Surf lovers, rejoice!
No longer will you have to search for the perfect wave while in the ocean as North America's first official "surf park" opens today in Austin, Texas.
Founded by the heir to beer dynasty Doug Coors, Nland Surf Park features the first artificial wavepool powered by WaveGarden technology to open on American ground. The modern technology will create waves ideal for all sorts of surfers, from beginners to experts.
The park will also host a shop stocked with all sort of props and equipment, including surfboards by Channel Island.
But the months leading up to the grand opening have been rocky, to say the least. Originally scheduled to open in April, the park's construction was halted following heavy rainfall. Then, in July, Travis County, representing the city of Austin, sued the facility claiming that it failed to meet health and safety requirements that are applied to public pools under state law.
Following a recent agreement about the regulation of the surf lagoon, which holds 11 million gallons of rain water, Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gómez released a statement applauding the park's ability to overcome the initial issues: "NLand represents innovation in technology, sustainability and sport. [...] I am glad an agreement was reached as this project represents the best of Austin."
The park created a state-of-the-art filtration system that will help clean the 100% self-sustaining lagoon. "Independent testing shows the water quality meets or exceeds standards set by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency," reads an official statement. "The lagoon is 100% self-sustaining, using a system that captures water from the property."
"As a surfer and an engineer, NLand has been a dream of mine for the past 20 years," said Coor. "We have had our share of challenges, but they are behind us and I look forward to sharing our waves with the world."
We suggest you head to the park's official website to book your session right now: something tells us space will be limited this upcoming weekend.