While we wait for a British Wavegarden v2 (known as the Cove, as opposed to the v1 at Snowdonia, which is doing rather well for itself) to give a definite dig date the Aussies have beat us to it with a site near Melbourne. The build starts next month aiming to be open a year later. Main takeaway is it’s way bigger than the test facility in the Basque hills and has two sides. Question now is will people play nice and form an orderly queue?!?
PRESS RELEASE
URBNSURF, the company behind Australia’s first surf park and the Australian licensee of Wavegarden technology, yesterday announced it has recently secured $28.3 million in funding to develop URBNSURF Melbourne at Melbourne Airport, the world’s first full-sized Wavegarden Cove surfing lagoon.
With planning consent already obtained, and construction scheduled to commence in March 2018, URBNSURF Melbourne expects to be pumping out up to 1,000 quality, 2.0m high ocean-like surfing waves every hour by Easter 2019.
Located just 16 kilometers north of Melbourne’s CBD, URBNSURF Melbourne has been designed to be an innovative surf sports, leisure and entertainment facility centered around a world-class surfing lagoon. At 2.1 hectares in area, the Wavegarden Cove surfing lagoon will host up to 90 surfers per hour across 6 different surfing zones.
The next-generation surf facility will deliver authentic, safe and convenient surfing experiences for all skill levels, year-round. With a modular, minimalist design in keeping with surfing’s roots, URBNSURF Melbourne will also feature a multi-outlet food and bar precinct, concept retail store, fully-equipped surf and hire shop, night surfing, a surfing academy, high performance coaching and training options, fitness classes, festival and event spaces, a beach club, and relaxing, landscaped open spaces.
URBNSURF’s founder and Executive Chairman, Andrew Ross said “we are delighted to be bringing the southern hemisphere’s first surf park facility to Melbourne, the traditional home of Australian sport. Melbourne’s 200,000 or so existing surfers, plus all of those who want to give surfing a go, will now be able to enjoy high quality surf, year-round, and all within a 25-minute drive of the Melbourne CBD.”
He added, “URBNSURF Melbourne unlocks the geographic limitations of surfing, by bringing the beach to your backyard. We are aiming to provide surfers of all abilities the opportunity to engage in their sport more frequently, more conveniently, and more safely – allowing them to simply ‘surf more’”.
$28.3 million in development capital was recently secured by URBNSURF from a range of Australian-based, well-known high net worth investors and private-equity sources. These funds will fuel the company’s construction activities in Melbourne together with activities associated with its other two surf park projects in Sydney and Perth.
The Cove is a revolutionary technology created by Wavegarden, an innovative Spanish engineering company and market leader in the man-made wave sector. Two commercial surf park facilities featuring Wavegarden lagoons are already operational around the world – in North Wales and in Austin, Texas – both of which have attracted keen tourism interest, regional investment and high guest attendances. URBNSURF Melbourne will be the first commercial surf park in the world to feature the Wavegarden Cove technology, which occupies a smaller footprint than Wavegarden’s earlier technology, but delivers increased wave frequency – up to 1,000 per hour – and expanded guest capacity.
“We are excited to be working with URBNSURF to bring the world’s first public Wavegarden Cove to Victoria, and create Melbourne’s first surf break” said Josema Odriozola, Wavegarden’s Founder and CEO. “Australia has a large population of active surfers, plus many people that would like to learn to surf and we’re confident our technology will satisfy everyone’s expectations and demands.
We look forward to collaborating on URBNSURF’s other planned developments in Sydney and Perth.”
In addition to the incredible surfing experiences on offer in the Wavegarden Cove lagoon, URBNSURF Melbourne will regularly host a variety of cultural, food and music festivals, action sports events, “expression sessions” with elite athletes, and amateur and professional surfing competitions. With surfing now confirmed as an Olympic sport for the 2020 Tokyo Games, URBNSURF Melbourne is uniquely positioned to assist the Australian surfing team to train and prepare for their campaign.
The development of URBNSURF Melbourne is expected to generate over 300 jobs during the construction phase, and another 50 full time positions will be created once the facility opens its doors. Accessible by 2 million Melbourne residents in under 30 minutes, URBNSURF Melbourne is expected to inject more than $267 million in gross economic contribution to the Melbourne region over the life of the project.
URBNSURF is currently developing surf park facilities using Wavegarden’s Cove technology at Sydney Olympic Park (“URBNSURF Sydney”), and in Perth at Tompkins Park, Alfred Cove (“URBNSURF Perth”), and aims to develop up to ten world-class surf parks in Australia by 2028.
Should surfers stay out of politics? Feck no! Surfers are political animals, number one in fighting big corps to preserve the environment – think sewage, plastics and the protection of surf spots/coastal environment and broadly speaking the most travelled surfers have a good handle on the madness of racism and religious prejudice.
So now to guns…
A few years back I was left pretty stunned with one high profile surf industry figure’s view on gun control, the victims, causes and solutions. It would appear he’d be quite happy living in land where everyone strutted round with loaded AKs. His view was ‘more guns means less deaths’ which was hysterical considering the global stats and the amount he had travelled.
