It's official: New Kelly Slater wave pool for Florida
Anyone remember the film Cocoon? Yes, no? In short, a bunch of pensioners in Florida discover the fountain of youth, a backyard pool charged with a 'life force' created by a friendly alien.
It's a case of life imitating art with Kelly Slater announcing the opening of his second wave pool, the location being retirement capital of the US, Palm Beach, Florida.
Palm Beach County has little in the way of real surf, it's largely blockd by Grand Bahama, but it's stumped up the $25 million fee for some of Slater's life force.
Said the 11-time alien on Instagram:
"Well...it’s official...we have a building permit in Palm Beach County for Surf Ranch Florida."
"I’m beyond proud and stoked to see the first of our developments at Kelly Slater Wave Company going to my home state of Florida. Thank you to Mayor Burdick and the city commissioners for your approval and support of the project. Also thank you to Jupiter Farms for your comments and support. Looking forward to being neighbors. I keep joking about it but it might be true that now I can move back home now and surf as much as I want!"
"Cannot wait to see a bunch more stoked people riding waves. This is gonna be fun."
Ominously, the tagline to Cocoon was: "It is everything you dreamed of. It is nothing you expect."
Comments
"Can't wait to see a bunch more people riding waves. This is going to be fun "
It's a short list of surfers who'd voice that opinion.
Kinda makes sense, building it in his home ground (Florida) where it all started.
AND, webbers wave pool? Has construction started?
Did I miss an announcement, press release, article?
Or, was the last hyped up article from / about Webber's pond just an attempt to stay in the vicinity of some semblance of relevance now that the WSL Wave Pool is charging ahead?
The Thumbnail for this article is superb. It looks like a classic shot of a Gerry Lopez tube slouch at G-land, only it's 2ft
This is the way that wavegarden is making their pool waves to look faster!
You have to remember it is billionaire Dirk Ziff and his wife Natasha, who now own the rights to Kelly's wave and it will be Dirk who will be paying millions to get it built (with no guaranteed return). Dirk is already losing they say about 30 million a year sponsoring the WSl. He must be a glutton for punishment, but hey, his wife likes pro surfers, wait, I mean pro surfing.
Since Dirk Ziff now owns the rights to this thing, and it is Dirk who is paying to get it built, I think we should start calling it 'Dirk's wave'.
Never it will always be Kellys Wave Pool
I think because Dirk Ziff is sponsoring the WSL and also paying for the new wave tank, it should be called "Dirk's Wave".
Kelly wanted to reproduce a perfect wave , mission accomplished , and one has to congratulate him on fulfilling a dream .
It looks like the business plan is to create 16 acres of pools surrounded by hotels, resto's , bars , live music which is where the big$'s are for Ziffy , a surf theme park , why not?
The big question is will Webber come through with his wonder pool , and blow out KS's pool. So far nada, has Stu been conned by GW , up date please!!!
There will be a spaceship docking ability. The spaceship will have room for boards.
Well, I guess only time will tell. Dirk Ziff is still reportedly losing about 30 million a year sponsoring the WSL. It seems Paul Speaker was let go cuz he couldn't turn a profit and they hired two new CEOs. One with a tennis background and one with a kickboxing background, it will be interesting to see what kind of new business plan they come up (nothing so far). And now Dirk's going to sink millions and millions more into a wave tank. Kelly scored with this sugar daddy.
It's official, I will be a surf critique, general dude, historian. Man, I can write shit.
Another wave pool for Kelly and friends which is not currently planned to be open to the public... Or so I've been told by residents and govy workers in the PB County area.
I can promise you that if Ziffy and PB council are doing business ther will be access to the public to the pools , Restaurants, Bars , night clubs , maybe even a Golf Course , you don't spend 10's of millions of dollars creating a personal pool , these guys are very good business men!
Where is GW's at?
Hope you're right! Anyone want to buy a house in Jupiter? I've got one going cheap!
Ok.
You (Kellly) have to have sixties sounding bands, close by.
That would do it.
Does this Trump, Trump. Apparently so.
Does this Trump, Trump. Apparently so.
Does this Trump, Trump. Apparently so.
Kellys Wave Pool, sounds Greek?
That's right, there is not a Greek God called Kelly.
Greeks didn't surf.