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.
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