Anyway Garrett has bravely put his head up above the trench talking common sense, but opening himself up to pops from bots, trolls and the NRA … and we are with him. I’ve got friends with kids and godkids in the US and I would hate it if I stayed silent and anything happened to them.
Yes people can safely own guns, hunting is huge in the UK, France, Spain and may other countries. But this madness with automatic weapons in the US, the right to bear arms and the ease of access to weapons of mass murder has got to end.
We are all fed up of hearing about kids being shot in school.
“I do my best to maintain political neutrality on my social media because as most would say I’m a surfer… stick to surfing. says Garret.
“BUT this time enough is enough.
“My wife was a school teacher and she still refers to her students as her “kids.” What occurred the other day in her old school district and what those students and teachers had to endure and will continue to endure for the rest of their lives is completely and utterly unacceptable!!!
We as a nation, as society, as humans need to demand change!! For this situation and many others occurring daily. We need to unite and be one voice that puts human life before any material object and before money!!!
If there is anything you feel called to do to support this young voices showing us adults how it’s done please don’t hesitate to act!! @marchforourlives @nationalwalkout #safetyforallchildren #bethechange#demandchange
Go big man. Politics, hell yes. Let’s have it. Enough is enough.
Very sad to hear of the passing of Brian Britton today. Always welcoming, good craic and tireless worker for Irish surfing.
Irish surfing said:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the untimely death of Brian Britton, former Irish Surfing President. Brian passed away peacefully, early this morning following his battle with cancer.
Brian’s commitment and absolute dedication to Irish surfing cannot be disputed or indeed be praised highly enough. From the early days, Brian was both fundamental and essential to the success of surfing in Ireland. Over the years he worked tirelessly to develop the sport and way of life he loved so much. An Irish team member many times over, Irish Team manager, Irish Surfing Association president, European Surfing Federation president, International Surfing Vice president, and its special Ambassador. Brian was instrumental in organising and bringing to Ireland many international surfing events which were all enormously successful. We also cannot forget his commitment to all the clubs and ordinary surfers of Ireland. From his local club in Rossnowlagh to the further reaches of Ireland and beyond, his legacy endures. Without Brian Britton much would have remained undone down through the years and achieving anything without him would have been more difficult. No one has put more on the line for Irish Surfing than him. Brian Britton is truly an Irish Surfing Legend.
We extend our sympathy to his family at this sad time.”
Lowey won his Rd1 heat but didn’t make it out of his semi in tricky conditions. Photo: Masurel/WSL
Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca (BRA) won the World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour (BWT) Nazaré Challenge yesterday after incredible performances at the Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal.
The second-ever BWT event at Nazaré ran over two days after dangerous conditions threatened the competitors following the opening heats on Saturday. Big Wave Tour Commissioner Mike Parsons, alongside the judging panel, rated conditions a Bronze coefficient with wave faces in the 25-to-35-foot category.
Competing in his second-ever BWT event, Chianca earned his first Finals appearance and first BWT win today after dominating the competitive 24-man field, made up of the world’s best male big wave surfers. The 22-year-old demonstrated command over Nazaré’s powerful waves and challenging whitewater speeds to climb up to World No. 5 on the Big Wave Tour rankings.
Lucas Chianca of Brazil wins the 2018 Nazaré Challenge at Nazaré, Leiria,Portugal.
“I am stoked to win this event,” Chianca said. “Thank you to everyone for all of their support. I am grateful to win this event and all these guys competing are so crazy and inspiring. It was hard because when you get the call for BWT events, it is at the last minute. We flew here as soon as we got the call, were a bit tired, and then just went straight into the competition the next day. The waves yesterday were so gnarly and scary. And then today, we were on again. I am super stoked. Thank you.”
The six-man Final witnessed reigning BWT Champion Grant “Twiggy” Baker (ZAF), 2017/2018 Puerto Escondido Challenge winner Kai Lenny (HAW), two-time Pe’ahi Challenge winner Billy Kemper (HAW), and up-and-comers Natxo Gonzalez (EUK), Nathan Florence (HAW), and Chianca go all out for the event win.
Lenny kicked off the hour-long Final with a low-range score, a 3.83 (out of a possible 10). The next wave of the set saw a split peak between Baker and Chianca. Baker was only able to pick up a 3.50, while Chianca gained control of the heat with an authoritative 7.33. Gonzalez challenged Chianca with two mid-range scores, but the Brazilian punctuated his performance with a solid 6.73. Kemper stayed patient and was able to collect a 4.83 and 4.67 at the end of the heat to surpass Gonzalez, Lenny, Baker, and Florence for second place.
Caption: Clockwise from top left – Nazaré Challenge finalists Nathan Florence (HAW), Grant Baker (ZAF), Billy Kemper (HAW), Lucas Chianca (BRA), Kai Lenny (HAW), and Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) celebrate their success.
