Surf Packs & Photography: Alex Smith on Atlantic Park’s First Yr

Since Atlantic Park Surf started working in Virginia Beach, its programming has expanded past easy hourly surf classes. In a mirrored image of the better sophistication within the area, APS has launched surf packs, revised its wave menu and developed recurring packages spanning surf competitions, wellness, movies, music and group initiatives.

Marketing director Alex Smith works on the shopper facet of that course of, utilizing reserving knowledge and suggestions to form merchandise and programming. Smith additionally brings a background in surf pictures, together with taking pictures OG wave pool contest Stab High in 2018 and 2019. WavePoolMag spoke with Smith about Atlantic Park’s first months of operation, its programming technique, and photographing predictable waves in a managed surroundings.

And what’s your job title right here at Atlantic Park Surf?
I’m the advertising director for Atlantic Park Surf.

Okay. And what does that imply, precisely? Give me a purchasing record of duties.
Shopping record? Wow. So from high-level to creating the campaigns with the staff, however actually the work behind the scenes that will get you there. So wanting on the knowledge, working with the staff on the merchandise, how they’re performing and actually understanding our viewers and our group that’s right here who engages with us and ensuring that we’re talking to them in a method that not solely is channeled to that viewers, but it surely resonates with them and needs them to be extra concerned within the area. So actually that and ensuring we’re creating alternatives that folks wish to do. Understanding the enterprise want from that facet, but additionally understanding the group want, assembly that within the center.

So what’s one thing that might meet all factors from the enterprise facet and likewise from the group facet?

Yeah. So I imply, some initiatives like we simply released- we launched our surf packs for this spring. So basically it’s a chance the place individuals should purchase classes in bulk. They get a bit of little bit of a form of economies-of-scale-style pricing. So the extra classes you purchase, you may get them at a tighter charge. So with that, it’s actually about understanding and listening to individuals. It’s seeing that they wish to have these alternatives the place they’ll buy a considerable amount of classes, come out to the park, and luxuriate in it. And for us, it’s higher to create a product that these clients cannot solely align with, however that helps with their habits coming into this area. So making that ease for the customer and our surfer, in order that they don’t should go in and e-book every particular person session each time. They can go in and e-book their six classes or 10 classes; nevertheless, that is perhaps with these surf packs.

We additionally did undergo our upkeep interval over the winter, and thru that interval, we revisited our wave menu. Through final fall and thru this winter, we launched a couple of extra unique surf ranges. So we did our Advanced Plus and our Pro Barrel within the fall. And then we added the Winter Warrior over the winter season. And they carried out tremendous effectively. People resonated with them. They have been in excessive demand. So once we did our upkeep interval, we have been like, all proper, we obtained to revisit this menu. And we all know individuals like these classes. How can we add them in in order that they’re not only a one-off?

We additionally took all of our classes and utterly rebuilt the naming conference of them utilizing quite a lot of what was arrange earlier than. So there was that resemblance. And it wasn’t one thing utterly new for the friends to should study once more. But by that course of, we added these wave menu gadgets again in. So it wasn’t this one-off anymore. Now they’ll get pleasure from these classes at any time of the 12 months.

With the wave menu, are you discovering how a lot room there’s to regulate? If you began with a sure session degree and it simply wasn’t filling, can you alter weekly or month-to-month?

Yeah. So we take a look at our reserving system every day to see how classes are filling up. And we labored intently with the staff to construct out a menu the place these classes aren’t overlapping. So you’re not seeing, perhaps, an skilled barrel proper earlier than a barrel. We labored actually intently to construct out a menu that unfold these out. So not solely to offer extra selection every day to the friends, but additionally to permit surfers to have a small break earlier than they bounce into the subsequent session.

So if I’m popping out and I wish to surf an skilled flip after which perhaps do a special session, giving them a bit of little bit of time between to catch up, rehydrate. So with that, we haven’t actually seen these particular gaps as a result of we constructed that out deliberately. But yeah, that’s one thing that- how we take a look at our system is 45 days out. So you’ll be able to see classes 45 days from the day you’re reserving. And we glance every day so we will then see traits for going into summer season season and so forth, and the way we’d want to regulate some classes.

