At this rate, it seems like wave pools will take over the world. Every country, state…hell, maybe even city, will have a manmade surf park in some distant reality. Just like skateparks, kids will flock to the local wave pool after school. Unrealistic dreams? Dystopian cyborg surfing future? Who knows.
Anyway, wave pools are booming. And they’re assumedly big business, too. As such, many pro surfers have recently hopped aboard the wave pool train, and tossed their names behind certain projects.
The latest pro surfer to enter the wave pool game? Gabriel Medina.
The project is called “Beyond the Club,” located in São Paulo, Brazil. And it’s not just a pool – they’re calling it a “wellness club” with all sorts of sports (tennis, volleyball, basketball, soccer, etc.), a spa, and a handful of restaurants. And if that’s not your thing? There’s a jazz bar and winery.
How about the pool? It will be a Wavegarden Cove technology, and according to them, “the complex would install the world’s largest and most powerful surf park, a Wavegarden Cove with 62 modules, spanning 27,000 m2. This technology, which is operating successfully at 7 facilities’ worldwide, is capable of accommodating up to 90 surfers per hour, making up to 20 different types of waves that cater for all surfer profiles.”
As for Medina’s involvement, he cited this as a new chapter in his career:
“Today is a unique moment for me. Some things happen in life that, sometimes, make me reflect. We don’t expect them, but it is in these moments of reflection that opportunities appear…I am now exploring a new area as an entrepreneur, businessman, and builder of projects that align with my worldview. And this beginning is already off to a golden start: the birth of Beyond The Club, with the first beach with perfect waves in São Paulo. A complete club.”
Big things coming to Brazil. Stay tuned.
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