Optimising elite surfer daily performance environment
Athlete Research
Systems Research
Digital Product Design
CLIENT
Surfing Australia
LOCATION
USA, Australia
Chief Design Officer, Lead Service Designer, Performance Researcher, Experience Designer, Visual Designer
TEAM
In Tokyo 2021, surfing was an Olympic sport for the first time in history. This presented unique opportunities for the world of competitive surfing, driving global interest in the sport as well as investment in new performance-boosting technologies. The AIS and Surfing Australia partnered with us to innovate across the daily performance environment of Australia’s elite surfing athletes and elevate their performance in the lead up to the Games
Insight Services
High performance systems analysis
Athlete research
Daily performance environment analysis
Field research
Design Services
Athlete experience strategy
Digital product design
Digital product testing
This place is a zoo… you’ve really gotta have your s*** together to compete here. You see a lot of other competitors crack it about conditions, blame the judges, or their coach. It’s like mate, that s*** happens everywhere. You’ve gotta learn to deal with it.
Jack
Elite Australian surfing athlete, research participant
Immersing in the daily performance environment
We immersed ourselves in daily performance environment (DPE) of elite surfers in a range of locations across three countries and spoke with over 100 people, including athletes, coaches, judges, sports psychologists, family members and support staff.Using a social anthropologic and ethnographic approach we dove into context to interact with athletes, coaches, and support personnel in the daily performance environment (training and competition) across the following locations:
Casuarina Beach, NSW: Elite training camp research immersion
High Performance Centre, NSW: Elite training camp research immersion
Oz Grom Open, Lennox Heads, NSW: Athlete and coach interviews and observation
WSL Surf Ranch, Lemoore, California: National team training camp research immersion
Supergirl Pro, Oceanside, California: Athlete and coach interviews and observation
US Open of Surfing, LA, California: Athlete and coach interviews and observation
Baja, Mexico - Post event free surfing: athlete and coach interviews and observation
Throughout the field study we undertook observation, intercept interviews, semi-formal research interviews and ‘pop up research sessions’ with athletes, coaches, and support personnel. While in-context at major competition we also researched the attitudes, needs, and behaviours of Australia’s international competitors (both athletes and coaches).
Strategic co-design and live prototyping solutions in the DPE of elite surfers
We collaborated with athletes, coaches, judges, sports psychologists and sport scientists to explore and prioritise the seventeen strategic opportunity areas our team had identified and undertook co-design of solution concepts. We then moved to live prototype the design of a digital performance solution for two weeks at Surfing Australia’s high performance centre on the Tweed Coast in Australia.
The kinlab team have seriously crushed it. We are all super pumped to be working with them on this project. So much good stuff came out we can implement straight away.
Bede Durbidge
High Performance Director, Surfing Australia
The Outcomes
We helped Surfing Australia build a deeper understanding of the daily performance environment of Australia’s elite surfers as they trained, travelled and competed on the World Qualifying Series. This led to identifying tactical and strategic opportunities for Surfing Australia to provide services to help these surfers to perform at their peak on the world tour. A key opportunity was the development of a digital solution to support Australia’s surfers in their daily performance environment (DPE).
Milestones
Successfully undertaking a high-performance sport field research study across two countries, in unique and dynamic training and competitive environments
First time a high-performance surfing research study was undertaken at WSL Surf Ranch
A number of the participants in the study have elevated their careers from the World Qualifying Series to World Championship Tour
Australian surfer, Owen Wright, won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games
Delivered
Elite Surfer DPE insights report
Elite Surfer DPE opportunity areas report
Elite Surfer DPE digital product design
Kinlab &
Surfing Australia
est. 2018
Our work with Surfing Australia has spanned all aspects of the sport. It kicked off in 2018, when we collaborated with their digital team to redesign the My Surf TV digital product. Beyond that we have collaborated with their business across participation, events and high performance.
My Surf TV digital platform re-designSurf Groms program re-design
Teen Surfing program design
Women and girls program design
Adult recreational surfing program design
High Performance Centre experience design and commercial modelling
High performance surfing product design
High performance surfer daily performance environment study
Let's innovate the future of sport
Let's innovate the future of sport
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