Throughout the years, wave pools have popped up and stirred up quite some attention. From the San Diego wave house to numerous water parks around the country, but nothing like the barreling right Kelley Slater and his team have innovated. If you know much or anything at all about the eleven-time world surf champ then you would know he is a perfectionist, "Through rigorous science and technology, we’ve been able to design and build what some said was impossible, and many very understandably never thought would actually happen."
Proving others wrong is a trait Slater is well aware of, and once again he has delivered. This wave pool did not merely form overnight; his team at Kelly Slater Wave Company have been at it for over a decade finalizing the signature design for his circular wave pool. This attraction could have been ready back in 2011, but it was not released until five years later showing how patient the athlete can be. Slater is no stranger to the gold coast and is where he chose to perfect his masterpiece. Located on the coast of Australia, this wave pool is only 10 miles from the local beach in Madison Estate, which has multiple highlights including homes, townhouses, apartments, shops, restaurants and sporting facilities.
The reason as to why building an artificial wave is simple. On either side of the spectrum, there is a sure answer to the question. Imagine a perfect paradise with crystal blue skies with offshore winds sending four-to-five-foot A-frames right to your home break. Ah, the ultimate surfers dream. The problem? This is every surfers dream and as you throw on your dry fit board shorts and paddle out, you are greeted with thousands of other like-minded individuals that are going after the same exact wave. Not to mention, when nature doesn’t play its course and you are then greeted with flat spells and stormy seas.
This is where the wave pool comes into play. The Madison Estate circular design guarantees a flawless ride that can be put on repeat day after day. The astonishing science behind this project is a ten-year plan that has brought viewers to a jaw drop. The technology behind this concept is mind-boggling; to create Earth's most prized possession: an open stand up barrel. As mentioned previously, wave pools are nothing new, but a wave with this magnitude and perfection is a dream to many.
As for the future of surfing, this is just a baby step in the evolution of the sport. The Center for Surf Research at San Diego State has hosted numerous events and studies on the topics of surf resorts and attractiveness it brings to the tourism industry, which essentially is what Slater has tapped in to. There has been much discussion of just how big surfing can become with thoughts of making it to the Olympic games.
When asked about the thought, did not hold back when stating, "The world’s first inland continuous wave may reduce the gap between surfing and the Olympic Games, too.” Through creation of an artificial wave with the capacity to deliver real life stoke, the possibilities for bigger surf and deeper barrels are what will be on the radar next.
