This week, press outlets picked up news of a land purchase that could result in the first Los Angeles wave pool. Toba Capital acquired a 9-acre parcel in El Segundo, California, for $54 million. El Segundo shares its northern border with Los Angeles International Airport. The potential surf park site is located adjacent to a development that houses the Los Angeles Chargers’ new headquarters and training facility.
According to the news outlet CoStar, the site was purchased by Toba Capital, a company owned by Vinny Smith, a major investor in the Palm Springs Surf Club. Smith joined PSSC after rising COVID-related and construction costs impacted earlier investors.
Smith is also involved in the team developing the Ocean Kamp surf park in Oceanside. While not confirmed, speculation suggests that Ocean Kamp may use Surf Loch technology. Cheyne Magnusson, who developed and programmed many of the waves at Palm Springs Surf Club, was part of the project early on (you can listen to a podcast with Cheyne at this link). He recently transitioned to work with wave technology company Endless Surf, the tech behind the Munich wave pool and several other projects. No specific wave technology has been announced yet for the El Segundo project.
The El Segundo site was originally part of a larger 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development known as Impact at Nash. Once regulatory and logistical hurdles are cleared, the surf park is expected to include hospitality, retail, and residential components.
The broader surf park landscape will gain more clarity once Ocean Kamp officially opens. While URBNSURF is currently the only company to brand and build two wave pools, it remains to be seen whether Toba Capital will follow a similar path. If and when the El Segundo project is completed, it would mark the surf park industry’s first trifecta.
For surfers purchasing repeated sessions and spending money so close to Los Angeles’ notoriously fickle South Bay breaks, it would bring new meaning to a Tribe Called Quests’ song, “I left my wallet in El Segunndo.”
