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Our Team

We are a family owned business with over 30 years’ experience running white water boarding trips on Queenstown’s Kawarau River.

MEET OUR TEAM!

Shop Crew

Friendly and knowledgeable, our shop crew will help you book the trip that best suits your thirst for adventure. Let our shop staff sort out your photo pack after the trip, and recommend other amazing activities in Queenstown.

Guides

Fully qualified, seasoned guides from all around the globe make up our team. They each have a real passion for the river, with extensive knowledge and abilities. Meet Neil, Dallas, Pavel, Sam and Anna. Our team will keep you entertained and safe whilst helping you challenge yourself on this action packed thrill of a lifetime.

Managers

Senior guides Dallas, Pavel and Neil, owner of the business, are out there in the water with you. While Ruth, Mandy and Sophie work in the shop to ensure you all enjoy your trip with Serious Fun Riverboarding Limited.

a man on a raft in a body of water

Neil Harrison

Job Title: Big Boss
Nationality: Scottish
Your Jobs: In the last 20 years – Riveboarding
Other sports: Ice Hockey, Badminton
Coolest thing about your job: Swimming down a River
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bombay Palace
Favourite café in Queenstown: Halo
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Atlas
Must do in Queenstown Riverboarding
Must do in New Zealand: Riverboarding
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Bodyboarding
Secret talent: None
Favourite place in the world: Sunshine Bay
What super power would you like: To Fly
Favourite super hero: Ant Man
Favourite movie: Too many
Favourite food: Curry
Favourite colour: Kawarau Blue
Favourite animal: Dog

a screen shot of a man

Pavel Hornik

Job Title: Timebender
Nationality: Vallachianceltic
Your Jobs in the last 2 year: none applicable
Other sports: catching spiders while juggling
Coolest thing about your job: not to get bitten
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Queenstown Gardens
Favourite café in Queenstown: beach
Favourite bar in Queenstown – Lake esplanade (when there is no liquor ban)
Must do in Queenstown: hangover
Must do in New Zealand: siteseeing
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): driving in and around Queenstown
Secret talent: time bending
Favourite place in the world: in my own head
What super power would you like: Apart from timebending? What about time travel??
Favourite superhero: Sophie the office superhero
Favourite movie: timetravel
Favourite food: Goulash
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite animal: Irbis/snow leopard

a man riding a wave on a surf board on a body of water

Sam Tidswell

Job Title: River Guide
Nationality: British
Your Jobs in the last 2 years: Ski Instructor and River Guide
Other sports: golf, scuba diving, skiing, rugby league, pool
Coolest thing about your job: The water
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bunker
Favourite café in Queenstown: Patagonia
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Searchlight
Must do in Queenstown: Come surfing
Must do in New Zealand: See great white sharks
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Heliskiing
Secret talent: Doing a mean BBQ
Favourite place in the world: Queenstown
What super power would you like: Underwater breathing
Favourite super hero: Banana man
Favourite movie: True Romance
Favourite food: Full english
Favourite colour: Red
Favourite animal: Hairy frogfish

a man and a woman riding a wave on a surfboard in the water

E Eade

Job Title: River slave, wetsuit seamstress
Nationality: Kiwi
Your Jobs in the last 2 years: High School Teacher
Other sports: Whitewater kayaking, rollerblading
Coolest thing about your job: The river – it’s pretty chilly!
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bazaar
Favourite café in Queenstown: Ice Arena Cafe
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Cowboys
Must do in Queenstown: RIVERBOARDING!
Must do in New Zealand: STILL RIVERBOARDING!
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Does wrangling teenagers count as an extreme activity?
Secret talent: Fixing stuff
Favourite place in the world: Kawarau River
What super power would you like: Ability to breathe underwater
Favourite super hero: Black Widow
Favourite movie: Ice Castles (2010)
Favourite food: candy kane
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite animal: Cat

a young girl riding a wave on a surfboard in the water

Ruth Tidswell

Job Title: Office, Agent Rep and Marketing Assistant
Nationality: British
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Ski instructor and Office, Agent Rep and Marketing Assistant
Other sports: Skiing, running, biking and running round after two kids (is that a sport?)
Coolest thing about your job: Meeting people
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Flame
Favourite café in Queenstown: Patagonia, good coffee for me and ice cream for the kids win win!
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Not that I get out much!! Habana Rum Bar
Must do in Queenstown: Earnslaw Steamer boat
Must do in New Zealand: Abel Tasman national park
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Ifly I loved it!
Secret talent: I can touch my nose with my tongue
Favourite place in the world: Tonga
What super power would you like: To fly
Favourite super hero: Moana not exactly a super hero but she’s very cool!
Favourite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favourite food: Chocolate
Favourite colour: Pink
Favourite animal: Giraffe and a dolphin

HISTORY

Sledging

White Water Sledging had its debut way back in the late 70’s when some very keen adrenaline seekers decided to get out of their rafts to truly experience the power of the river.

Back then in the French Alps the keen Frenchmen were floating downstream, through the rapids, lying on bags full of life jackets and polystyrene. In 1981 the first Sledge, or Hydrospeed, was designed and built. The Sledges were perfect for running the rivers in the Alps, and the sport soon became popular with competitions held every year. In 1991 a Frenchman brought white water sledging to Wanaka and called it Frogz White Water Sledging.

Riversurfing

Riversurfing had a similar start, but Queenstown was the birth place for this sport. In the summer of 1987 Jon Imhoof, a surfer from Hawaii, had to think up a surfing alternative after a short trip to Queenstown turned into a longer stay. He took his bodyboard to the Kawarau River and started surfing the rapids, riding the whirl pools and just having loads of fun along the way. Two years later in 1989 Serious Fun Riversurfing was born.

Today

We combined both these companies under one umbrella- Serious Fun Riverboarding, and introduced Drifting, our new exciting product. This enables us to offer you 3 levels of adrenaline adventure on the mighty Kawarau River.

COURSES

We offer river guide training courses in October, November and March each year.

Train to become a qualified instructor and earn the internationally renowned National III/IV+ Whitewater Boarding qualification.

Email [email protected] for more details.

EMPLOYMENT

We are currently recruiting shop/sales staff and trainee guides for the summer season. To apply please contact us via email: [email protected]