SURFLOCH creates first waves in Palm Springs for Pono Group.
SURFLOCH has delivered the first barrels in Coachella Valley for the Palm Springs Surf Club test facility at the former Wet n’ Wild Water Park site, a new development by Pono Group led by professional surfers Cheyne Magnusson and Kalani Robb.
Proving the versatility of the technology, SURFLOCH collaborated with Pono Group to retrofit an existing wavepool within the renamed Palm Springs Surf Club (PSSC) site and successfully created ocean-like waves without changing the bathymetry of the existing pool – a first for any wavepool company.
SURFLOCH Inventor, Tom Lochtefeld said the test site is just scraping the surface of what’s possible with its air-driven technology: “I’m excited to share with the world the result of 30 years research and development and debut our innovative wave-making technology.”
“Surfing brings joy to people’s lives, and with SURFLOCH technology, that same stoke can be shared with more people in more places than ever before.”
“Working with Cheyne and the test site at PSSC, we’re really just getting started with the options for wave variety, bringing to life what we’ve been testing behind closed doors with custom solutions.”
Despite being instrumental in developing other wave-making technologies on the market, Cheyne Magnusson, Chief Hydro Officer at PSSC, chose SURFLOCH’s unique pneumatic solution because it provided an unlimited scope of wave types.
“We’ve got it all. I’ve used other pneumatic technologies out there and if you liken their variety to playing different notes on a keyboard, Tom’s technology is like a playing a theatre organ… I’m still discovering new combinations and solutions.”
“As surfers, we want that same wave over and over to practice on, but having a variety of waves is something that makes a pool feel more like the real thing. This tech – has infinite combinations to keep us satisfied on all levels.”
“I want to be able to control waves so anyone who comes to PSSC - whether learning to surf, an average guy getting barrelled, or a professional challenging their master skillset. I never thought I’d be able to do all three in this test phase. Imagine what we’ll be able to do at full-scale.”
Today PSSC in partnership with Vans have released the latest episode of Dylan Graves’ Weird Waves content series, giving an exclusive look at the desert-locked test site, the science behind wave-making and the evolution of the surfpool industry.
Over the coming weeks, the proof-of-concept project will enable the partnership to continue exploring wave types, while enabling the Pono Group to secure funding for the full-scale development – a revamped water park with a surfpool twice the size of the current test pool.
SURFLOCH are the originators of cutting edge wave-making technology. With over 30 years of innovation, including the world-renowned Flowrider stationary wave, this latest technology is the most controllable and ocean-like experience wave system on the planet.