Plagued by technology flaws, surf parks are struggling to live up to their hype 0
Surfers are always in search of the perfect wave. The problem is those moving mountains of water are rare in Florida, so much that dedicated surfers scour the state and beyond to find the right conditions.
Surf parks were supposed to be the solution. They were designed to offer real thrills in an underwater world of concrete and chlorine, delivering a steady supply of man-made waves that would eliminate the waiting for perfect surf.
Now, surf parks are on the verge of wiping out.
Last year, Cocoa-based Ron Jon Surf Shop pulled its name off a proposed surf park in Orlando that touted waves as high as 10 feet and the use of new technology that could alter the contour of the bottom of the pool to emulate some of the more famous ocean breaks. The project was delayed by technology flaws since it was announced in 2004, and developers are searching for other investors to continue.
“We signed on as a bigger scope project,” Ron Jon spokeswoman Heather Lewis said. “The developers were wanting to go with a scaled-down version, and that didn’t meet our criteria.”
Another proposed surf park, the Randall’s Island Aquatic Center in New York City, was nixed in January 2008 because of a lack of funds.
Even surf parks that were completed have not stayed open for long. The Ocean Dome in Japan, listed in the Guinness World Records as the largest indoor water park, closed this year because of poor attendance.
The struggle of surf parks to become a mecca for wave-riding enthusiasts comes at a time when the sport is trying to define itself.
Surfing purists have never been fond of surf parks. To them, it makes surfing boring because part of the sport is searching remote beaches for the best waves.
But professional surfers saw the potential of surf parks as a way to reach a mainstream audience…
subscribe to comments RSS
Comments are closed