Is there a particular development going into sure seasons, which classes are extra in style and that are much less in style?

I might say, mid-level to extra avid surfers throughout shoulder season. And through the summer season, much more of the newbie by mid-level. So that first-hand facet, we’ll offer all session ranges, in fact, all through the entire 12 months, however these particular issues and ensuring, for the customer area, since Virginia Beach is a robust resort space, particularly in the summertime with over 14 million guests coming to Virginia Beach yearly, ensuring that we have now classes for them to have the ability to expertise browsing as effectively.

Okay. Now let’s discuss concerning the extra sparkly a part of your job, occasions. When you get to do one thing and it’s enjoyable and it’s a one-off. How do you discover worth in one thing like a surf contest that’s only a one-off occasion?

We’ve employed a director of occasions. So Tracy on our staff, she actually helped spearhead quite a lot of the logistics within the again finish. Our staff on the advertising facet is extra of that buyer connection and understanding what kind of occasion goes to draw and be one thing that the surfer regionally or the customer who’s coming in equally can come out and luxuriate in.

So we have now a couple of alternative ways we’ve approached it. We take a look at every day programming. So issues that somebody who’s buying a seashore go, coming to hang around for the day, can simply be part of and luxuriate in. And then additionally extra particular occasion codecs. So month-to-month surf-style competitions, quarterly bigger pillar occasions across the arts, the music, the browsing as effectively. But our bigger pillars as a bigger Atlantic Park vacation spot.

And then semiannually or yearly, these bigger, even greater activations, festival-style moments, which we’re working and constructing out internally. But from the visitor expertise facet, for instance, the programming, we’re quite a lot of our pillars. So issues that faucet into browsing, wellness, extra of the music vibe, the artwork vibe that’s rooted in surf tradition. And with us having that present tradition right here, we’re offering them with this stage, with this amplification to have the ability to do this.

How do you construct longevity together with your friends?

This isn’t a transactional expertise. We don’t need you to come back out right here, surf as soon as and be, all proper, checked off the record. We need you to come back out, really feel such as you’re a part of this area. You’re a part of our group. Enjoy your session. Have an expertise catching that first wave, which, as you already know, is one thing that you simply’ll keep in mind for the remainder of your life, however then additionally be capable to construct that relationship with us and are available out time and time once more, whether or not it’s for a novel occasion second the place we’re doing a surf demo or a extremely cool academic surf class, speaking about totally different methods on issues, or music alternatives, one thing that’s extra social.

We wish to construct these totally different experiences, totally different contact factors with our friends the place they really feel prefer it’s one thing that it’s this epicenter of tradition for the group and likewise for the East Coast, the place we’re making an attempt to create an area the place browsing can exist, not simply within the lagoon, however on the seashore too.

You talked about you will have primary pillars that you simply revisit to assist information Atlantic Park Surf

So, our pillars are arts, music, surf, in fact, and group. These are a couple of ways in which we activate this by our programming is our surf wellness program. So we work with a neighborhood health club right here only a few blocks away within the Vibe District. They come out and do a surf-focused class that hits on muscular tissues that you simply use in browsing. So actually, to get higher mobility for browsing and power to higher progress your browsing, which works hand in hand with our model.

So surf wellness. We are also going to be doing Sound Waves. So that’ll be our music programming. That’ll be occurring extra between Memorial Day and Labor Day. So basically, DJs, bands, issues which are actually surf-centric teams which are a part of the Virginia Beach group and a few extra regional to carry that essence and vibe right here to the park.

So these are two form of, I might say, branded packages that we’re doing recurring. And then issues just like the Dream Team Challenge. So that’s one in every of our surf competitors codecs that we’re trying to host yearly, but it surely’s a team-based competitors. Each staff has a grom, a gal, a geezer and an OG. So form of going by every one, the grom is your surfer 15 and below, gal is your girl surfer, geezer is 45 and over, after which the OG is your wild card slot. So they’ll be competing head-to-head within the lagoon this weekend, introduced by Wiseguy Pizza, which is our pizza area right here on web site at Atlantic Park.

