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You can download the full Surf Park Summit 1 event program here. (Password: SPS1) If you’re a Surf Park Insider Premium or Company Member you can also access the transcripts from all of the Summit presentations here.
DOUG PALLADINI – Unlocking the Surf Industry’s Potential: In a live and exclusive interview with MC Scott Bass, Doug Palladini (President of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, and Vice President, General Manager of the Americas for Vans) will discuss the future of surf parks and what it means for the surf industry and the sport of surfing.
PT TOWNEND – Six Decades in the Pool: As a teenager in Australia, PT Townend read the late sixties issue of Surfing Magazine featuring the story on “Big Surf in Tempe Arizona.” There he saw the 1968 ISA World Champ Fred Hemmings perched on the nose in a giant swimming pool. Little did Townend know that he too would become an IPS/ASP World Champ at Clevland’s Geauga Lake in 1985. In this talk, Townend examines the history of surf parks from his worldly, aquatic vantage.
DAN HARMON – Designing, Building and Operating – Lessons from Abu Dhabi: Select Contracts has been designing, building and operating projects in the Leisure and Entertainment industry since 1978. The company’s involvement in surf parks began three years ago in Abu Dhabi with Wadi Adventure, the world’s first wave pool to be operated solely for surfing. Select Contracts was involved in the park’s design, operations and management for the first year of opening. Dan Harmon will provide a brief history of the project and will also share lessons learned from operating a dedicated surf park, designing new ones and other adventure sports projects.
TOM LOCHTEFELD – Surf Pool Metrics & Standardization: In this presentation, Tom Lochtefeld identifies potential problems in surf pool manufacturer’s performance claims, devising and agreeing upon simple-to-use methods, using readily measured/estimated quantities, and identifying and debunking unrealistic wave-making claims.
SHAUN TOMSON – Waves of Stone: Shaun Tomson, 1977 IPS World Champion Surfer, founder of two successful clothing brands, prolific author, film producer, and one of surfing’s living treasures. Shaun will share his ideas on using existing resources to create hand-made waves.
BRANDON LOWERY – Webber Wave Pools: In collaboration with universities in Holland and Australia, world famous surfboard designer Greg Webber has invested nearly a decade in R&D to create perfect waves. With a mission to establish community assets that provide a means for economic expansion, Webber Wave Pools will provide the ideal environment to support the social trend towards a fast growing surfing population from the pure beginner to the world’s best. By focusing on wave quality, wave control, wave rate, and IP strength, Webber Wave Pools strives to introduce groundbreaking development solutions globally.
NEIL EGSGARD & JUSTIN QUINLAN – Surf Anywhere Project – Building & Sharing River Waves: The Surf Anywhere Project is building open source high quality river waves. The waves are built by surfers for surfers and the design and construction knowledge is shared in detail. The current project in Alberta, Canada, will result in a 20’ wide x 3’ – 4’ high wave that is free to surf in a pine forest overlooked by the Rocky Mountains and will cost about $20,000. We will discuss the history & spread of river surfing, channel based river surf wave construction and the success & the future of the Surf Anywhere Project.
BRUCE MCFARLAND – Definition and Criteria of Surf Parks: There are key differences in wave technology offerings for out of ocean surfing experiences. This talk will present high level definitions of “waves” and surf pool criteria for purposes of clarification. Physics of ocean and out-of-ocean waves, size, shape, system performance and implementations in current and future surf parks will be shown. Big announcement to follow presentation…
SURF PARK SUSTAINABILITY – A Threat and an Opportunity for the Surf Park Industry: The most significant PR and political threat to the surf park industry lies in environmental backlash due to unsustainable practices and large physical and carbon footprints. To avoid becoming a pariah of the environmental movement, surf parks need to incorporate sustainability initiatives that are real, authentic, meaningful, and effective. These initiatives must not only minimize and offset ecological impact, but should also ensure that social justice, corporate responsibility, and the protection of coastal and marine environments are pillars built into the foundation and culture of surf parks around the world.
JAMIE MEISELMAN – Fantasy to Reality – Surf Park Business Model Viability: With so much emphasis on the dream of perfect, repeatable waves, less attention has been given to a more important piece of the surf park puzzle: a sustainable business model. Jamie Meiselman, founder of Surfparks LLC, wrote the business plan, financial forecast, and raised over $11 million in debt and equity to build the Ron Jon Surfpark in Orlando Florida back in 2005. While the facility never opened due to technology issues, Meiselman gained substantial market feedback and invaluable knowledge in developing the business model for the surf park. In this presentation, Meiselman outlines the key components of a viable business model for a surf park, and what it’s going to take to turn the dream into a profitable reality.
