Surf Park Sharks returns to Summit 2026 as one of the event’s most electric, high-stakes, can’t-miss main-stage moments. Watch this Shark Tank-style showdown unfold, and get a look at the next big surf park project before it hits the market.
According to the Surf Park Summit press release, three teams of emerging surf park developers pitch their groundbreaking projects to a live panel of the industry’s top surf park investors and operators from around the world. The teams are aiming to secure marketing benefits, sponsorship, and future funding.
2026 Surf Park Sharks Finalists at Surf Park Summit Are:
IDA Surf Park
Boise, Idaho · 6-Acre Wave Basin · Raising $15M
Bringing a six-acre wave basin to Boise’s Treasure Valley — one of the fastest-growing metros in the country with no flagship recreation anchor of its own. With $70M in Phase 1 funding underway and projected $77.9M in annual regional economic activity, this is a rare shot at getting in on a market ready to keep its recreation dollars home. Brandon Watson, the project’s founder, will showcase the project.
Hidden Lake Surf Resort
Buckeye, Arizona · 120 Acres · Entitlements Approved
Hidden Lake Surf Resort is building a 120-acre destination around an existing 60-acre private lake just 40 minutes from Phoenix, adding a surf lagoon, resort hotel, beach club, and marina to the waterfront that’s already there. With entitlements approved, decades of institutional real estate and hospitality experience behind it, and 5 million residents within 90 minutes, this is a rare case where the water itself, not just the wave, is the story. Drew Boyles, a project partner and the former mayor of El Segundo, will speak about the project.
Molaya Bay Resort & Residences
Lidice, Panama · 22+ Acres · Endless Surf Lagoon · Phase 1 Seeking $61M
Molaya Bay Resort & Residences is bringing Latin America’s first mountain surf lagoon to Panama, pairing an Endless Surf lagoon with a 111-key Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, branded residences, and a members’ clubhouse on 22+ acres. With a signed Marriott franchise agreement, a 15 MWp solar plant cutting energy costs, and 26 confirmed pre-reservations already in hand, this is first-mover positioning in Central America backed by a revenue stack that doesn’t depend on the lagoon alone. Daniel P. McDonough, the project’s founder and CEO, will represent the project.
Cleora
Salida, Colorado · 3D Printed Community with 106 Lots · Civil Work is 100% Complete
Where modern living meets mountain spirit. Cleora is a 3D-printed community on the Arkansas River in Chaffee County, developed by True North — and its master plan now carries a full-scale standing wave with amenities at its centre, on a dedicated block off Main Street. The site is fully entitled and shovel ready: civil work is 100% complete, the Metro District is formed, and vertical construction is already underway across 106 lots and 172 doors. Salida sits on one of the most popular commercial rafting stretches in North America, with an established river-surf culture and the highest density of 14ers in Colorado. Co-founders Greg Kenny and Clint Haynes will present the project.
Meet the Semi-Finalists
Molaya Bay Resort & Residence
Lidice, Panama · ES36X Endless Surf lagoon · 22+ acre project
Latin America’s first mountain surf lagoon resort and residences — a US$147M master-planned community. The 22+ acre project pairs a 2.8-acre ES36X Endless Surf lagoon with a 111-key Tribute Portfolio by Marriott hotel, 150 branded condos, and 134 managed units, 34 miles from Tocumen International Airport. A hurricane-free climate supports 365-day operations, and a 15 MWp solar plant powers the site and sells excess power through PPAs.
Smoky Mountains Surf Co.
Knoxville, Tennessee · Standing Wave · First project of its kind in the Eastern U.S.
Build a surf, play, and eat destination around a smaller-footprint pool — the whole day out, on a fraction of the land. The project is planned to be part of Prosperity Crossing, a 260-acre mixed-use development that blends regional sports, medical and performance centers, retail, dining, entertainment, and residential offerings.
Boston Surf Supply
Greater Boston, Massachusetts · Small Footprint Retrofit · Standing Wave
The wildcard of this year’s field, and proof that surf-anchored development does not have to mean acreage or greenfield. Boston Surf Supply is an indoor, year-round surf venue retrofitted into a compact urban building — surf, food, community, 365 days a year — in a dense, high-income market of more than four million residents with no comparable indoor surf destination. The operating model runs 26 sessions a day across 350 days, blending surf with memberships and programming, food and beverage, rentals, retail, and events. Most modeled revenue comes from memberships and ancillary spend rather than session sales.
The Knot – Rock N Roll District
Gainesville, Florida · 5.2 Acres · Standing Wave
Rock N Roll District is bringing a multi-sport action hub to Gainesville, Florida, anchoring climbing, skating, and a standing wave just minutes from the University of Florida. With a 5.2-acre site under contract, adaptive reuse in motion, and the team’s existing Knot climbing gym already proving the local demand, this is surf as one piece of a bigger, de-risked bet rather than a standalone gamble.
Learn More About this year’s Sharks
Meet the Panel
The 2026 panel covers the full arc of a surf park deal: the capital stack, the design and engineering, and the operating reality after opening day.
Tom Hudak
Vice President, Investments · EPR Properties
Tom Hudak is Vice President of Investments at EPR Properties, a leading real estate investment trust, where he oversees the company’s existing entertainment and retail assets and pursues theatre and retail real estate acquisitions nationwide. Before joining EPR, Tom was Vice President of Real Estate at AMC Theatres, responsible for new theatre site selection across the United States.
Josh Martin
President & Creative Director · Martin Aquatic
Josh Martin is President & Creative Director of Martin Aquatic, where he leads the executive management of the firm while casting its overall creative vision and directing the work of its design studio. In that dual role, he helps clients envision aquatic projects through renderings and concept models, leading master plans that translate the groundwork laid by architects and planners into engaging, constructible realities. With an MBA from Rollins College and more than a decade of project experience, Josh has built a portfolio spanning resort amenities, water parks, cruise ship facilities, themed entertainment experiences, and complex water features.
Andrew Ross
Chairman & Chief Development Officer · Aventuur
Andrew Ross is Chairman & Chief Development Officer at Aventuur, a global surf park development firm, where he focuses on developing large-scale, integrated recreation and leisure destinations built around a surf park as the central feature of the ecosystem. Before Aventuur, he was Founder and CEO of URBNSURF Group, leading the development of URBNSURF Melbourne, the first surf park in the Southern Hemisphere, and prior to that served as Managing Director of two international energy companies.
Orion Corcilius
Managing Partner at Vandever Capital, the debt lender behind Waco Surf
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience and collaboration across different facets of the real estate industry, Orion Corcilius has a proven track record in market intelligence, acquisitions, development, operations, asset management, financial modeling and capital markets. While versed in all commercial real estate asset classes, he has notable expertise in hospitality, residential, and mixed-used developments, having worked globally on projects ranging from $1 million to $4 billion in value.
