Is this the future of surf training? - Photo: © Wavegarden / Pacotwo
While the ISA World Surfing Games were underway in France earlier this year, the guys at Wavegarden Cove discreetly invited surf teams from across the planet test out their wavepool. Of course the USA Surf Team were there, with young guns like Crosby Colapinto, Samantha Sibley, and Cole Houshmand all putting the latest surf generating machine through its paces. Here’s how it went down…
USA Surf Team get Wavegarden Cove all to themselves!
Former Pipe Master and current USA national coach Joey Buran didn’t waste any time in joining his team riders, expressing it was “the most fun I have had surfing in a long time”.
Crosby Colapinto cracks the top off a Wavegarden roller - Photo: © Wavegarden / Pacotwo
Surfing America’s CEO Greg Cruse was equally impressed, “I am just thinking of the implications for competition, you could have a stadium; you could schedule TV time; people can be right up front next to the breaking wave; and you can see how impressive it is, it’s mind blowing”.
Samantha Sibley drives off the bottom - Photo: © Wavegarden / Pacotwo
Surfing legend Peter Townsend, appointed as coach of China’s national squad, made an array of interesting remarks about the development of man-made waves and the future of surfing, especially now that the Olympics are on the horizon. “Now we have this technology where we can make waves and that really changes the game, I think more than anything for training. There’s no bigger sports stage in the world than the Olympics. Arguably, when the first gold medals are won in Tokyo, the winners will become the most famous surfers in the world”.
Chasing the Olympic dream! - Photo: © Wavegarden / Pacotwo