Jess Ponting is co-founder and the current CEO of Surf Park Central which hosts the annual global surf park industry conference – Surf Park Summit. He is also the Director of the Center for Surf Research and Managing Director of STOKE, a sustainability initiative.
In this conversation, we explore changing surf culture, including the growing acceptance of wave pools among ocean surfers and the increasing use of surf parks as substitutes for traditional surf trips. Jess Ponting highlights the potential for wave pools to introduce surfing to new communities while teaching etiquette, heritage, and environmental responsibility. We also get a sneak peek at what’s on tap at this year’s Surf Park Summit September 1-3 at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach.
