Scotland’s Lost Shore Surf Resort has been named the best surf park in the world. Photo: Lost Shore Surf Resort
There are a lot of surf parks in the world these days, but only one has been named the best by Mike Goldys, who, according to a press release, has a surf park resume that “spans 27 wave pools across 10 countries, featuring 15 different wave-making technologies and more than 145 hours in the water.” His favorite? Lost Shore Surf Resort in Scotland. It should be noted here that the author who named it number one didn’t surf every wave pool in the world, so grain of salt, you know?
Goldys’ report was published in Blooloop, a bit of a strange website that calls itself “the world’s largest media source for the visitor attractions industry, covering all the latest news from theme parks, museums, zoos, aquariums, immersive experiences, and FECs.”
Anyway, after assessing a bunch of pools around the world, Goldys picked his favorite. In order to do so, he took a few things into account:
- Booking experience
- Food & beverage offerings
- Ancillary activities onsite
- On-property surf shop
- Clean, convenient restrooms/showers/changing rooms
- Locker availability
- Rental equipment
- Overnight accommodations
- Hot tubs and recovery pools
- Viewing areas
So who is Goldys, and why should we listen to his opinion? Well, it’s likely that he’s surfed in more pools than most, and he does it as a regular guy who pays his own way.
“To date, I have traveled across the United States and around the globe to experience 27 different wave pools,” he explained. “My first-hand experience as a regular paying customer allows me to remain unbiased and offer undiluted opinions on what each unique surf park has to offer.”
Goldys rankings included eight other parks. RiF010, in the Netherlands, Japan’s Surf Stadium, Virginia’s Atlantic Park Surf, The LineUp at Wai Kai in Hawaii, o2 SURFTOWN MUC in Germany, Waco Surf, Texas, Switzerland’s OANA Surf, and The Wave in the UK. Notably absent is Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, but that’s not exactly the easiest place to score a session at.
You’d be excused if you weren’t aware of Lost Shore Surf Resort. Hell, I’ve only heard of it in passing, and I look for surf-related news every day. There are a pile of man-made waves all over the world using different technologies, and Lost Shore uses Wavegarden’s. Specifically, the Wavegarden Cove.
It sits on 60 acres, making it the largest wave pool in Europe. Last year was its first full year of operation, and over 200,000 people showed up. Surprisingly, less than half of them were surfers — just 70,000 — but that’s because like many other wave parks, Lost Shore offers more than just surf.
“Across the surf parks I assessed globally, Lost Shore delivered one of the strongest combinations of technology, experience and atmosphere,” Goldys said. “It’s not just about the waves, it’s about creating a complete experience for the paying customer. That balance isn’t always understood on the business end, but Lost Shore has nailed it.”
Andy Hadden, the guy behind Lost Shore was happy to hear he’d created something that someone thought was the best in the world.
“It’s not every day you’re recognized as the world’s best and it is incredibly humbling,” he said. “It reflects the dedication of our team, the belief of our partners, and the support of the surfing community who’ve backed us from the beginning. We set out to build more than a wave pool — we wanted to create a destination that brings people together through adventure, wellbeing and world-class experiences. To have that vision acknowledged internationally means a huge amount, and we’re excited to welcome even more visitors from around the world in the year ahead.”
