Welcome to 2022 in the surf park industry. We are revving up for an incredible year in the world of surf, and inland surf in particular with new surf park industry trends emerging. Endless Surf embarked on this journey a little over a year and a half ago and we’re poised to take some huge steps this year. The outlook for 2022? Well, with multiple projects in construction across the world, let’s just say our excitement is reaching fever pitch. We’re also seeing some major trends emerge and will continue to drive the way in which surf park projects are developed. Keep on reading to see these trends, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
As we turn the page on 2021, we must say that it was a massive year for surfing. This can mainly be attributed to the sport making its debut in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo after being postponed a year. Depending on your standards, the waves proved to be, well… underwhelming at times. But, the point is that surfers from around the world gathered to represent not only their country, but the sport of surfing on the global stage. That’s fantastic news for the surf park, industry because the demand and aspiration for surfing is now higher than ever. Plus, surf parks may even be a part of the future of Olympic Surfing. No matter what side of the debate you fall on, athletes will almost certainly train within surf lagoons, whether the competition is held in the ocean of within a pool.
Not only was 2021 great on the large scale. At Endless Surf specifically, we’re thrilled with the last year we had and how it prepared us for 2022
Upcoming Projects
With more additions to our growing list of officially announced projects, there’s a lot to be excited about for 2022 and beyond. Most notably, Surftown MUC announced development plans in Germany, and The Club at Parkwood Village started is gearing up for the addition of an Endless Surf wave pool into their new surf and golf resort on Australia’s Gold Coast. NorthBreak Port Douglas, also released their plans for their $300M resort development in Far North Queensland… and its nothing short of gorgeous. Keep an eye out on these projects specifically in 2022, plus a few others in undisclosed locations – they’ll probably catch you by surprise.
A stacked team
We brought on some major talent in 2021. Baptiste Caulonque, Chief Commercial Officer joined the team halfway through the year, bringing his expertise from his years overseeing and consulting on many mixed-use development projects and his many years as GM of Rip Curl Europe. Additionally, we brought on Andrew Thatcher, VP of Business Development, who is a long-time veteran in the artificial wave and surf park industry space from his 20+ years at FlowRider. And finally, Axel Terradillos, one of brightest young mind in the industry, joined the team full time as a Wave Engineer following his time as an intern. All lifelong surfers, we are thrilled to bring on even more passion for surfing to our stacked team that will propel us into the new year. (Learn more about our whole team)
Helping Surf Parks Succeed
If 2021 gave us only one takeaway, it’s that the surf park industry continues to grow rapidly and that as wave technologies providers, we must be at the forefront of tech innovations that improve operations for our venues. With all the efforts that go into creating a successful surf destination, we understand the challenges and that’s why we’re committed to offering a technology that benefits all around surf park success. From expert venue design services, to lowering the total cost of ownership for our wave tech, to offering a built-in Software Suite that ties all components of the surf experience, we’re committed to lead the charge in bettering our industry for our both our clients and their consumers.
Surf Park Industry Trends for 2022
We’re already noticing some key surf park industry trends emerging, and we anticipate that these will only grow in the next year:
1. Sustainability Innovations
A pressing topic across all industries and areas of life, sustainability is particularly relevant for the surf park space because of our connection, as surfers, to the ocean. We see the need for developers to keep in mind their total carbon footprint, including everything from the impacts of construction to the ongoing impacts of operating. (Check out what we are doing to minimize the impact of our tech)
2. Improving the surf experience
No longer is the spotlight on total number of waves or waves per hour. Certainly, this is an important metric to consider, however, surfers are after waves that will give them quality sessions based on their skill level. That mean venues should focus on flexible wave creation, wave intervals, and the ability to operate the pool in different configurations.
3. Emerging markets
Surf lagoons are proving to fit within a range of developments. Hotels/Resorts, Sports Parks, Mountain Resorts, Golf Resorts, Mixed-Use Retail Venues etc. are all examples of markets where the potential for surf pools are being recognized. Not only that, but we anticipate more and more money to start to be invested in developments, and the surf park industry in general, as institutions and investors recognize the value of this asset class.
