Wave Pool Mag

How do you overhaul the surf experience without disrupting your most loyal riders? What does it take to redesign wave settings that help surfers progress more naturally? And how do you test, tweak, and communicate those changes—all in time for the start of surf season? In this episode of the WavePoolMag podcast, we head to The Wave in Bristol where a major shift has been made: the familiar Waikiki...

In this podcast, we speak with Damon Tudor (former CEO of URBNSURF) and Craig Stoddart (co-founder of The Wave) about their journey and their exciting new Bahrain Surf Park project. Their partnership wasn’t sudden; over six years, they regularly exchanged insights on artificial wave technology, surf school structures, and maintenance systems. Despite operating in different markets — one with a mat...

Mike Goldy’s has spent $15,000 on wave pool sessions. In return he has surfed 15 different wave technologies at 23 different standing and traveling wave pools across eight countries. What is the draw for this wonderful, possibly OCD-afflicted human? Is it the good vibes in the lineup, the guaranteed waves, the pumping soundtracks and close proximity to high-end coffee beverages? In this episode Mi...

We learned about AllWaves last year on a visit to Belgium with Blair Conklin and crew in tow. During our visit, we saw firsthand the wave pool’s potential, documenting the unique circles of swell pumped out by its submerged bouncy pillow wavemaker . Since then, the Instagram-sphere has blown up—not with clips of pros doing amazing airs, but with videos of gentle, perfect, rolling beginner waves ....

Where do regular people eat in Abu Dhabi? I mean, it can't be a 5-star dining experience for every meal - maybe in the glossy press materials, but not for the average visiting human. But that's how many perceive this place. Former CT surfer Mitch Crews shares what it's like surfing, working and dining on a budget at the world's newest Kelly Slater Wave Co. creation.  "My team has become like...

Joe Dale serves as the Head of Commercial at The Wave in Bristol. In his role, he develops strategies to attract visitors to The Wave. Easy, right? Well, no. Joe has been instrumental in addressing the challenges of leading a business in the emerging wave pool sector. As the industry evolves, Joe's insights in this discussion highlight the connection between business growth and the consumer’s inte...

The Coachella Valley Surf Club emerged hot on the heels of a handful of wave pool announcements for the desert east of Los Angeles. What started as an organization to introduce desert kids to the wonders of surfing has evolved into a philanthropic exercise to provide scholarships to students at the Desert Mirage High School in Thermal. Dave Hilts runs the organization and tell us, “Well, you know,...

Andy Hadden is pumped. We're sitting on the edge of the wave pool that he spent over a decade bringing to life. Today, all those blueprints, civic meetings and artist renders have disappeared into the ether to be replaced by the real, three-dimensional entity that is Lost Shore Surf Resort. In this episode we pick Andy's brain to uncover the surprises one can expect in the magic place when your dr...

On site at Revel Surf in Mesa Arizona earlier this month we spoke with COO Adam Saks – a creative hospitality veteran who brings a refreshing New York realness to his work. It was pre-opening and Maricopa County was running through its final inspection list (spoiler alert, they passed and are open as of today.) Adam walks us through the Cannon Beach journey, which many of us are familiar with, but...

Jonas Boehm-Tettelbach is an imposing figure. He's Lurch height with a backwoodsy hairstyle and beard – put him in greasy overalls and he could be cast as a moonshiner in a Tarantino film. However, his manner is the furthest thing from Duck Dynasty bravado. Jonas speaks in a quiet, measured tone. And, it turns out, he also knows his shit. Having been with this wave pool project alongside his fathe...

Joaquín Lozada and Ezequiel Fernandez Lobo from La Ola Group, based in Argentina, are spearheading a technology that uses underwater air cannons to generate surf. The company plans to build their first wave pool adjacent a famous church just outside of Buenos Aires. If successful, their technology will rub shoulders with some of the major players in the highly competitive wave generation game.

There are only a handful of people on the planet with as much wave design experience as Cheyne Magnusson. He’s part of an obsessed, laser-focused elite squad of wave designers - individuals who can take a multi-million dollar piece of equipment and shape waves. His journey started nearly a decade ago when he was at Body Glove and the boss asked, “what can we do with wave pools?” He went on to shap...

