08/05/2026
Statement on the Closure of Fliteschool Manly
After six years of operating Fliteschool Manly as an independent, locally run business, I was ultimately forced to close.
Fliteboard began as an Australian family business, and in its early days the relationship between brand and community felt aligned and supportive. That changed after the company was acquired by a large American corporate entity. Since then, the culture and approach shifted dramatically.
Despite Fliteschool Manly having operated in this area for many years, Fliteboard chose to establish a FliteSchool in the exact same location and market I had built from the ground up. This move placed a small, independent operator in direct competition with the manufacturer itself—a situation that was neither sustainable nor fair.
The aggressive, corporate-style tactics that followed made it impossible for my business to continue operating. As a small local school, I simply could not compete with the resources, influence, and market power of a global corporation entering my backyard.
Fliteschool Manly was built on community, passion for the sport, and years of hard work. Its closure is not a reflection of a lack of demand or commitment, but the result of a fundamental imbalance between a grassroots business and a multinational corporation.
