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Industry veterans Caulonque and Thatcher have joined Endless Surf as demand grows for WhiteWater’s next-gen wave technology
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 11 May 2021
The duo offer decades of experience and are also lifelong surfers themselves Credit: WhiteWater
Offering decades of experience in surf, WhiteWater has looked to the waves for the latest additions to its Endless Surf business, appointing two life-long surfers to key positions within the company’s ever-expanding workforce.
Set to work alongside WhiteWater president Paul Chutter, Baptiste Caulonque is the first appointment, joining Endless Surf as its new chief commercial officer.
A veteran name within the surf industry, Caulonque has previously worked as a consultant to several mixed-use surf park developments and came across the Endless Surf technology when sourcing solutions for La Vague Grand Paris - a €250m (US$303m, £214.8m) development featuring an Endless Surf Pool, as well as a skate park, family-focused aquatic amenities and an urban boardwalk with restaurants, bars and retail facilities. Caulonque remains project director for this development, which will open in the French capital in 2024.
“There have been pivot moments in my career and being introduced to Endless Surf 18 months ago was one of them,” said Caulonque.
“From the start, I was impressed with the professionalism of the team and blown away by their wave technology - I consider myself very lucky to be joining what I’m confident will be the undisputed leading technology and operators’ top choice for surf pools.”
Joining alongside him, Andrew Thatcher has been named Endless Surf’s new vice president of business development.
Based in San Diego, California, the South African surfer has worked in the artificial wave industry since 2000 - first with WaveLoch and for the last 20 years with FlowRider, where he has helped to create successful surf venues across Asia and the Americas. Thatcher offers a level of expertise hard to find, having worked with hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs wanting to create profitable board sports venues over a number of decades.
“We’re surfers who want to bring surf to the world,” said Thatcher. “We share the ambitions of our clients; we want to make venues that book out wintery mid-week mornings and we’re confident we have the formula to do that.”
Endless Surf’s limitless potential
The appointments come with WhiteWater fast closing in on the one year mark since the company unveiled its Endless Surf technology to the world.
Building on the success of more than 30 years of building surf pools (its oldest built in 1989 is still in operation today) Endless Surf builds on these decades of experience, utilising expert wave designers to create enhanced and reliable pneumatic technology for Endless rolling sets.
Speaking recently to Planet Attractions, Paul Chutter called the technology “the culmination of years of behind the scenes work”.
“It’s a tremendous amount of opportunity and it’s something that’s occupying a tremendous amount of my time,” he said. “It’s incredibly exciting and I’m very passionate about it. At a product level, it’s going to represent a big growth opportunity for WhiteWater.”
For more from Paul Chutter, including his new role at the head of WhiteWater, working with his father and his plans for the company going forward, click here
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