December 18th, 2015 and Kelly unveiled his wave to the world. It was, for all intents and purposes, the first world-class surf pool wave beyond the by-then-defunct Ocean Dome in Japan. We were treated to a brown reeling right that churned along a tarp-lined dirt bank, simultaneously perfect and aesthetically off-putting – a world away from today’s transparent aqua peaks of, say, Munich.
What’s been glossed over on this 10th anniversary is the amount of work involved on the path of technological betterment, improvement and ultimately business success. We will read on surf platforms that Kelly’s Wave was perfect from Day 1. But it wasn’t. The narrative leaves out the most important theme in the wave pool space: the constant tweaks and improvements necessary to make each tech system as good as it is today.
Junkyard of Dreams
So much credit has to go to Wavegarden. When their first foil design appeared on digital surf platforms with pixelated clips of Bobby Martinez and Mick Fanning absolutely ripping thigh-high muddy lefts (again along a tarp-lined bank) the world was offered the fantasy of limitless surf potential – anywhere at anytime.
While Wavegarden’s first foil plow excited the world, it followed its Jurassic brethren (Surf Poel and Xing Feng systems) into the dirt. The surf park landscape is littered with designs that didn’t last, and of the four patented plow systems of 10 years ago, Kelly’s is the only one to survive. Why?
We must remember that this was a test facility first, and a commercial operation later. Over the years, the wave technology design has evolved thanks to people like Adam Fincham and Alex Poirot click here for the podcast, and millions of dollars more in investment.
While the other techs gave up on the plow design for any number of reasons, including low wave frequency, single point of failure, etc. the Kelly Slater Wave Co kept pumping money and research into the design. And it worked.
The tarp was replaced with short bays to absorb the wave shock and keep the turbidity of the water low. Abu Dhabi and its design now includes a “W” shapedreef so beginners can benefit from all that expert-level wave energy. And most importantly, now, the plow is bidirectional, producing both rights and lefts.
Premium Waves for a Premium Price at a Premium Venue that Smells Like Cows
In perfume and clothing ads featuring smiling, happy models, the product cost tends to be lower. (Think H&M vs Gucci) Conversely, the bored-with-it-all stoicism of haute couture demands a premium price point. At an estimated daily hire rate of $85K during peak season, The Surf Ranch is definitely the fussy model type.
According to sources, this covers a full-day rental, accommodations for 20 guests, site tour, concierge, video, advisors, equipment, high-end cuisine, and 120 waves (one $700 wave every four minutes for eight hours), May through October. And for an extra $25K you can have a four-hour night surf tacked on.
That’s not a lot of waves. And it is the antithesis of many surf park business models.
“Unfortunately, the KSWC was obsolete the day it was unveiled,” Skip Taylor, a partner of Surf Park Management told WavePoolMag. “Although the KSWC was a dream wave to ride, it was clearly not commercially viable for a public surf park setting.”
Kelly’s does everything “wrong” but how can it remain in the black? Deft, high-end, exclusivity marketing with a heavy dose of Kelly Slater magic.
Marketing does wonders. The out-of-the-way location halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles isn’t a “long ass drive to California’s factory farm belt,” it’s an “experience destination to bucolic America” complete with rustic tractor logo. Sunshine Makarow at the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California.
Much of the high-end-ification was done at the hands of Blake Hess you can here that podcast here and has served to etch out the blueprints for premium user experiences at surf parks globally. At Kelly’s, you can expect an on-site chef, custom airstream trailers, and a fleet of Firewire boards for guests. This class act has and will be adopted by sister sites Surf Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Austin Surf Club.
The Surf Ranch is not really public. It operates on a semi-private level; you have to know someone to get access. So, it is the opposite of today’s flourishing surf parks like Munich and Sydney, which work on the premise of attracting the Largest Audience Possible.
We’re not hating on Kelly’s here. It’s just a different wave pool thing when compared to other surf parks, like an orange in a basket of apples. And thanks to Kelly’s belief and commitment to a design where others failed, Lemoore is on the map.
The offerings available today from Wavegarden, Endless Surf, Surf Loch, PerfectSwell and SwellMFG are fantastic. And the list of technologies in the wings, Olas Tech, WaveSEG, and others, means we will all benefit as surfers and investors watch the space mature and companies match the best business models with their products.
So on this 10th anniversary, we remember not just the stoke on Kelly’s face and the hoots as he tears into the brown offshore rights but the idea that, yes we can build a wave pool that makes epic surf, but you have to put in the work to make it, well, work. Thank you, Kelly Slater.
