All he had packed was two weeks worth of clothes; he’d been traveling across the country competing in FlowRider competitions, and one stop happened to be Las Vegas. That was a year and a half ago—today you can find Brad Spencer working as the assistant general manager at Planet Hollywood Resort’s pools.
While he oversees the various pools and hangouts on the expansive deck, Spencer is also a champion flowboarder (think riding the ocean’s waves all in a confined space), and he helps oversee the watery attraction—the only one of its kind on the Strip.
The Orlando, Fla., native has been competing for 12 years, picking up four national and six world championships. “As soon as I tried flowboarding I was hooked,” says Spencer, who started out as a wakeboarder and was introduced to flowboarding through a friend that managed a FlowRider attraction.
Spencer’s skills have taken him to competitions in Bali, Bangkok, Dubai and Singapore, but never did he think he’d be living and working in Vegas. “I’m really happy where I’m at and fortunate enough to make money doing this,” he says. “It’s kinda nice to not be traveling every weekend competing from March to October.”
Whether you’ve never attempted a similar board-based sport or, say, if you’re a seasoned surfer, wakeboarder or skateboarder, FlowRider is for everyone, says Spencer. “It doesn’t matter how good you’re doing; you can fall the whole time or get it perfectly your first time—either way, it’s super fun. It might look terrifying but the whole thing is padded. The worse thing I’ve seen is a broken toenail.”
Tangerine Mojito
Whether you’re trying to hang 10 on the FlowRider, dipping into the pool, playing blackjack or lounging in a cabana, quench your thirst by ordering one of Planet Hollywood pools’ seven new seasonal signature cocktails. A twist on the classic mojito, the Tangerine Mojito is a refreshing pick, mixed with Bacardi Tangerine rum, fresh lime juice, mint leaves, club soda and fresh muddled tangerines.
