At the close of 2025, the surf world celebrated the 10th anniversary of Kelly Slater’s viral wave pool clip and product launch. For many, that’s when wave pools specific to surfing began. But it isn’t. Some companies have been around for decades, producing waves, from Whitewater to ADG and beyond. Wavegarden recently posted on social media that they have been at it for 20 years now.
Dial back the YouTube viral clip machine to 2010 and the pixelated images of CT pros ripping knee-high peelers with Gabe Medina, Mick Fanning, and even albatross Owen Wright making quick work of the little waves.
With this clip, the company unknowingly launched our collective meditation on wave pool possibilities. And while this early plow design admittedly had its limits when compared to today’s offerings, it created enough momentum to carry Wavegarden and the rest of the world forward into the surf park space as we know it today.
The company told WavePoolMag that the idea germinated in 2005 when Basque engineer Josema Odriozola and German economist Karin Frisch decided to combine their passion for surfing with their knowledge in sports facility design. The epiphany came while overlooking the Zurriola Beach in San Sebastián, when they realized that the ultimate sports facility is simply a beach with perfect waves. From then on they set out to create a wave generation technology capable of recreating this space.
In the last two decades, we wondered how many different designs were dreampt, pencilled out and tested as well as how it all came together for Josema and Karin, so we spoke with the company to find out.
What were your first design ideas?
When we traveled to ISPO in Munich in 1999, we saw and tested a portable static (standing) wave, but we weren’t convinced, as it didn’t resemble an ocean wave. From a technical standpoint, Josema was convinced it could be done better, and in a way that could be profitable. Being a mechanical engineer and a passionate surfer, he began to observe ocean waves with fresh eyes, thinking of potential systems to recreate them.
Between 2006 and 2007, Josema, together with two colleagues, designed and built the first circular and linear prototypes. It wasn’t until 2008-2009 that they managed to build a larger-scale prototype in the Basque mountains, successfully creating the first surfable waves. It required the creation of various prototypes to finally achieve surfable waves.
What did you discover with the circular design and other early experiments?
During the first few years of experimentation, we explored various approaches to wave making, including both pneumatic and electromechanical systems. We quickly realized that electro-mechanical systems provide far more precise control over wave profiles and are a much more energy-efficient solution. So once the decision to focus on electromechanical systems was taken, we then started to experiment with both linear and circular prototypes. The circular design allowed us to learn a great deal, especially in terms of hydrodynamics and water movement control. This method of wave creation generated uncontrollable currents and so reduced the number of high-quality waves that could be created in sequence.
That phase was fundamental to understanding the limits and potential of each typology. Beyond specific results, it allowed us to define the principles that should guide the future development of the technology. One of the key learnings came with the bidirectional wavefoil systems. They proved to us that it was possible to work towards a more commercially viable solution, capable of increasing the number of waves per hour without sacrificing quality. Finding that balance between frequency, consistency, and the surfing experience was decisive.
You didn’t have a lot of funding at that time. Can you give us a picture of how all the experimenting in wave designs happened?
The early years were intense and filled with uncertainty. We didn’t know for sure if it would work, nor did we have significant financial resources. Between 2006 and 2008, along with two colleagues who believed in our idea, we moved inland within our region and started building prototypes in a very artisanal way. This is how the idea of the bidirectional system was born, which displaced water using, for example, a tractor as the driving force. It was a very rudimentary environment, but it allowed us to see the first real waves: waves of approximately half a meter that, although small, began to show interesting potential. We invited professional surfers to test them, and their feedback was key to keeping our commitment to the project and securing our first grants.
Between 2010 and 2012 we took a significant leap, developing a prototype capable of generating waves up to 1.5 meters high, with rides of about 20 seconds, breaking both left and right. That moment was decisive: it confirmed that the technology could be scaled and had commercial viability. Thus, the Wavegarden Lagoon was born. However, we soon realized we needed to keep researching to offer the market a solution capable of generating more waves per hour to create facilities that were truly viable from a business perspective. We also noticed the Lagoon technology had limitations regarding capacity and flexibility, specifically the ability to generate different types of waves and change them quickly to suit each surfer’s profile, or to generate waves for experts and beginners simultaneously. That realization is what eventually led to the birth of the Wavegarden Cove.
Did you ever envisage having multiple wave pools across several continents 20 years later?
This has always been our ambition: for every major city in the world to have a Wavegarden. And when we speak of a Wavegarden, we refer to something more than just a surf pool. We have always aimed to transplant the surf beach lifestyle to other places, creating spaces where different generations can play sports, lead an active lifestyle, eat well, relax, and share quality time. Above all, we wanted to bring surfing to places where there are no waves. Seeing facilities operating today in Latin America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and the United States, receiving an average of 250,000 visitors per year, gives us enormous satisfaction. And even so, we feel like the journey has only just begun.
Can you share some lessons you’ve learned on this journey?
We have learned many things, but there are a few lessons we would highlight specifically. Real innovation requires time, space, and resources to validate hypotheses. That is why we have always prioritized investing in our demo center, the Wavegarden Lab, to test not only the waves at full scale but also civil works, architecture, beaches, lighting, and water treatment, among other aspects. With the opening of every facility, we learn something new, which is why we never stop innovating and improving our technologies and services. Another fundamental lesson is that the best technology, on its own, is not enough. A surf park is a complex ecosystem where excellence in daily operations, user experience, safety, technological efficiency, and sustainability are just as important as the engineering. We will never stop being deeply grateful to our first clients, such as Surf Snowdonia, NLand, URBNSURF and The Wave, who trusted us when there were still no clear references in the market. Their trust was decisive in getting us here, and seeing them repeat their investment by developing new surf parks today is something that fills us with pride and confidence.
As the surf park space proliferates, what is next for Wavegarden?
We are in a particularly exciting moment. Shortly, in addition to improvements to the Wavegarden Cove, we will officially present a second technology, which we believe will set a new precedent in the sector. We have also developed new lagoon shore designs with a more organic and natural aesthetic, better connected to the environment, and with greater possibilities for integration with complementary projects like hotels, real estate, or leisure spaces. We are very excited to reveal that the first public facility to be owned and operated by Wavegarden is already under construction in the south of Spain, and it will become a showroom for this technological and design evolution.
Our responsibility is to continue innovating sustainably. That has always been our vocation, and it will continue to be so in the coming years.
Editor’s Note: Text has been removed from some answers for brevity and to ensure editorial clarity.
