Introducing… The FlowRider!

If you kept up with camp last summer, you were sure to see some awesome photos of people surfing it up in… Central Texas? That’s right, folks! This year the Ridge introduced the FlowRider, and campers loved it. To get the inside scoop, we sat down with Colin “Sneaky Pete” Post, the Ridge Men’s Director, to see what it was like being the first camp in the world to have the FlowRider! 

I remember going to Houston in May to get trained by an official FlowRider instructor, and the reality of what a privilege it was to have one of these as an activity class really sunk in. What do luxury cruise ships, world-class water parks, and a summer camp in small-town Columbus have in common? They all have one of just 207 FlowRiders that exist on the planet! 

It was one thing to hear we were getting one, but seeing it finished on our property was surreal. Our ops team worked tirelessly during our training and orientation weeks to get it completed, and the first camper in the history of Pine Cove rode the FlowRider on Thursday of Week One! Ten weeks later, over 1,000 campers and over 100 staffers had enjoyed an experience that most people around the world will never be able to say they’ve had in their entire lifetime. 

What I love about the FlowRider is that it provides an exciting experience for everyone, whether they’ve spent their whole life surfing or have never even skateboarded before. We had some campers who could only lay down on the boogie board and others who could have surfed for an hour if we let them. Regardless of skill level, everyone had a blast and always looked eager to get to the front of the line again. Even sitting in line is honestly so enjoyable at the FlowRider, because watching your friends either succeed or wipe out on a surf simulator is very much a bonding experience for cabins. 

As a men’s director, my favorite part about watching the FlowRider run was seeing our staff patiently lead and empower campers in taking on a challenging activity for the first time. Many of our campers, especially boys, felt like they knew exactly how to conquer the FlowRider on their first attempt. Soon enough though, each person realized they needed to rely on help and instruction from the staffers to succeed. The FlowRider is a picture of our life with Christ in that way. We can so often go into situations thinking we’ll figure it out on our own, until we realize we can’t do anything without the help and instruction from our Father. When we trust the Lord to love, care for, and guide us, we are able to understand how to live life to the full. So yes, it’s an incredible piece of equipment that we at the Ridge could not be more grateful to have on property. Even more though, praise God for the ways He uses something like a surf simulator to teach us more about His unconditional love for us every day! Thank you so much to everyone who was a part of getting a FlowRider to the Ridge! It’s not something we take for granted.