Wave pools have introduced entirely new conversations about surfing into our daily lives. It used to be as simple as looking at a picture of a really great wave in a magazine then fantasizing about having it to just yourself and a couple friends. But that’s just it – it was always understood that this conversation was purely based in fantasy because the moment that photo was published, the days of said wave being left alone were already gone. Few places in the world are regulated well enough to actually put a cap on crowd numbers. So we surf with the masses. Such is life.
But wave pools? Oh, boy. Wave pools are actual things that exist now. And you can legitimately scheme a way to make your millions, build a pool of your own, and construct a tall fence to come with it, keeping the peasants out of your water and off your waves. So far, Kelly Slater is the only person to have accomplished such a feat, handing out golden tickets for Surf Ranch entry on the reg.
Well, Brett Barley just used the popularity of the brand new BSR Wave Pool in Waco, Texas to give this entire concept a test ride. His invite to Texas included the opportunity to test out the wave itself with just a few friends, followed by a “public” session the next day…you know, in a crowd…like our ancestors used to surf.
“It’s pretty tricky to get figured out,” Barley said after his first session in the pool. “It takes riding waves to figure out ‘Ok, it’s gonna do this.’ And then the first wave’s different from the second wave, different from the third wave, and even sometimes, the waves are different from the last set.”
After getting a taste of the wave in some privacy, Barley surfed the wave in a public session. “I think that was everyone’s main concern,” he acknowledged,”It’s cool when everyone’s surfing in private sessions but what’s it like when there’s 15 guys in the water? Well, the way they have the rotation going, it’s pretty rad.”
So what’s our takeaway? The age-old method of order and following an actual lineup scientifically proves surfing is still fun. Even in crowds.
