Photo: Kai Lenny // YouTube
Wave pools have been on the mind of the surfing world in recent years. Of course, they’ve been very topical recently, with weeks of anticipation (and controversy) surrounding the now wrapped Surf Abu Dhabi Pro. However, news and speculation surrounding the polarizing wave-making machines had reached a relentless regularity long before that – whether it’s from the exhausting amount of announcements of new facilities (many of which the general surfing public will never get to visit anyway) or the now-tired constant hatred for competitions held at the facilities. Either way, like ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay.
Kai Lenny, for his part, seems to be in the “like ‘em” camp. Or he at least appreciates their potential for creativity. It makes sense – as probably the world’s premiere do-anything multi-hyphenate waterman, Kai will take any chance he can get to ride a wave in a way that’s novel or innovative. At a recent trip to Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch with Jamie O’Brien, that’s exactly what he did. Surfing switch, strapped in, and on a foil, Kai put the Ranch through its paces in a way only he can.
