Search for a Location
  Clear Recents
Metro
South West
Central West
North West
  Surf Cameras
  Safety Bay Camera
Metro
North
Mid North
Illawarra
South Coast
Metro
West Coast
East Coast
Brisbane
Far North
Central Coast
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast
Hobart
West Coast
North Coast
East Coast
Recent
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Tasmania
  My Favourites
  Reverse Arrows
General
Gps & Speed Sailing
Wave Sailing
Foiling
Gear Reviews
Lost & Found
Windsurfing WA
Windsurfing NSW
Windsurfing QLD
Windsurfing Victoria
Windsurfing SA
Windsurfing Tasmania
General
Gear Reviews
Foiling
Newbies / Tips & Tricks
Lost & Found
Western Australia
New South Wales
Queensland
Victoria
South Australia
Tasmania
General
Foiling
Board Talk & Reviews
Wing Foiling
All
Windsurfing
Kitesurfing
Surfing
Longboarding
Stand Up Paddle
Wing Foiling
Sailing
  Active Topics
  Subscribed Topics
  Rules & Guidelines
Login
Lost My Details!
Join! (Its Free)
  Search for a Location
  Clear Recents
Metro
South West
Central West
North West
Surf Cameras
Safety Bay Camera
Metro
North
Mid North
Illawarra
South Coast
Metro
West Coast
East Coast
Brisbane
Far North
Central Coast
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast
Hobart
West Coast
North Coast
East Coast
Recent
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Tasmania
  My Favourites
  Reverse Arrows
All
Windsurfing
Kitesurfing
Surfing
Longboarding
Stand Up Paddle
Wing Foiling
Sailing
Active Topics
Subscribed Topics
Forum Rules
Login
Lost My Details!
Join! (Its Free)

WSL buys Kelly Slaters Wave Pool: Says they might not use it

Not a month after Kelly Slater unleashed his wave pool on the world, the WSL has purchased a majority share in it for an undisclosed (but surely in the many millions, if not billions) amount of dollars.

After such an acquisition, one is to expect nothing less than a swift press release stating that the worlds first ever WSL sanctioned event on a man-made wave was about to happen, but contrary to what surfers all over the world expected, we got a breakfast TV host trying out the wave, and a far less predictable statement from the WSL.

"We do believe that all stakeholders - athletes, fans, broadcast and corporate partners - will be super energized by the advent of Championship Tour-level competition with man-made waves. But the ocean will always be our home, and the great waves on our tour will always remain the backbone of our competitive schedule." Shared WSL CEO, Paul Speaker. "No firm plans have been made for the inclusion of a man-made wave-based competition. We will be evaluating all the possibilities in the coming months with the Commissioners' Office and the WSL athletes."

Creator of the wave pool, and one of its biggest champions, Kelly Slater echoed similar sentiments when asked about the WSL's purchase.

"While surfing for me will always be about adventure, travel and the ocean, this wave brings a new opportunity to the sport without taking away the soulfulness that attracted many of us to surfing in first place. Surfing great waves in a controlled environment adds a new dimension, as there is no hassling for waves, no stress over who got the best wave - they are all good. Everyone can relax, have fun and focus on improving their surfing."

With the majority stake now being held by the WSL, and the future of competition surfing on everyone's minds. That 'O' word is back in the spotlight. Leveling the playing field, and allowing good surfing conditions in any location on earth, Olympic Surfing might have just become viable.

What do you think will happen in the 2017 series and beyond? Will the dream of a wave pool in every country town become a reality?