World Surf League green bonafides put to the
screws!
The World Surf League, as we know, has placed
itself at the very forefront of marine-adjacent environmentalism
what with its One Ocean initiative “aimed at protecting the ocean
to preserve the future of surfing for generations to come. Working
in collaboration with WSL’s non-profit partner, WSL PURE, WSL One
Ocean engages fans and hosts event-based local impact projects
throughout the WSL Championship Tour.”
Fans with eyes, though, or fingers that can decipher brail, are
able to discern the vast hypocrisy what with a tour that randomly
criss-crosses the globe, flotillas of carbon-spewing boats in
channels but, mostly, two power-hungry wave pools gobbling off the
grid like a Wright family accountant.
The latest, Surf Abu Dhabi in a Middle-Eastern desert.
Well, a non-World Surf League tub has just opened in an American
desert and has revealed itself to be wildly green.
Revel Surf Park at Cannon Beach swung its gates wide open, two
days ago, in Mesa, Arizona. The facility, which features diving
platforms, an infinity pool and, of course, wave lake.
“I’ve thought often that Arizona would be the perfect state if
we just had waves,” owner Cannon Cole Cannon shared with the
local NBC
affiliate. “A lot of gratitude. It’s been a long hot
journey building out here,” he continued. “Since we broke ground
1,344 days ago we are officially open to the public and we’re very
excited about that.”
While critics might decry the waste, especially in quickly
drying Arizona, Cannon let it be known how shockingly
environmentally friendly it all is thanks to a new, patented wave
generating technology.
“My business partner Matt is heavily responsible for a lot of
that,” Cannon carried on. “It’s a crew of about four of us who
built it. We’ve been building the airplane while we’ve been flying
at the same time, and we think we built something special.”
The technology runs on hydropower and the land it lies on used
to be an alfalfa farm, the surf park chewing only about two percent
of what the farm used.
“We consume about the same amount of water as one hole of a golf
course. Our power is that of maybe two Corvettes for our entire
wave machine,” Cannon declared.
One hole of a golf course and two Corvette engines.
How much water/power do you imagine Surf Abu Dhabi sucks?
More importantly, do you have plans to visit Mesa? Would you
consider permanently relocating if, indeed, Arizona is now
“perfect?”
The Grand Canyon State has a flat tax.
Very attractive.