This area actually lets you hone in and progress much more effectively than you’ll within the ocean. So actually try to present that prolonged alternative and expertise for the friends to allow them to have that after they’re on web site. So that’s a part of the programming. If you will have a seashore go and are available on web site, you are able to do that in your go to.

And actually checked out making an attempt to activate one thing throughout the native regional surf store group too. So quite a lot of the groups which are popping out are surf store represented, and a few are coming from so far as New Jersey and as far south as South Carolina. So I’m actually simply making an attempt to create this area the place we will do these distinctive occasions and totally different model judging, formatting, and having enjoyable with it.

And there’s Surf Cinema the place we’re actually making an attempt to raise that have of people who find themselves popping out and on the seashore already. So should you’re hanging out, you’ll see us organising for Surf Cinema, working with a couple of totally different sponsors and companions. So we’ve proven a couple of Rip Curl movies. We’re working with Stab on showcasing a few of their cinema right here. So actually enjoyable moments simply to get the group out and have interaction with these alternatives.

And then additionally the Sound Waves, which is extra activating with native musicians and DJs, reflecting the surf tradition right here in Virginia Beach.

Bonus: Interview with Alex Smith, the photographer who was at Ground Zero for Stab High in 2018.

What is your pictures background?

My inspiration for pictures got here by browsing. Growing up in Virginia Beach with two siblings, we’d typically journey to the Outer Banks to surf. We’d get these actually loopy swells that went undocumented as a result of it was simply the three of us looking for a hidden peak, generally with others, however normally with out anybody there to shoot. Eventually, I picked up a digital camera and obtained actually into it. That drove my ardour for pictures by my years at college. Through pals I met there, I obtained linked with a couple of totally different manufacturers like Stab Magazine. That’s how I ended up doing pictures for the 2018 and 2019 Stab High occasions. Being in these surf parks at the moment—it was so new and such a special format—it undoubtedly felt like this was going to alter the business eternally. It was actually cool to be part of that.

What was it like taking pictures your first wave pool classes at Stab High 2018 and 2019? Were there any inventive challenges?

It was distinctive. Unlike the ocean, you already know precisely the place the ramp will break and the place the touchdown zone is. The problem was extra like, how shut are you able to get with out getting landed on? There have been a couple of instances the place I used to be within the spot and will really feel fins going by me. That was the cool half—being that shut. With all surf applied sciences, it’s about studying how the water strikes. Every surf park is totally different. Getting used to that and feeling it out first allows you to get extra inventive later. That’s one thing the surf park business provides. You’re not simply coping with currents, sandbars, and reefs. You can actually set your spot and study the wave and the expertise. Once you do, it helps push your inventive limits in pictures. And then you definately’re at all times increasing from there—making an attempt to not get run over.

What’s the best a part of wave pool pictures?

The predictability. Knowing the place you’ll be able to sit and get a extremely good angle. There’s additionally that reassurance whenever you’re with a gaggle of people that is probably not used to being within the water with cameras. You can talk with them simply. We’re all proper there. It’s a reasonably cool vibe, particularly whenever you’re with the identical group for that hour or for a personal occasion.

What are the challenges of pool pictures? Is there a aggressive side—like wanting a shot nobody else has?

Definitely. What’s distinctive right here, particularly at Atlantic Park, is how insanely clear the water is. That provides you entry to different angles—taking pictures by the water and thru the wave—that don’t actually appear like anyplace else. Especially with the backdrop of the dome, the music venue, and the seashore surroundings. Once every thing is full, you could find some fairly distinctive angles.

Has taking pictures right here improved your expertise as a photographer?

I feel so. It’s improved my expertise and reignited my ardour for surf pictures. Not simply within the water, but additionally on the seashore. Seeing everybody’s response to the area—it’s the primary Wavegarden Cove within the U.S.—provides it a vibe I don’t assume many individuals have felt earlier than. Especially with the native surf group right here. I really feel like most of them most likely haven’t surfed wave parks earlier than. It’s cool to see that come to life and to seize that within the water, from skilled athletes to the every day surfer. Also capturing their reactions on the seashore—it’s nice to see how stoked they’re.