Another surf contest is swapping out the ocean for a wave pool. Today, the International Surfing Association announced that its 2026 para surfing championships will be held in the DSRT Surf facility in Palm Springs, California November 19-22.
While it’s been more than a decade since surf contests were first held in wave pools, it marks a change in the M.O. of surfing’s governing authority. Even though the ISA originally proposed Olympic surfing be held in a wave pool, this is the first time it’s actually held an event in an artificial basin. It might be a signal that more championships in its catalog could be making the move to chlorine.
In the press release, ISA President Fernando Aguerre said it was an “opportunity to experience surf lagoon technology in a high-performance environment.”
The ISA World Para Surfing Championships are a competition for surfers with physical challenges — including, but not limited to, leg amputations, spinal cord injuries, and visual impairments. The event debuted in La Jolla, California in 2015 and has since been held in Huntington Beach and Pismo Beach.
DSRT Surf, utilizing Wavegarden technology, is slated to open this summer in Palm Springs, California. Wavegarden says the pool can produce 1,000 waves per hour and features more than 60 wave settings. Jacob “Zeke” Szekely called it “the best wave pool in the world” and the Colapinto brothers said it has “the best air section in California.”
It’s the first Wavegarden pool to open in California, joining Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch and Palm Springs Surf Club as the only operational pools in the state.
