WAVEGARDEN SCOTLAND

WAVEGARDEN SCOTLAND

Wavegarden Scotland, the company which will develop Scotland’s first artificial surf park, today officially received planning permission to redevelop Craigpark Quarry near Ratho, Edinburgh into a world-class surfing and family friendly destination from the City of Edinburgh Council.

Wavegarden Scotland is a first for the country and will now transform the disused Craigpark Quarry near Ratho into a world-class visitor attraction. Work will begin on site over the coming months and the facility is expected to be open to the public in late Spring 2021.

The newest addition to Scotland’s leisure industry, Wavegarden Scotland will bring long term socio-economic, recreational and tourism benefits to the local community of Ratho.

Including up to £500,000 worth of financial contributions to community facilities and infrastructure through a planning obligations agreement. Alongside this, Wavegarden Scotland expects to create up to 130 jobs and generate up to £11m for the local economy every year.

Wavegarden Scotland has committed to deliver a footbridge over the Union Canal to improve links with its next-door neighbour, the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, another huge step in creating the ultimate adventure hub for visitors.

The facility will deliver many benefits for the local community and for Scotland by offering world-class adventure leisure amenities alongside a wonderful country park, for walkers, runners and cyclists to enjoy. Wavegarden Scotland have been working closely with the public sector over recent months to ensure the bridge is of benefit to Scottish Canals, the EICA and the general public, and importantly it will connect the EICA and Wavegarden Scotland site directly. This will create an overall destination for outdoor sports that will rival anywhere in Europe.

The proposal, to which the Council gave its support in April 2018, received overwhelmingly positive feedback from a public consultation event held to update the local community last month.

Andy Hadden, the co-founder of Tartan Leisure Ltd which is developing Wavegarden Scotland said:

“We are delighted that Wavegarden Scotland has been approved and we can now start work on site to create this wonderful addition to Scotland’s sporting and leisure scene. We know that this facility will deliver many benefits for the local community and for Scotland.

“It will be a fantastic destination for locals and tourists alike and Wavegarden Scotland will offer an amazing opportunity to nurture surfing and sporting talent in this country. We already have some the world’s best waves in Scotland and the scene is growing, with some great young talent coming through the ranks. Wavegarden Scotland will play a key role in encouraging and developing future Scottish surfers and putting this fantastic sport in the spotlight.

“We have a number of announcements lined up in coming months that will show our commitment to local business, sport and philanthropy. These announcements will help cement our case for this to be a world class destination for all ages and demographics.”

Christine Jardine, MP for Edinburgh West, said:

“As the local MP for Ratho, I am delighted the village will host Scotland’s first surfing park. This will be a great attraction West of the city, creating up to 130 new jobs and providing a fantastic facility for locals and tourists alike.”

Using recently released, state-of-the-art wave generation technology called The Cove, developed by Wavegarden in Spain – the same company that developed the technology behind Surf Snowdonia, who welcomed over 155,000 visitors in 2017. Wavegarden Scotland will be among the most advanced surfing and water sport facilities in the world, with the capability to enable elite-level sports training and development.

No Pressure – Italo Ferreira

No Pressure – Italo Ferreira

So when I’m injured I lay on the sofa and cry like a toddler whose just had their ballon popped and toys taken away, that's not how Italo rolls. He returned home to recharge his energy before embarking on another stage of the world surfing circuit, it seems that involved tearing the bejesus out of the surf whilst he was there. So that angle injury ain’t holding you back Italo? How are those airs, insane. Check the edit, boom.

J.O.B and his hot tub time machine

J.O.B and his hot tub time machine

Swot up on your North Shore quotes and head back to the 80’s with J.O.B and crew. Grab some zinc, cover yourself head to toe in neon and we’re all set. Boom.

Rip Curl and The Wave Announce Partnership

Rip Curl and The Wave Announce Partnership

Above: Rip Curl rider, Nikki Van Dijk trying out the WG Cove technology at the demo site in Spain.

Rip Curl, one of the original surfing companies, and inland surfing expert, The Wave, have announced that they are teaming up. The partnership, which sees Rip Curl supply all the wetsuits for The Wave’s first destination, was revealed as the company marks its 50thAnniversary.

The Wave is currently building its first inland surfing destination in Bristol, UK, and when it opens in the autumn it will be the first place in the northern hemisphere to offer the ground-breaking Wavegarden Cove technology. The team has a site agreed for The Wave London and a roll-out plan for several other destinations in the coming 5-10 years.

