THE Gold Coast is locked in a race for Australia's first surfing wave pool - with Ipswich. Yes, that surfing Mecca west of Brisbane - and about 100km from the nearest surfing beach - is in the frame to host the country's first purpose-built wave pool for surfing. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale will meet proponents for the concept in the coming days, while his Gold Coast counterpart Tom Tate will also meet officials in a bid to lure the project to Australia's surfing capital.
Chairman of the Gold Coast surf industry taskforce John Nielsen is a long-time advocate of wave pools as a way to combat the rising tide of surf rage on the Gold Coast's increasingly crowded breaks and has been pushing for artificial waves in Australia.He said the multimillion-dollar project would be privately funded, with a number of backers and contractors ready to pull the trigger, including world surfing superstar Kelly Slater, who has his own wave pool design company, KS Wave Company."The technology is there, the backing is there, it's just about getting the details right," he said."These will be a reality within two or three years."
Two Gold Coast theme parks have basic wave pools, but they are not suited to experienced surfers chasing the ultimate wave.
Serious wave pools, capable of generating set after set of perfect waves, already exist in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.Councillor Tate said the Gold Coast was a perfect fit for a wave pool tourist attraction."It fits the Gold Coast lifestyle perfectly," he said."To have a never-ending wave, so that you never have to worry about the surf being flat or too big or too crowded, it's a fantastic concept.
"And if they (the developers) are thinking about Ipswich, let me say, it's time to switch."However Councillor Pisasale said Ipswich also had a compelling case for a wave pool attraction."Ipswich would be perfect," he said."We've got a great climate, we're close to the state capital and it would be a fantastic tourist attraction.
"The Gold Coast already has a number of tourist attractions so maybe it's time to share them around a bit."The surfing industry generates a reported $3.3 billion for the Gold Coast economy each year.
Read more: www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/ipswich-takes-on-gold-coast-in-chase-for-wave-pool/news-story/9cb16520d1d7e361fabd6a865c93c6c1
I thought you Queenslanders would be all over this - but no doubt you are still basking in the knowledge that the Bronco's will get to play every Friday night for another 5 yrs 
I wonder how many surfers are allowed in at one time and for how long can you surf for.
so at $3 a wave - does that mean we can break it down a little further....you do 4 bottoms turns and 4 top turns, throw in a cuttie and a floater to end....so thats 10 moves at 30 cents each.....would you pay more for a floater than a bottom turn? Or would a nice roundhouse be good value for money? Imagine if does throw out and barrel like they reckon - get sloted for 10 seconds and it costs ya $1 - get 20 waves in a session and happy days - a lot cheaper than Cloudbreak - but is it the same...
It will be interesting to see where this takes us - I for one will be watching with a keen interest. I would be happy to pay $30 for a quick session of 10 good waves I reckon occasionally. Not every day but if the waves are good I would have no problem going every few weeks. Especially during the dreaded months like October / November where I live.
Maybe long weekends on the Goldie will now have an extra activity to do
Interesting the 2 different proposals ,
Gold coast - pros -full of Surfers and cashed up tourists ,
Against - have a choice between real waves and a man made wave in a pool ,
I would go the real surf every day .
Ipswich - pros -some keen local Surfers
- no local waves to compete with
Against -very few cashed up tourists and surrounded by some pretty low socioeconomic areas
If I was the one funding the pool I know where it would be going , sorry Ipswich .
Spoken with "tongue in cheek".......
Food for thought.....This could end up being the opposite of the "westie" concept.....those from the western suburbs traveling to cronulla on the train etc..
What would those on the coast that travelled to Ipswich be called by the locals...???
Would there be some heavy Ipswich locals "policing" the line up haha
These are the hard hitting questions that I think Paul Pissale should turn his mind to...not one of increasing Ipswich economy etc.....
^^^^now that made me laugh horto
. geez there would be some dodgy milf dreessed to the nines if they do open it there
tongue in cheek
Maroubra has the Bra Boys, Hawaii has the Da Hui.... What would the Ipswich equivalent be called......???
I read this before Ted posted it,Ipswich's Mayor imo is a great man to lead his town but really Ipswich is the wrong place for this machine.
Nothing would replace the drive to the beach and the surf check and the blood pumping when its on imo to a man made machine.
Send it to north OLD or WA.
or they could just be called the DO YOU GIVE TICKER IPOS
Wondering how many of you would actually use these wave pools if there was one near you .
I really don't think I would use it .For me half the fun of surfing is interacting with the environment . The biggest buzz I get from surfing is when I get to see some wildlife , and while there would be sure to be plenty of wildlife at the wave pool it would be all of the 2 legged variety ,
^^^^i would go and spend the coin and surf it. why not,cant hurt,it might even be set up well and i will enjoy it..... nah i would surf it once just to see. i love being in the ocean too much
This has Perth written all over it...with the non event waves we have to endure through summer (and much of winter) in the metro area!
someone would make a killing out here if they setup
During the Fiji Coup in 2001 I think it was we scored some cheap tickets and headed off to a place on Kandavu for 2 weeks. There was not a lot of swell for 10 of those days so we surfed this one spot every day at about head high - an almost perfect left. When the swell did hit for the other few days I can assure you it was perfect! The wave though was so good that having 2 long surfs a day at this one spot in head high conditions just did not boother any of us. It was soo good that we could not get enough of it. No boredom what so ever. So I guess Tassie if they can make a good wave I would be happy to surf there many times I reckon and would not get bored. I will always prefer the ocean but if there is a decent wave within a 15 to 30 min drive of my house or close to where I am holidaying then I will be all over it like a cheap suit. Especially when the ocean is not co-operating or its night time. 2 But if I had too choose between 2 weeks in a wave pool and 2 weeks on an island in the tropics the island will win everytime.....
they want to power the pools from the power generated from running water(rivers,wow waterfalls would have some gusto)
so why not places like FNQ, darwin,could even have a night comp at ayres rock
im starting to like it. i have skated the same bowl for a year and im far from sick of it..i love to find a faster line or a more griiiiiiindable section all the time..but for pure surfing for my soul it will always be the ocean....yet a ****ing mental water skate park would be the (im shuddering with excitement)