Jessica Mahoney’s professional life has crossed paths with WavePoolMag a few times now, first at ADG and later as COO at Surf Park Summit. Over the years, she has amassed a databank of knowledge in the industry from the tech side to the consumer side and all points in between. We had a nice long chat with Jessica to discover what wave pool operators can do to improve their business through facilit...

Philip Roberts is always in close orbit to surfing’s greatest inventors. Mentored by water park guru Dick Croul (Wild Rivers) he’s brought the ideation of Tom Lochtefeld to life while acting as the grounding cable for Boogie Board inventor Tom Morey. In the late ‘80s, Surfer Mag offered him a project to paint, as they put it, “the future of surfing.” The gig was for an illustrator to bring a float...

John Philbin’s best-known movie parts were in Children of the Corn, Tombstone, Point Break and, of course, The North Shore - that classic 1980s film about an Arizona wave pooler who goes to Hawaii. In this podcast, John talks about how he landed the role of Turtle (hint: he had to audition 7 times) and the movie’s lasting effect on a generation. As a core surfer he’s also well-placed to measure ch...

There’s a mantra in the wave pool space that the development, opening and operation of parks will get easier as more facilities open up. That’s why the unveiling of URBNSURF Sydney is a pretty big deal. The launch makes the URBNSURF group the only entity to have two surf parks in operation. We wanted to find out if the company simply copy/pasted Melbourne to a new location or if they had to start...

Steven Nauwelaerts of AllWaves refers to competitors as "collegues," a refreshing take in a sector that grows more competitive each day. Steven has a unique view of the space. He spent years doing the one thing that might be more difficult than creating surfable waves in a confined pool – extrancting energy from ocean waves. Steven is one of the few people to turn the equation on its head and make...

The first thing we noticed at URBNSURF Sydney was that everyone wore a name badge. “Dude maintaining the pool” now has a name (it’s Keith by the way.) This simple customer experience measure hints at the kind of changes Jennifer Vandekreeke has in mind for Australia’s premier surf park business. In her previous roles, she drove growth for travel and leisure companies, notably Carnival Cruise Lines...

I'm at the construction site at o2 SURFTOWN MUC with Michi Mohr. He's a large, intimidating figure with thick hands and a disarming smile - warm, sincere and just a tad goofy. We walk around the construction site while wave pool maker Endless Surf runs a multitude of tests. Michi stops to pick up an empty box for the recycling bin, cleans up an errant Firewire demo board and eyes the area for othe...

Edwin van Viegen is leading a wave pool development in the center of Europe's busiest port city, Rotterdam. He has been working on this project for several years and experienced the usual surf park ups and downs. But this wave pool, Rif010 (pronounced riff-ten) has the unbridled support of major city planners and various local government agencies - a major win for any project. As such, it's moved...

Wave pool projects require perseverance, as they involve a significant amount of time, effort, and the all-mighty dollar. Nick Robinson talks about the hurdles he faced during his bid to build a wave pool in Portugal. He discusses the process he went through to find suitable land, choosing the right technology for that land and navigating the ever present cultural differences. Nick shares some war...

Luke Wallace is the CEO of Flowstate, an AI video capture system adopted by many of the world’s wave pools. We spoke with Luke to find out how a variety of factors came together perfectly to create a platform that records each and every one of your waves during a surf park visit. In the process, the system has opened up new social, coaching and safety possibilities.

Did you know that Nick Hounsfield comes from a family of inventors? He didn't invent the wave pool at his surf park. No, Wavegarden did that. But he's constantly focused on how things could work. It's like a constant invitation to daydream. We learned this early on but only now have gotten around to poking at this side of Nick. In this conversation we dig into the creative side of wave pooling and...

Can a passion project like a wave pool have blind spots to reality? Matt Hyslop from Colliers International talks with WavePoolMag about his role in conducting feasibility studies for new surf venues. Matt highlights the importance of visitor forecasting and understanding the potential market when planning for a new wave pool. He also lets slip some of the ideal locations and the different busines...

Hear Euna Kim's firsthand account of Wave Park's inception in Siheung-Si, South Korea. With her mastery of languages and a newfound passion for surfing, Euna played a pivotal role in navigating the intricate journey from vision to reality. She'll reveal how Wave Park has become a cornerstone in the evolution of Korea's surf culture and delve into the complexities behind establishing this groundbre...