Adds giant catapult and obstacle course!
Do you remember when Wavegarden’s first commercial pool opened in the little Welsh village of Dolgarrog last August? The pool, called Surf Snowdonia, was built on the site of an old aluminium smelter, cost $US17 million, and for a moment, was spangled with the gold of expectation.
The energy drink company Red Bull held a contest there (Albee Layer won), surfers engaged back and forth on its merits (one surfer wrote eloquently about having his “worst surf in two years” , another said, Welsh surfers should learn to shred not complain) and, it seemed, everyone was making plans to jump into its frigid fresh water next time they were near Europe.
Then it broke down, the liner was ripped and the pool was closed. Twice. Sixty casual workers and eight full-timers were sacked.
In December, Kelly Slater appeared with a wavepool that was merciless in its superiority. It was enough to sap the morale and break the will of a king!
At the time, Matt Warshaw said, “Wavegarden just went Betamax! Wavegarden execs are standing on office building ledges, crying, looking down at the sidewalk!”
But, today, Surf Snowdonia reopened after a $US1.5 million refit that includes a Crash-and-Splash obstacle course and a giant catapult.
And the waves?
Andy Ainscough, managing director of the Surf Snowdonia, says: “The number one thing we wanted to get right during our winter downtime was the addressing the reliability of our Wavegarden, and we’re confident that we’ve delivered on that. Leitner has made some very specific modifications to the motors which have optimised the mechanics of creating consistently powerful waves, day in, day out. The last six weeks have been entirely dedicated to putting the motors through their paces and testing their resilience under pressure.”
Does the idea of surfing a Wavegarden still excite you like it did three years ago when it was still a secret in the Basque hills?
Or are you holding your cards until you can get to a Kelly?
Turn hard right at Featherston, go down the western side of the lake next to the hills, then when you hit the shingle beach keep going for about 1km, fording a shallow stream. There’s a slabby left and then the right is another 500m. It peels for 200m metres from the shore. Needs a decent southerly swell, and loses the sun at 12.30 in winter. 4WD required. It’s worth a trip.
Windsurfing saved me when I lived in Wellie for a couple of years a while back. Ever surfed the secret right beside the bike trail?
In the woods?
Wellie needs a lot more than just a wave-pool imho. Having said that, the ‘rapa is totes the shizz.
I don’t think that word means what they think it means
What does it do? Catapults kooks to the woods?
I have a challenge for Snowdonia : try to convince me that their wave is actually cool to surf, and that the whole experience around it is cool too. In return, and if I am convinced, I promiss I will make nice comments here and there about them.
I wouldn’t. I didn’t even had a look at the contest, the wave looks like a weak version of an onshore pier spot. The whole damn thing was supposed to be a larger version of the wave garden, 6 feet perfect with small tubes on offer if you can find them. All I see is that they failed, and that Kelly managed.
I think they are freaking out because kelly has got the goods and they don’t even have the money to make it as good. Will they getting the funding
travelling to surf that instead of Kellys would be like celebrating a victory with Jacobs creek trilogy sparkling wine instead of Dom Perignon
Whining is a unappreciated art-form.
###NEGATRONFIRSTPERSONOUTSIDEOFKELLYSINNERCIRCLETOSURFHISWAVEPOOL####
don’t be fucken ridiculous! why would you bother with that shitty wave when they have a Giant Catapult
Just when i was thinking: “there should be more catapults in my life”
I think these catapults are more appealing when in the merciless Havasu sun and swarming with half naked, bronzed good time girls. The frigid water, bleak surroundings and pasty brits aren’t doing it for me.
Wouldn’t mind giving it a try but I could never see myself doing it consistently unless the price was drastically reduced. Hard to transition to paying for something that I’ve done for free my whole life.
“Wouldn’t mind giving it a try” lies!! froth-dog levels are at 99% to surf this regardless of the coinage involved…
Oh, I would absolutely shell out for a few sessions but I couldn’t ever see myself doing it consistently. Maybe I’m just a cheap bastard.
It’d probably be the thing you get as a gift. Oh Auntie Steph, a 10 trip surf, catapult and obstacle combo, you shouldn’t have. Oh, would you look at that, the same gift from cousin Rod. What could this possibly be, grandma, grandpa?
I’d like to see one out by Snowplanet. It would stop you and your horrible east coast fag mates from infesting M Bay.
Maybe we need a fag referendum, to decide who gets to surf where.
Excellent idea. My vote is for a demarcation line enclosing the entire East Coast Bays. BTW been out my way lately?
Not for some time.
Maybe the giant Catapult and obstacle course will be the clincher!! Personally I would prefer a slip and slide. But yeah I am with The Waterman – any wave like this would be sick to ride. Does that pic look like it is a bit bigger too?? Its only going to raise the bar and they will keep getting better
Isn’t that pic fake ?
Yeah you right, gotta fucking eye infection and to be honest did not have a good look!! Guess I thought they couldn’t come back after 8 months and make it any smaller, thought it be a step up, otherwise with Kelly’s wave they should just stay closed!!!