We are a family owned business with over 30 years’ experience running white water boarding trips on Queenstown’s Kawarau River.
MEET OUR TEAM!
Senior Guides, Guides and On land 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, Pavel, Sam and Max our Senior Guides. E, Jack, Harrison and Kyle our Guides and Teddy and Colwyn our On land Guides. Our team will keep you entertained and safe whilst helping you challenge yourself on this action packed thrill of a lifetime.
Management
Neil is the owner of the business and Ruth is the Office Manager. They are friendly and knowledgeable and can help you book the trip that best suits your thirst for adventure. They can answer any questions and can recommend other amazing activities in Queenstown. They will ensure you enjoy your trip with Serious Fun Riverboarding Limited.
Neil Harrison
Job Title: Big Boss
Nationality: Scottish
Your Jobs: In the last 20 years – Riverboarding
Other sports: Ice Hockey, Badminton
Coolest thing about your job: Swimming down a river
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bombay Palace
Favourite café in Queenstown: Odd Saints
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
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: A hangover
Must do in New Zealand: Sightseeing
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 time bending? What about time travel??
Favourite superhero: Sophie the office superhero
Favourite movie: Time Travel
Favourite food: Goulash
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite animal: Irbis/Snow leopard
Sam Tidswell
Job Title: Senior Guide
Nationality: British
Your Jobs in the last 2 years: Ski Instructor and Senior 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
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 Café
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 cane
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite animal: Cat
Ruth Tidswell
Job Title: Office Manager
Nationality: British
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Ski instructor and Office Manager
Other sports: Skiing, Running, Biking and running round after two kids (is that a sport?)
Coolest thing about your job: Reading the reviews, they are awesome!
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bella Cucina
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: TSS Earnslaw
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
Max Bogaerts
Job Title: Senior Guide
Nationality: Belgian
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Rafting/Riverboarding Guide
Other sports: Caving, Climbing, Canyoning, anything outdoors really
Coolest thing about your job: I get do to the thing I love the most everyday
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Not Fergburger
Favourite café in Queenstown: The Bakery
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Zephyr
Must do in Queenstown: Riverboarding or go and relax at Wellspace Sauna
Must do in New Zealand: Safton Bivvy or climbing at Hangdog
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Caving
Secret talent: I can do cards tricks
Favourite place in the world: Roc Genese climbing club in Quillan
What super power would you like: Control Time
Favourite super hero: The Czech Train wreck
Favourite movie: Point Break
Favourite food: Curry (very hot)
Favourite colour: Violet
Favourite animal: Red Panda
Jack Sweeny
Job Title: Riverboarding Guide
Nationality: Of the river people
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Riverboard Guide, Raft Guide
Other sports: Climbing, Disc Golf, Spikeball, Pickleball, Thrifting
Coolest thing about your job: The rejuvenating properties the glacial minerals have on my hair
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Bombay Palace
Favourite café in Queenstown: Balls and Bangles
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Smiths
Must do in Queenstown: Riverboarding
Must do in New Zealand: Eat pies
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Rock Climbing
Secret talent: Always have sunscreen
Favourite place in the world: Uvita, Costa Rica
What super power would you like: To always be the perfect temperature
Favourite super hero: Frozone
Favourite movie: The River Wild
Favourite food: Ice cream
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite animal: Ocelot
Harrison Storm
Job Title: River Guide
Nationality: Kiwi
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Caving Guide
Other sports: Snowboarding, Rock climbing, Fishing, Caving
Coolest thing about your job: Getting to shred some gnar
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: White and Wongs
Favourite café in Queenstown: The Bakery
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Perkys
Must do in Queenstown: Riverboarding
Must do in New Zealand: Riverboarding
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Caving
Secret talent: climb 100m rope in 10 minutes
Favourite place in the world: Queenstown
What super power would you like: Flight
Favourite super hero: Spoonerman
Favourite movie: Rush
Favourite food: Sushi
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite animal: Elephant
Hayley Wyndham
Job Title: On Land Guide
Nationality: Kiwi
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Driver for Sunrise Hot Air Balloons, Landscaping, Cleaning, Dog/house pet sitter
Other sports: I love fitness and Photography
Coolest thing about your job: Running up and down the tracks taking photos.
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: My Thai Lounge
Favourite café in Queenstown: Kilburn at Royalburn
Favourite bar in Queenstown: A chocolate bar!!
Must do in Queenstown: Riverboarding, Sunrise Balloons, Wye Creek walk
Must do in New Zealand: Copeland track – natural hot pools and surrounded by mountains
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Paragliding
Secret talent: Paragliding (I love the ground handling, it’s fun)
Favourite place in the world: New Zealand
What super power would you like: Time Traveller
Favourite super hero: Captain Planet
Favourite movie: Captain Planet
Favourite food: Thai food
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite animal: Dogs
Teodora Kaihe
Job Title: On Land Guide
Nationality: Bulgarian
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: On Land Guide and Ski/Snowboard Instructor
Other sports: Tennis, Golf, Personal Training
Coolest thing about your job: Interacting with people and helping them enjoy sport in general
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: White and Wongs
Favourite café in Queenstown: Odd Saints
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Eichardt’s Bar
Must do in Queenstown: Walk up Queenstown Hill
Must do in New Zealand: Coromandel hot water pools
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Skydive
Secret talent: Dessert making and baking
Favourite place in the world: Shiroka Laka, Bulgaria
What super power would you like: Flying
Favourite super hero: Superwoman
Favourite movie: Shrek
Favourite food: Bakalava
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite animal: Elephant
Colwyn Velvin
Job Title: On Land Guide
Nationality: Kiwi
Your Jobs in the last 2 Years: Life Guard
Other sports: Surf Life Saving
Coolest thing about your job: Being in the water and talking to new people
Favourite restaurant in Queenstown: Locker Room
Favourite café in Queenstown: Locker Room
Favourite bar in Queenstown: Locker Room
Must do in Queenstown: Go to Locker Room (of course!)
Must do in New Zealand: Nevis Bungy
Favourite extreme activity (apart from riverboarding): Bungy and the Swing
Secret talent: Pogo Stick
Favourite place in the world: New Zealand (preferably Locker Room)
What super power would you like: Freeze Time
Favourite super hero: Myself (I am Batman)
Favourite movie: Any Batman movie
Favourite food: Locker Room hotdogs!
Favourite colour: Orange and Blue
Favourite animal: My Mom
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 neil@riverboarding.co.nz 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: neil@riverboarding.co.nz