Renderings may be all we ever get of the ASC. Photo: Austin Surf Club // Instagram
A new wave pool gets announced every day, but it’s less often that you hear about one going under. However, according to public filings, the much-hyped Austin Surf Club may be in jeopardy.
“ASC will redefine the surf lifestyle in Texas with the world’s largest surf basin powered by Kelly Slater surf tech, luxury amenities, farm-to-table dining, and wellness spaces,” wrote the pool’s Instagram acccount in December of last year. “A community where families will flourish, friendships will grow, and unforgettable sessions await!”
Of course, that’s the kind of bombastic language that all surf parks use, but in the case of the 333-acre development near Austin’s airport, it felt at least a little justified. That’s because, even in the oversaturated world of wave pools, Austin Surf Club had an especially large amount of steam behind it. In addition to using using the aforementioned Kelly Slater Wave Co. technology, the project counted Matthew McConaughey, Tony Hawk and Drew Brees among its future residential property owners.
However, that bubble may have burst. According to publicly available filings with the Travis County Clerk’s Office obtained by the Austin Business Journal, contractors working on the project have filed $4.6 million in construction liens for work done late in 2025 and early 2026. Several outlets are also reporting that construction has recently stopped at the facility. That doesn’t mean the project has been canned entirely, but it’s certainly not a good sign.