Rip Curl will be providing its ‘Surf School Steamer’ wetsuit model for the Surf School, which is one of the most durable and user-friendly wetsuits on the market. There will be a wide range of sizes in both female and male suits, so that all visitors get exactly the right fit for them. The Wave will also have a number of Rip Curl’s Dawn Patrol suits available. These are particularly flexible and performance-focused and are aimed at intermediate to advanced surfers. There will also be opportunities to test Rip Curl’s latest wetsuit technologies at the Rip Curl Test Centre.

Nick Hounsfield, The Wave Founder, said:

“We are excited to be partnering with Rip Curl to make sure everyone is well suited and booted at The Wave! We spent a long time researching every type of wetsuit and wetsuit manufacturer, to ensure we got this essential partnership spot on – both from a product perspective, but also in terms of finding a company that has the right fit with our ethos and what we want to achieve at The Wave.

“Fifty years on Rip Curl is still constantly pushing to be at the forefront of innovation, in terms of wetsuits and surfing. There is a definite synergy with The Wave. The adventures and entrepreneurship that drove the founders at the start of Rip Curl are very similar to that which sparked The Wave.”

Rip Curl is a company run by surfers for surfers, and its key brand philosophy of ‘the Search’ still runs deep. The Search is the driving force of the brand; it describes the quest and need to travel and discover the lifestyle of the oceans. It’s the idea of adventure, looking for and surfing good waves, having a good time and then getting up the next day and doing it all again.

 

Matthieu Lefin, Rip Curl Europe President, said:

“Since the first time we met with The Wave team, we felt immediately that it was going to be a great partnership. Both companies are willing to go beyond the boundaries of conventional thinking and practice - it’s a perfect way for Rip Curl to push the ‘Search’ even further forward!"

Rip Curl will also be offering a complete collection of apparel and hardware in the surf store at The Wave. This will include its new organic range, Salt Water Culture, which covers men and boys and is a global initiative to use organic cotton and recycled yarns across all the products. The women’s range will also include innovations such as Econyl in the swimwear, which is made from regenerated nylon yarns. There will be a dedicated wetsuit area, offering a comprehensive range of wetsuits to cater for all, from our top-end Flashbomb Heatseeker to our entry level Omega wetsuit.

As the Ultimate Surfing Company, Rip Curl supports an international team of riders, including two-time World Surf League (WSL) world champion Gabriel Medina, three-time WSL world champ Mick Fanning and two-time Ladies WSL world champ Tyler Wright. It also supports UK crew, including Britons Ellie Turner, Harry de Roth, Seth Morris and some up and coming juniors. The high-performance training opportunity that The Wave will offeris something that really appeals to the elite ridersand some of the world’s bestsurfers will be dropping into Bristol soon!

Sean Harris, UK & Ireland Country Sales Manager, sums up:

"Rip Curl are stoked to be teaming up with The Wave, and supporting their project to bring the latest Cove Wavegarden Cove technology to the UK. The vision, passion and dedication of the team involved is inspiring to see and Rip Curl looks forward to developing a strong and long lasting partnership with The Wave.

“It’s an exciting time for us, marking 50 years in the industry, and an incredible time for surfing with the 2020 Olympics on the horizon and massive developments in wave-making technology and inland surfing. Our elite team can’t wait to try out The Wave and we can’t wait to welcome your visitors to Europe’s newest surf destination!

For more information on The Wave visit thewave.com. For more information on Rip Curl visit ripcurl.com

Beers and boards with Thomas Bexon of Thomas surfboards – Down the Line, Hayle

Beers and boards with Thomas Bexon of Thomas surfboards – Down the Line, Hayle

Beers and boards 🇦🇺🍻

On Thursday 20th of June Thomas ‘Doc’ Bexon @thomassurfboards will be at the Down the Line Surf shop, Hayle, Cornwall from 6pm onwards! Drink some of Trevors beers and talk boards with Thomas and the crew.

Over the past decade, Thomas “Doc” Bexon has established himself as one of Australia’s finest creators of hand built surfboards. Based at Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast, Tom, together with top-level glasser Jake Bowrey, create wave sliding vehicles of the highest calibre.

It’s a great opportunity to find out more on the current range of Thomas fish and midlengths as well as the incoming range of longboards. Don’t miss it 🤙

Details on the link below

https://www.facebook.com/events/2035599643416603

Halfway to the Horizon

Halfway to the Horizon

Punch your passport and follow along as Italo Ferreira, Tyler Warren and Eithan Osborne take off on a strike mission they won’t soon forget. We’re halfway to the horizon, and there’s no end in sight.

This is Life’s Better in Boardshorts, Chapter 10: Halfway to the Horizon.