To remind the world we have a thriving YouTube platform we carved out a list. We stayed away from click-bait headlines like “Baby Panda Loves Wave Pool” and shied away from tricks like using a screengrab of a bikini slip to promo something about wave pool SUP fails. No. Instead, we are simply showcasing the clips that excited us most and piqued our curiosity about wave pool surfing. So here are the Top 5 most popular videos of the year from the WavePoolMag video channel on YouTube.

Surf Lakes – 20K

We were as smitten as the rest of the world when Surf Lakes aired the first footage of “the big-ass plunger that could.” Our description was simple, “Find out how the new Australian wave pool system works as we take a drone view above the new Surf Lakes 5 Waves facility in Yeppoon Queensland.” We were curious. The world was curious. Yes, it’s a giant plunger and yes we now think of plungers in a whole new way.

Google Earth Stoke – 6.4K

A quick run-through Google Earth, after plugging into a handful of the world’s most photogenic wave pools gifted us a peek of what our fun zones look like from space. From Kelly’s to Wadi Adventure we orbited the new and the old in the wave pool world.

Bristol Construction 3.9K

OK. The WavePoolMag audience is a bit geeky. I mean, are there any humans older than seven who actively seek out video clips of piles of dirt and bulldozers? Apparently, we do if it involves the construction of a wave pool. Here we celebrate our collective Bob The Builder vibe with a drone flyover of The Wave in Bristol two months before launch date.

Compare the Surf at 5 Different Wave Pools – 2.5K views

Just for fun last year we decided to check the difference in shape and speed between BSR Surf Resort, Kelly’s Wave, Snowdonia, Surf Lakes and Wavegarden’s Cove set up. We did this based on the science of “just having a quick look.” What did we learn? They are all very different waves suited to different types of surfers. All are incredibly fun. Stay tuned for the coming up 8-wave comparison.

Blair Conklin is Catlike! 1.3K

We busted out the famous clip of those two guys who make cat noises for two reasons. One, because we could loosely tie the narrative thread to Blair Conklin’s quick, cat-like reflexes and two because it’s just a bizarre thing to witness. Enjoy this slow-motion study of Skimboard champ Blair Conklin’s A-Game in the wave pool at BSR Surf Ranch.