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Wave Pool Mag

Podcasts

Veteran surf journalist Bryan Dickerson turns the mic to those at the center of the wave pool universe as WavePoolMag shines a light on the engineers, entrepreneurs, pros and the hand-picked few who have a wave pool story to tell. The questions are pointed and the answers range from the sublime to the illuminating, hitting all flashpoints in between. Dig in to hear from the minds designing, building and surfing the world’s wave pools.

Location:

Portugal

Genres:

Podcasts

Description:

Veteran surf journalist Bryan Dickerson turns the mic to those at the center of the wave pool universe as WavePoolMag shines a light on the engineers, entrepreneurs, pros and the hand-picked few who have a wave pool story to tell. The questions are pointed and the answers range from the sublime to the illuminating, hitting all flashpoints in between. Dig in to hear from the minds designing, building and surfing the world’s wave pools.

Twitter:

@SurfHi123

Language:

English


Episodes

AI video capture of your sessions with Luke Wallace of FLowstate

3/4/2024
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.

Duration:00:46:10

Beyond The Wave – The Nick Hounsfield Interview

2/13/2024
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 explore the current state of the wave pool space and, of course, Nick's excitement for the future.

Duration:00:42:12

Matt Hyslop on feasibility studies for new surf venues

1/28/2024
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 business models that work. Matt also talks about those red flags that can arise during the development of a wave pool project.

Duration:00:42:30

The backstory to Wave Park South Korea and its effects on K-Surf

12/15/2023
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 groundbreaking surf destination. Join us for an enlightening discussion on the multifaceted process of bringing Wave Park to life

Duration:00:32:03

Surf Park Summit achievements with Chris Kluesener

12/5/2023
In this podcast our guest Chris Kluesener sights on the wave pool space through the Surf Park Summit lens. We touch on the newness of the uniqueness of the industry and why his company’s annual gathering continues to connect people and grow. Chris quips that the real estate industry is bustling with 4 or 5 trade associations yes, “Is it really that hard to build a house? Wave pools are much more complicated and to date we have zero trade associations.” Take the industry’s pulse with Chris and I as Surf Park Summit gets set to return September 30 - October 2, 2024. You can sign up for thier newsletter right here.

Duration:00:28:01

Barton Lynch on wave pools, their potential and oh so much more

11/15/2023
In our latest episode we catch up with 1988 world champ Barton Lynch who many of us know as the live wire WSL commentator. From our side of this interview we relished hearing an unbridled Barton expanding his thoughts beyond the WSL broadcast two-minute cap as he shares his insights into the early days of the pro tour and how that generation had to scrap hard to make the pro tour dream happen. And while he also talks about his new video game, the ongoing BL Blastoff grom comp and a few other side bites, the heart of the conversation is, of course, wave pools. From the early Allentown ASP days to his relationship with Surf Lakes to how Kelly Slater has created the only place in the world where surfers mentally will their friends to totally blow a wave.

Duration:00:59:03

How to manage a wave pool with URBNSURF’s Shaun Hutchinson

11/2/2023
Shaun Hutchinson is Group Operations Manager at Urbnsurf. Most of the day he’s tucked back in the office redlining in the tasks department, but we coaxed him out long enough to do a podcast. During our half hour conversation we learned just how complex and layered managing a surf park is.

Duration:00:36:41

Hazel Geary – CEO at The Wave, Bristol

10/17/2023
We returned live to the middle of a sheep paddock in bucolic Easter Compton to check in with the new CEO at The Wave, Hazel Geary. In this podcast we explore the similarities and differences between the Leisure, Beauty and Well-being Industries and Surf Parks. Are we really that different? Yes and No. Hazel digs in with a fresh level of sophistication gleaned from years in the fitness industry. In the process we discover many nuanced learnings that our wave pool industry can benefit from.

Duration:00:32:20

Find out how Flowstate uses AI to enhance the surf park user experience

10/4/2023
How does one go about training a machine to recognise each and every individual surfer? Flowstate have created an AI powered capture system that records each guest’s surf experience. And the amazing thing is that it works without RFID wristbands or board stickers. In this podcast we dig in and learn how Chris, Mike and the crew at Flowstate have built a system that recognises those minute nuances that separate and define us each individually as surfers. By developing this “style fingerprint” Flowstate have created a system that provides surf park guests with keepsake video clips of their wave pool sessions. Dig into the podcast to learn how Flowstate do what many consider to be an impossible task.

Duration:00:27:06

In the surf park trenches – Matt Gunn of SwellMFG

8/27/2023
Revel Surf park is the wave pool powered by Swell MFG. It is the focal point of the 37-acre mixed-use development at Cannon Beach in Mesa, Arizona. In this episode, we have a wonderfully frank discussion with Matt Gunn, who along with his partner, built this wave technology. The journey one takes from obsessing on, and then building a new technology is not for the faint of heart. Matt shares fascinating stories of real-world R&D failures, triumphs and flat-out stoke as his crew prepares to open up to the public in Spring 2024.

Duration:00:43:37

And just how is the wave pool space evolving? Surf Park Summit returns

8/13/2023
In this episode, we have a lively chat with the always-on-point Dr. Jess Ponting Jess is one of the brains behind Surf Park Summit, the annual wave pool dreamer, doer and developer convention. The Summit runs September 18-20 in San Diego, California.