Credit: © WSL / Justes
Kemper’s runner-up finish now puts him at World No. 1 on the Big Wave Tour rankings, topping Lenny by only 2,311 points. His recent success, both on the WSL Qualifying Series (QS) and Big Wave Tour, is a testament to his training and commitment to surfing. Not only does Kemper lead the BWT ranks, he recently won the Sunset Open Qualifying Series to put him in second place on the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional QS rankings.
“I am over the moon right now,” said Kemper. “First and foremost, I want to thank the country of Portugal. All of the people here are absolutely amazing and this place is beautiful. The warm welcome that you give all of us surfers is next to none. I am very thankful. I came here with that goal to make the Final and do as best as I could. Obviously, that was in my mind the whole time, but I just took it heat-by-heat, wave-by-wave. I am very thankful and stoked to end up where I am at.”
Jamie Mitchell (AUS), 2016/2017 Nazaré Challenge winner, was eliminated in the first Semifinal heat along with yesterday’s Round One standouts Alex Botelho (PRT) and Peter Mel (USA). Mitchell fought his way through the six-man lineup but fell just 1.20 points short of advancing to the Final. The Australian currently sits in 6th on the BWT rankings with only 17 days remaining in the tour window.
Tom Lowe (GBR) attracted international attention after his pencil-dive wipeout from a monstrous Nazaré wave in 2016 and came into this event ready to perform. The surfer from Cornwall proved to be a serious threat with his Round 1 Heat 4 win but could not find the same rhythm to advance out of the Semifinals. Lowe has become a household name with his Top 10 ranking on the WSL Big Wave Tour this season and will exit in 11th place.
Today’s win marked a first for Chianca, but also a last for his mentor, Carlos Burlé (BRA). A fellow Brazilian who pioneered big-wave surfing and rose to become a BWT Champion, Burlé retired last year but competed at this event as an end-of-career victory lap.The fifty-year-old big wave surfer was eliminated yesterday in Round One Heat 2.
“I am super stoked to be able to work with Lucas (Chianca) — such a great talent — and be able to help the sport still after retiring,” said Burlé. “It has been an amazing life pursuing big waves and watching and witnessing all the building of this beautiful sport that I love so much. What I see for big wave surfing is a bright future. I see a lot of young surfers coming with talent and performance in huge waves. It is going to get better and better as the time passes by.”
The Mavericks Challenge still has the potential to run before the Big Wave Tour season closes on February 28, 2018. BWT officials will continue to monitor swell systems and weather patterns and will only call the event on when surf reaches the 30-foot-plus mark, mobilizing on 72 hours’ notice.
Nazaré Challenge Final Results:
1 – Lucas Chianca (BRA) 19.89
2 – Billy Kemper (HAW) 13.93
3 – Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) 13.83
4 – Kai Lenny (HAW) 13.23
5 – Grant Baker (ZAF) 11.04
6 – Nathan Florence (HAW) 10.89
Nazaré Challenge Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Lucas Chianca (BRA) 14.91, Billy Kemper (HAW) 13.17, Nathan Florence (HAW) 13.13, Alex Botelho (PRT) 12.31, Jamie Mitchell (AUS) 11.93, Peter Mel (USA) 11.63
SF 2: Kai Lenny (HAW) 18.70, Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) 17.69, Grant Baker (ZAF) 16.99, Nic von Rupp (PRT) 11.43, Ian Walsh (HAW) 11.04, Tom Lowe (GBR) 10.51
Nazaré Challenge Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Lucas Chianca (BRA) 17.63, Billy Kemper (HAW) 16.33, Nathan Florence (HAW) 14.31, João de Macedo (PRT) 11.56, Hugo Vau (PRT) 9.43, Pedro Calado (BRA) 7.13
Heat 2: Peter Mel (USA) 15.43, Alex Botelho (PRT) 14.23, Jamie Mitchell (AUS) 9.66, Tom Butler (GBR) 3.14, Carlos Burlé (BRA) 0.00, Aaron Gold (HAW) 0.00
Heat 3: Nic von Rupp (PRT) 20.23, Kai Lenny (HAW) 20.23, Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) 17.57, Francisco Porcella (ITA) 14.11, Cristian Merello (CHL) 12.77, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 11.39
Heat 4: Tom Lowe (GBR) 15.10, Grant Baker (ZAF) 13.84, Ian Walsh (HAW) 12.90, Nic Lamb (USA) 11.43, Antonio Silva (PRT) 6.06, Kealii Mamala (HAW) 5.00
WSL Men’s BWT Rankings Top 5 (following Nazaré Challenge):
1 – Billy Kemper (HAW) 27,140 pts
2 – Kai Lenny (HAW) 24, 829 pts
3 – Ian Walsh (HAW) 17,757 pts
4 – Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 14,123 pts
5 – Lucas Chianca (BRA) 13,331 pts
The 2017/2018 Nazaré Challenge is presented Jogos Santa Casa, and proudly supported by Tourism of Portugal, West Tourism, and Nazaré City Council. The 2017/2018 WSL Big Wave Tour is proudly supported by Corona, the Official Beer of the Big Wave Tour (excluding North America), and Quiksilver Airlift, the Official Inflatable Vest of the 2017/2018 Big Wave Tour.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.
