A short edit I put together of B clips from last years winter and the places I explored in W.A.
I recently had to spend 2 weeks in home quarantine after being away on a 3 month QS trip, so it was good timing to try put something together with clips that would usually end up lost on a hard drive. Play in high quality or it will look like it was filmed of a potato – Jacob Willcox
Filmed by Isaac Jones, Tom Jennings, Scott Bauer and friends.
The Wave, has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with wave-making technology provider, Wavegarden, to deliver six or more developments across the UK and Ireland. The company, that opened its first surfing lake in Bristol in 2019, is already working on a second site in London which is hopefully opening in summer 2023 and is now exploring further development sites for inland surfing destinations powered by Wavegarden Cove technology including the Peak District, Ireland and two others in the south of England.
The total investment will be over £200 million and once open they will welcome a combined total of over 2 million visitors a year. The multi-million-pound deal puts The Wave at the forefront of the growing surf park sector in the UK and Ireland – a leisure category that is predicted to boom in the next five years.
As well as the UK and Ireland, The Wave is also working with Wavegarden to secure additional sites in major European cities and has a number of sites in negotiation with local developers across Europe.
Craig Stoddart, The Wave CEO, said:
“This multi-project agreement further cements our brilliant and exclusive partnership with Wavegarden, and the deal adds significant value to The Wave Group and our shareholders. Being the first to open a surf park powered by a new technology was a leap of faith in so many ways, but we believed in the technology and the team delivering it. The waves work. More than that we have proved it is commercially successful, we have a great professional team of Wavemakers and we have now welcomed over 300,000 visitors through our doors since we opened – despite contending with a global pandemic.
“We know there is a huge appetite for surfing and its many health and wellbeing benefits, and we are now looking to bring these unique experiences to other locations around the UK and beyond. Spurred by growth in surfing in general – and the Olympic effect – this burgeoning sector is definitely on the up. We will have 5 sites open, in planning or being built in the next 5 years, and we are in the process of actively searching for land. Predictions indicate there will be approximately 100 surf parks operating globally in the next 10 years. The Wave intends to be a leading international player in this market and we have been preparing ourselves for this ambition for a number of years”
Fernando Odriozola, Chief Commercial Officer at Wavegarden, adds:
“We are delighted to have signed this strategic partnership with The Wave so we can continue to work with the team on many projects in the coming years. The very valuable experience and knowledge we have gained together at Bristol will allow us to move forward on a number of sites simultaneously. The future looks very bright.”
Wavegarden has proven international experience and, with over 70 full time employees, has become the largest and most advanced specialist surf park technology provider in the world. The company has an extremely high growth potential in this emerging sector, currently counting 60 projects in development and has the highest number of surfing facilities open to the public across the world.
The Wave is supported by a powerful board, including Chairman Gaynor Coley, former Managing Director at the Eden Project, and Iain Shearer, formerly Chief Executive of London’s ExCel. The wider team has sector-leading experience in operating a surf park, and the business model is based on multiple revenues streams, including accommodation, food and drink, events and retail, alongside the core surfing offer. But what really makes it stand apart are its strong brand values, core purpose, and ethos focused on health, wellbeing and social impact.
Nick Hounsfield, Founder and CVO of The Wave, explains:
“Surfing is amazing for our physical and mental health – and sharing these benefits is right at the heart of what we do. My vision was to create a space where people could get outside in nature, be active and reap the blue health boost of being in or near water.
“As a surfer I know how brilliant it makes me feel and the impact it has on my health. Being able to push perfect surfing waves at the touch of a button and to bring them inland is a game-changer for a sport that has until now been constrained by factors such as geography, tides and weather.
“Our purpose is central to everything. We want to share the positive power of waves – and the pure joy of surfing – with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The epic thing about the Wavegarden Cove technology is that it caters to everyone, from a beginner stepping on a board for the first time, right up to pro surfers training for the Olympics, and hopefully future Paralympic surfers.”
Mason’s Dad Michael Ho has been watching his son surf this crazy wave for years and was always curious about it. Usually Uncle Mike doesn’t like Mason surfing these types of waves but for some reason on this special day Pops went for it! This session took place in between days of the Backdoor Shootout event at Pipeline. Stay tuned for those clips!
Surfers: Michael Ho, Mason Ho & Sheldon Paishon.
Filming: Rory Pringle.
Days – Clean Waves in this winter North Devon surf edit.
Filmed & edited by Adam Norris of Offshores
Photo Music – ‘Pillow Tears’ by Cospe & ‘Drive Slow’ by Lofive courtesy of Epidemic Sound.
Adam from Offshores Photo continues in his quest to find quality surfing conditions around the South West of the UK.
Music credit – ‘That Impossible Last Breath’ – Da Sein courtesy of Epidemic Sound
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project. It took many different shapes over the years to get to where it is now. It was originally started in December 2017 as a film that focused more on a group of friends who grew up learning to surf Pipeline. Through different creative rounds, and a couple years on the shelf, it eventually evolved into an idea that followed the imagined point of view of Pipeline, with a perspective narrated by local musician Paula Fuga. It was a fun challenge to create a visual history of the wave, but this is not meant to be a complete story. There are too many people to name who have become a part of Pipeline’s history over the years; they could never be fit into one short film. Thank you again to everyone who helped us put this together. The project is dedicated to Derek Ho, and those like him who have dedicated their life to surfing Pipeline. – JJF
Europe was hit with a huge swell in recent days, and we had some hefty waves over in the UK too. The strong offshore wind made things extremely difficult during this session, but some really nice rides went down regardless. Chocolate barrels with a few friends, does it get any better than that?
