Introducing the Bahrain Surf Park – Club Hawaii Experience a key component of the Bilaj Al Jazayer development, a sprawling 1.3 million square meters along Bahrain’s southwest coast. With major backing from Edamah (Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company), and GFH Financial Group, this project is about to become a new destination for surfers and water sports lovers worldwide.

At the heart of this Bahrain Surf Park lies our Wavegarden Cove technology. The development is shaping up to be a full-on destination. There will be a surf school to get customers started, restaurants for those feeling hungry after a session, beach bars for unwinding after a day in the water, a skatepark, retail stores, event spaces, and a panoramic terrace offering killer views of the park and the ocean.

What’s more, the Bahrain Surf Park is expected to be a major tourism draw, pulling in around 300,000 visitors a yearand hosting 140,000 surf sessions annually. It’s already earned props from the Arabian Property Awards as Bahrain’s Best Leisure Development. Not bad for a place that didn’t have waves to surf on before!

As Wavegarden’s Chief Commercial Director, Fernando Odriozola, puts it, “It’s a game-changer not only for Bahrain but for the entire Middle East.”

But Bahrain’s surf park isn’t just about catching epic waves – it’s about doing it sustainably. The park is designed with energy efficiency in mind, using 10 times less energy than comparable systems. In fact, each wave uses just 1 kWh of energy (which is roughly 0.10€ per wave) and the smart designs actually recover and reuse part of the energy. So, you can have fun while knowing that your environmental footprint remains as light as possible.

Bahrain Surf Park is set to make a splash not just in Bahrain but across the region. Whether you’re an experienced surfer or someone looking for a fun new activity, this park will have something for everyone.

Chris Calvert, CEO of Edamah, is confident that this project will redefine Bahrain’s leisure scene and help position the country as a top tourist destination. Meanwhile, Hisham Ahmed Al-Rayes, CEO of GFH, highlights how this project will elevate Bahrain’s tourism profile, offering a dynamic recreational space for both locals and international visitors.

Keep an eye on their official site  bahrainsurfpark.com for updates.

There were no mirages in the deserts of UAE with remarkable performances from Steven Sawyer and Alice Lemoigne to claim inaugural, Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic wins. A true Cinderella story unfolded for former WSL Longboard Champion Sawyer. The South African needed a win to catapult into the Top 8 and he did just that after besting 2023 World Title runner-up Kaniela Stewart in the Semifinals before bringing his steezy style to the Final against in-form John Michael Van Hohenstein. An all-French battle unraveled for the women's Final and Lemoigne saved her best for last with a brilliant 9.43 over Zoe Grospiron who put on a showcase all her own. But, in the end it was Lemoigne who reasserted herself among the world's best with a major win heading into the World Title showdown. Now, the Top 8 men and women are settled and all that remains is the one-day, Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships beginning October 9 through 13.

The smiley, extremely talented, Indonesian goofy footer goes by many names, but we’re just thankful to call Usman: Friend. For some seriously recommended-viewing, peep our recent video of Usman highlights over the last year. Indeed, it’s hard to believe one man can get so may dream waves in a matter of months - Drifter Surf

The European final of the Rip Curl GromSearch 2024 took place last Saturday, September 14th. In this iconic event, the best young surfers under 16 from all over Europe competed on the waves of Anglet.

After excelling in national competitions held in Spain, Portugal, the UK, and France, the winners from each country gathered under the bright sun to battle for the title. Throughout the day, the 38 young athletes delivered outstanding performances, proving once again they represent the future of European surfing.

Competitors in the U16 category also vied for a spot in the prestigious World Final, set to take place in Bali, Indonesia, from November 12th to 17th, 2024.

Full results below:

Under 16 Men
1 Dylan Donegan Santos (ESP) – 12,40
2 Joshua Karbus (IRL) – 10,43
3 Lukas Skinner (GBR) – 8,60
4 Jaime Veselko (POR) – 4,10

Under 16 Women
1 Tya Zebrowski (FRA) – 10,50
2 Carla Morera de la Vall (ESP) – 6,67
3 Chiara Cuppone (ITA) – 6,00
4 Clémence Schorsch (FRA) – 5,40

Under 14 Men
1 Marley Benesene-Masse (FRA) – 13,64
2 Alvaro Casanova (ESP) – 11,96
3 Ethan Fernandez (FRA) – 10,20
4 Matthew Maurin-Lignières (FRA) – 7,97

Under 14 Women
1 Naia Monte (FRA) – 10,67
2 Mel Canhoto (POR) – 8,50
3 Suri Rodriguez (POR) – 6,86
4 Lila Skinner (GBR) – 5,77

Under 12 Men
1 Liam Sham-Koua (PYF) – 10,33
2 Rocco Rigliaco (ITA) – 9,40
3 Stefano Mandozzi (ESP) – 5,90
4 Harvey Waters (GBR) – 5,46

Under 12 Women
1 Nahia Calder (ESP) – 11,17
2 Sienna Rodrigues (POR) – 4,50
3 Caterina Congiu (ITA) – 3,90
4 Camille Trainaud (FRA) – 2,93

Oakley Grand Prize
Congratulations to Lukas Skinner, winner of the Oakley grand prize. This victory grants him the unique opportunity to travel to Peniche to attend the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2025. The prize includes a training session with Tom Whitaker, former professional surfer and current head coach at Oakley, as well as a meet-and-greet with a member of the Oakley team.

Rip Curl would like to thank all the competitors, the audience, the WSL, and its partners, Oakley and FCS, for their support during this memorable edition of the GromSearch.

Welcome to Shinko, a unique and unexpected surf scene in Japan. A wave with unusual contrast- on one side, the raw, powerful energy of the ocean, and on the other, the industrial hum of machinery, both coexisting in this unexpected surf haven.

I’m always excited to explore different surf spots and immerse myself in the unique surf cultures during my travels. Surfing Japan is not all about navigating through rocks like a kamikaze pilot (like my last video at God's Crack), here is a look at a more traditional Japanese surf scene… a sci-fi looking one at that!

Hope you enjoy this journey of a very special scene in Japan. Thank you to Keito Matusuoka for showing us around and plugging us into your world! Without your help and guidance this video would not be possible.

I would also like to thank Shohei Echigo for letting us stay at Hotel Shohei. And Shohei's dad for being the first to surf Shinko, congratulations on discovering an entire surf scene. Massive thanks to rest of the surf community for having us 🙂

Thanks to Coby Perkovich, Shouta Sawada and Misaki Haberl. For assistance on translations.

Filmed by: Wade Carroll

Additional footage: Shohei Echigo, Dylan Graves, Keito Matsuoka

Music by: Dylan Graves