Duration:00:41:39

Just around the corner: Scotland’s first surf park with Andy Hadden

7/24/2023
Many of the surf parks scheduled to open soon have been in the works for nearly a decade or more. Their architects are the original crop of dreamers and doers - the devout wave poolers in a long-term relationship with artificial wave technology. Andy Hadden wed the wave pool dream back in 2013 and is now eyeing the completion of Lost Shore Surf Resort, a 52-module Wavegarden Cove near Edinburgh. Despite the global ebbs and flows experienced by everyone these past few years, the project is marching toward a completion date of September 2024. “We were relying heavily on this becoming an Olympic sport,” said Andy. “I think that was something that most of us could see coming. But still, you know, it's a bet. You could call it that. We had to go through two major planning applications, which is something that, you know, all the developers have to go through. So that meant knowing locally exactly how to navigate those choppy waters. And then fundamentally, you have to raise a heck of a lot of money and then you have to have the aptitude and desire to run one. So there's definitely a reason that surf parks aren't more numerous today. There are definitely going to be more later. You know everyone that's built a wave pool is wanting to build another one - I think that speaks volumes.”

Duration:00:36:22

Atlanta’s first surf park has a unique approach

7/23/2023
The “City in a Forest” is well-known as the filming location for “The Walking Dead,” music stars like Ludacris and Usher, horrendous traffic and a major launch point for the Civil Rights movement. And now, it might become known as the home to Georgia’s first wave pool. Spencer Broome and crew are driving the concept of Surf ATL, a wave pool with a broader vision of inclusivity and return. In this episode, Spencer explains why the most successful surf park is the one that satisfies both investors and the local community.

Duration:00:40:16

Atlanta's first surf park has a unique approach

7/12/2023
The “City in a Forest” is well-known as the filming location for "The Walking Dead," music stars like Ludacris and Usher, horrendous traffic and a major launch point for the Civil Rights movement. And now, it might become known as the home to Georgia’s first wave pool. Spencer Broome and crew are driving the concept of Surf ATL, a wave pool with a broader vision of inclusivity and return. In this episode, Spencer explains why the most successful surf park is the one that satisfies both investors and the local community.

Duration:00:40:16

Dave & Mike tell how they became owners of their own surf park

6/19/2023
Dave Taylor and Mike Schwaab own Waco Surf, the Sputnik of surf parks in America. The facility launched in the early days of the wave pool race has since gone through many changes. Enter DT and Mike, two average guys who worked incessantly to fulfill their dream of owning a wave pool. Here is how it all happened.

Duration:00:36:52

Ikaika and Greg from The Lineup at Wai Kai address the challenges of running a wave pool in Hawaii

6/1/2023
The Lineup at Wai Kai is unique in the wave pool world. To make a chlorinated rapid wave work in the birthplace of surfing is a tall order. Getting a skeptical community to support that project might take even more skill and moxie. But since opening this year, the world’s largest rapid wave has integrated into the community here on the West Side of Oahu. How? In this episode we speak with Ikaika Kaulukukui and Greg Champion who, along with many others, have worked tirelessly to ensure that this wave contributes to the local community in a variety of ways and ultimately finds a place of belonging in Wai Kai.

Duration:00:37:24

Ander Wynne-Edwards walks us through the entire wave pool building process

5/6/2023
Ander Wynne-Edwards is the Director of Operations at Endless Surf. He’s worked for Whitewater West for the past two decades building and commissioning large-scale wave pools – pneumatic wave pools in particular. In this episode, he walks us through everything that goes on in the time between a project breaking ground and rolling out the first set of waves. Ander also divulges what kind of things make a job go smoothly and conversely, some of those challenges posed in this unique project niche.

Duration:00:36:41

Editor-in-chief at STAB Brendan Buckley

4/17/2023
What is the premiere surf platform's take on wave pools? In this episode, we gather insight into the wave pool scene from the editor-in-chief at STAB Brendan Buckley. While we normally talk to wave makers and doers, Buck’s contribution to the wave pool discourse is on the culture, that unique confluence of salt and pool water. We hit on how ocean surfing is already changing due to the availability of wave pools as well as touching on points where the romance between the two is thwarted.

Duration:00:44:29

Blake Hess – The ultimate surf park manager

3/28/2023
Blake Hess is a rare individual in that he is one of only a handful of people who know how to run, manage and develop a surf park. In the few years that wave pools 2.0 have been a thing, Blake has been deeply involved. He helped bring NLand online its first and only year and then he moved on and managed the lucrative ins-and-outs at Kelly’s. Now he is guiding three new American projects as they come on line. In this podcast Blake shares with us what happened at NLand, why Eddie Vedder is a great guest and where America’s next wave pool will be.

Duration:00:43:01

Jess Ponting dishes all those little details that explain why this space is limitless

3/12/2023
Dr. Jess Ponting joins us to touch on several projects and points including Stoke Certification, Surf Park Summit, the new Consumer Trends Report and more. But the heart of the convo comes during his big-picture view of surfing. “People aren't used to thinking about a surf park as a legitimate recreation facility in a community," he says. "And there's, you know, a certain cultural cringe about the frivolity of surfing and how could we possibly allocate resources to something as frivolous as surfing? And the answer is because surfing is really good for people and it can be a real economic driver for communities and it doesn't have to be a drain on environmental resources.”

Duration:00:49:08