Will Surf Parks Ever Become A Reality?

josh hunter

• June 30 2009
• 1,434 views
• 1 comment

Remember the concept of The Gotcha Glacier? If not, you’re probably at least familiar with the failed attempts of Surf Parks in Orlando, Florida. Most likely you’ve also heard rumors of Kelly Slater funding research of a “ring wave” technology or maybe you even read his interview in Sports illustrated where he discussed it.

Well Rick Cane ripped The Wave Tank in The North Shore, Disney has their mush-burger at Typhoon Lagoon, and the Ocean Dome in Japan actually looked pretty legit, but was shut down earlier this year because it lost so much money.

So is the concept of a rippable, barreling wave in a pool a pipe dream? Or—I should say—is the concept of a rippable, barreling wave pool that can be monetized and profitable enough to sustain itself a pipe dream?

For years conjecture about live televised surf competitions, surfing finally breaking into Middle America, and the possibility of surfing becoming an Olympic sport has hinged on the possibility of a water park capable of making the perfect wave.

“One element professional surfing lacks is an arena atmosphere,” Layne Beachley, seven-time world champion, told the New York Times. “An arena allows the crowd to be right on top of the action. I’d like to see professional surfing staged in an arena like that.”

So what do you think? Will man ever be able to reproduce what so far only Mother Nature has been able to serve up? Or, will Slater be on the podium with The Star Spangled Banner playing once someone gets this thing figured out? And we’re not talking about about stationary waves, Flowriders, sheet waves, etc—We’re talking about actual traveling waves.

So weigh in on the topic right here and let us know what you think. Link to videos, pictures, articles, and whatever other evidence, proof, and information that’s out there to substantiate your claim.

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