Did you know that Nick Hounsfield comes from a family of inventors? He didn't invent the wave pool at his surf park. No, Wavegarden did that. But he's constantly focused on how things could work. It's like a constant invitation to daydream. We learned this early on but only now have gotten around to poking at this side of Nick. In this conversation we dig into the creative side of wave pooling and explore the current state of the wave pool space and, of course, Nick's excitement for the future.

Can a passion project like a wave pool have blind spots to reality? Matt Hyslop from Colliers International talks with WavePoolMag about his role in conducting feasibility studies for new surf venues. Matt highlights the importance of visitor forecasting and understanding the potential market when planning for a new wave pool. He also lets slip some of the ideal locations and the different business models that work. Matt also talks about those red flags that can arise during the development of a wave pool project.

Hear Euna Kim's firsthand account of Wave Park's inception in Siheung-Si, South Korea. With her mastery of languages and a newfound passion for surfing, Euna played a pivotal role in navigating the intricate journey from vision to reality. She'll reveal how Wave Park has become a cornerstone in the evolution of Korea's surf culture and delve into the complexities behind establishing this groundbreaking surf destination. Join us for an enlightening discussion on the multifaceted process of bringing Wave Park to life

In this podcast our guest Chris Kluesener sights on the wave pool space through the Surf Park Summit lens. We touch on the newness of the uniqueness of the industry and why his company’s annual gathering continues to connect people and grow. Chris quips that the real estate industry is bustling with 4 or 5 trade associations yes, “Is it really that hard to build a house? Wave pools are much more complicated and to date we have zero trade associations.” Take the industry’s pulse with Chris and I as Surf Park Summit gets set to return September 30 - October 2, 2024. You can sign up for thier newsletter right here.

In our latest episode we catch up with 1988 world champ Barton Lynch who many of us know as the live wire WSL commentator. From our side of this interview we relished hearing an unbridled Barton expanding his thoughts beyond the WSL broadcast two-minute cap as he shares his insights into the early days of the pro tour and how that generation had to scrap hard to make the pro tour dream happen. And while he also talks about his new video game, the ongoing BL Blastoff grom comp and a few other side bites, the heart of the conversation is, of course, wave pools. From the early Allentown ASP days to his relationship with Surf Lakes to how Kelly Slater has created the only place in the world where surfers mentally will their friends to totally blow a wave.

Shaun Hutchinson is Group Operations Manager at Urbnsurf. Most of the day he’s tucked back in the office redlining in the tasks department, but we coaxed him out long enough to do a podcast. During our half hour conversation we learned just how complex and layered managing a surf park is.

We returned live to the middle of a sheep paddock in bucolic Easter Compton to check in with the new CEO at The Wave, Hazel Geary. In this podcast we explore the similarities and differences between the Leisure, Beauty and Well-being Industries and Surf Parks. Are we really that different? Yes and No. Hazel digs in with a fresh level of sophistication gleaned from years in the fitness industry. In the process we discover many nuanced learnings that our wave pool industry can benefit from.

How does one go about training a machine to recognise each and every individual surfer? Flowstate have created an AI powered capture system that records each guest’s surf experience. And the amazing thing is that it works without RFID wristbands or board stickers. In this podcast we dig in and learn how Chris, Mike and the crew at Flowstate have built a system that recognises those minute nuances that separate and define us each individually as surfers. By developing this “style fingerprint” Flowstate have created a system that provides surf park guests with keepsake video clips of their wave pool sessions. Dig into the podcast to learn how Flowstate do what many consider to be an impossible task.

Revel Surf park is the wave pool powered by Swell MFG. It is the focal point of the 37-acre mixed-use development at Cannon Beach in Mesa, Arizona. In this episode, we have a wonderfully frank discussion with Matt Gunn, who along with his partner, built this wave technology. The journey one takes from obsessing on, and then building a new technology is not for the faint of heart. Matt shares fascinating stories of real-world R&D failures, triumphs and flat-out stoke as his crew prepares to open up to the public in Spring 2024.

In this episode, we have a lively chat with the always-on-point Dr. Jess Ponting Jess is one of the brains behind Surf Park Summit, the annual wave pool dreamer, doer and developer convention. The Summit runs September 18-20 in San Diego, California.