds, daylight) to score good, let alone perfect waves. And if you want to learn, or are chasing surf, you have to commit time to driving to a coast, checking multiple spots, and be willing to battle crowds at popular breaks. There’s also the risk of marine hazards, including rips, the cold, and hungry monsters of the deep. So what’s the solution?
URBNSURF parks, providing perfect, ocean-like waves in an authentic, safe and controlled environment, catering to all ages and abilities.
URBNSURF Melbourne is now open at 309 Melrose Drive, Tullamarine, and URBNSURF Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park is coming next in 2023.
Our goal is to develop world-class urban surfing locations around Australia, to help everyone to #surfmore.
Who we are
Born in 2012, URBNSURF is a proudly Australian private company with offices in Melbourne and Sydney.
Comprised of passionate surfers and outdoor enthusiasts, the URBNSURF crew are dedicated to designing, developing and operating world-class urban surf parks around Australia.
We’re united in delivering authentic, memorable surfing experiences to help people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to #surfmore.
Team work makes the dream work!
We’re united by our love of surfing, support for each other and ensuring our members and guests are stoked. Fairness, honesty and commitment are the foundations of our shared success.
Learn more about our crew below.
OUR CREW
DAMON TUDOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Damon joined URBNSURF in 2019 and was appointed Group CEO in March 2020. An experienced CEO and General Manager, Damon has spent over 20 years in a range of consumer-focused industries across goods and services, including holding key executive roles with African & Eastern Middle East (as part of AB Inbev), Nakheel Middle East and NRMA in Australia.
In his spare time, you can find Damon spending time with his family, coaching his son’s cricket team and chasing long rides on Sydney’s Northern Beaches (and at URBNSURF Melbourne).
KEITH IRVING
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Keith was appointed CFO of URBNSURF Group in May 2019, and is responsible for financial management and reporting, budgeting, capital management, governance and compliance. Keith has over 20 years’ international finance experience across investment banking and infrastructure asset management, including as CFO of ASX-listed MAp Airports (now Sydney Airport).
In his spare time, you can find Keith playing and coaching football (the round ball version). He is also Treasurer of Balmain & District Football Club, Australia’s largest community soccer club.
EMILY HUNTER
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Emily joined URBNSURF Group as Senior Development Manager in December 2021, and is responsible for the commercial, leasing and experience strategy at URBNSURF Sydney, as well as leading other key new ventures for the business, including the Master Plan Redevelopment at URBNSURF Melbourne. Emily has 15 years experience in the property industry across retail, hospitality and mixed-use developments in New York and Australia, with major developers including Brookfield and Dexus.
SHAUN HUTCHINSON
GENERAL MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Shaun joined URBNSURF Group as Group Operations Manager in June 2018. Overseeing URBNSURF Melbourne’s park operations as General Manager, Shaun has over 17 years’ experience in management positions at leading sports, entertainment and attractions venues in the Middle East and Australia, including for Village Roadshow, Meraas Holdings and Jumeirah International.
In his spare time, you can find Shaun bodyboarding in the URBNSURF Melbourne lagoon and searching for rare South African food ingredients for his next barbeque.
JEROME DEANE
FACILITIES MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Jerome joined URBNSURF Melbourne as Facilities Manager in June 2020. Jerome has over 18 years’ experience working in leisure, attractions and industrial environments, including for an ASX-listed packaging company and at large Australian theme and water parks. Jerome has also applied his technical skills in conducting assessments of water park developments in the USA and China.
In his spare time you can find Jerome riding motorcycles, practicing self-defence, watching live music and restoring vintage cars.
EMILY PILLING
CX MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Emily joined URBNSURF Melbourne as CX Manager in October 2019. Emily has over 15 years’ experience in sport, ticketing and community engagement, including within AFL football and NBL basketball. Highlights of her career include the delivery of Carlton’s first AFLW game and organising a second AFL Grand Final in 2010.
In her spare time, you can find Emily surfing with URBNSURF Melbourne’s members, enjoying great food, and collecting exceptional red wines.
JAMES MILES
HEAD OF SALES AND PARTNERSHIPS
James joined URBNSURF Melbourne as Sales Manager in August 2019. James has over 20 years’ experience in sales and growing business partnerships across media, fashion, travel and technology, including at Bellroy (where he led the brand’s sales expansion into the USA (East Coast), Europe and the Middle East), Flight Centre and News Corp Australia.
In his spare time, you can find James co-hosting Lipped, The Surfers Podcast (which he founded), commentating surfing events for Surfing Victoria including the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, chasing waves around Victoria and spending time with his family.
HAYLEY WALLACE
HEAD OF MARKETING
Hayley joined URBNSURF Group as Head Of Marketing in December 2021, and is responsible for leading the brand and marketing strategy for URBNSURF Melbourne and Sydney. Hayley has 9 years experience in marketing and events across hospitality and the surf industry, with major groups including Rockpool Dining Group and Surfing NSW.
JON HOWELL
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER
Jonathan joined URBNSURF Group as Development Project Manager in January 2021, and is responsible for design, construction and project management at URBNSURF Sydney. Jonathan has close to 10 years’ experience in delivering complex construction projects ranging from stadiums, hospitals and the highly acclaimed Shell House in Sydney’s CBD.
In his spare time, you can find him chasing waves along the NSW East coast, on the tennis court or cooking up a storm at home.
SHELLEY ARMSTRONG (Maternity Cover)
PEOPLE MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Shelley joined URBNSURF as People Manager in May 2022.
Shelley has spent over 20 years’ working in sports events and marketing, delivering People programs and leading brand campaigns.
Shelley is passionate about employee engagement and making work great and meaningful.
Career highlights; Leading Nike She Runs the Night, Australia’s first women’s only night race, Nike the Chance looking for untapped football talent (round ball). In her spare time, you can find Shelley hanging out with her family, at yoga or pilates or finding the next best eats in Melbourne.
SARAH SCHOLTES
PEOPLE MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Sarah joined URBNSURF Melbourne as HR Manager in August 2019.
Sarah has over 10 years’ experience in leisure, attractions and apparel businesses, including helping Torquay-based Ghanda Clothing launch an additional 7 stores, and as Global Training Manager for Bounce where she supported team growth in Australia and internationally.
In her spare time, you can find Sarah enjoying the outdoors, and hanging with her border collie.
ADAM PORTER
OPERATIONS MANAGER, MELBOURNE
Adam joined URBNSURF in 2021, taking over the Operations and Safety role in 2022. Adam has over 9 years Event Operations across large outdoor music and sporting events for companies including Falls Festival, Formula 1, Zoos Victoria, Opera Australia, and Federation Square. When not at URBNSURF, Adam enjoys a hunting for Melbourne’s Best Bagels and features as Keeper Adam in the Planet Zoo video game.
Our Vision
To create natural, honest and inclusive surfing environments where memorable experiences are created, and where our guests and staff have fun, get stoked, keep fit and feel part of a community that shares their passion and respect for surfing, the ocean, others and our planet.
Our Mission
To build and operate world-class surf parks in Australia that deliver high quality waves and authentic surfing experiences for new and existing surfers of all ages, experience and ability.
Our Values
CUSTOMER STOKE
We welcome guests of all types and get them beyond stoked!
SAFETY
We take personal responsibility for our own, and our guests’ well-being.
ONE TEAM
We respect, help and support each other in achieving a common goal.
COURAGE
We think big and celebrate new ideas, change and adaptability.
ACCOUNTABLE
What we say, we do, and do it well.
Current Locations
Careers at URBNSURF
Want to ride the next big wave in surfing? We’re always looking for motivated, charismatic and passionate individuals to jump in with us.
