Another territory ceded to Spanish innovation!
There was a time, not too long ago, when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a race in building their nuclear arsenals. It was an amusing game with fun results though eventually the Soviets couldn’t afford to keep up and the whole country collapsed. We are now seeing a similar drama play out but this time between surf tank giants Kelly Slater Wave Company and Europe’s Wavegarden.
Which will win and which will collapse? Very difficult to say at this point. The KS Wave Co. seems to have a much better PR machine for it is Surf Ranch that gets millions of views online. But while people are watching Surf Ranch they are going to Wavegardens from Wales to Austin and now Scotland too.
For it was revealed today that Wavegarden Scotland is being developed in an old rock quarry near Edinburgh. Let’s learn!
The £10m project has been designed by landscape architects HarrisonStevens, with engineering and technical consultation provided by WSP, and planning and development advice by Colliers International.
Alongside a world-class surfing facility, Wavegarden Scotland also includes a surf school, self-catering luxury guest lodges, a waterfront café and restaurant, retail spaces and a snow-sports training jump.
Andy Hadden, the co-founder of Tartan Leisure, which is developing Wavegarden Scotland, said: “We believe that this facility will deliver many benefits for the local community and for Scotland by offering world-class adventure leisure amenities alongside a wonderful country park, for walkers, runners and cyclists to enjoy.
“Another very exciting aspect of Wavegarden Scotland is the opportunity to nurture surfing and sporting talent. With Scotland’s own surfing team starting to make a mark on the global surf scene, we hope to inspire the next generation of surfers, life guards, and active outdoor enthusiasts.”
So I am very excited about the snow-sports training jump, for one, and love the name Tartan Leisure, for two, and am very curious about Scotland’s surfing team which is starting to make a mark on the global surf scene.
We have a famous Scottish surfer here at BeachGrit, Mr. Chazz Michael Michaels, and do you think he is on Scotland’s surf team?
Very curious.
By the way, I went to Edinburgh once and liked the whisky and the creepy castle in the middle of town and… liked… the overall aesthetic.
I’ve been to Scotland several times. My 1-cent is that they could use a wavepool to get over all of the David Hume bullshit. Besides, Belle and Sebastian can play live between heats. Perfect pool tunes!
Chas, you forgot to mention American Wave Machines. They’re opening the BSR Surf Ranch this year and are direct competitors to both Wavegarden and Kelly Slater Wave Company.
You must have had more important research to do when writing your article, like remembering what you liked that one time your were in Edinburgh. That was so on point, and such a great and necessary addition to your article. Plus, including the other company would have ruined your “cold war” analogy and none of us would have benefited from your history lesson. Don’t change a thing, Chas
@thesurfingexpert:disqus aka your most loyal reader in France.
Thanks for that.
#putallsponnosintanks
You’re welcome.
I’m done with learning.
Why Scotland? How many surfers reside in Scotland? This is baffling to me why not put WaveGarden in area with cheap land and a abundance of surfers and tourists.. Las Vegas! inland empire.. etc
Heck put it near the Surf Ranch and charge a 10th of the price.
Edinburgh is ripe with money.
There will be a regular income from the more well-off university students at the very least.
You don’t want one of those things anywhere near any kind of competition.
Those east coast waves are about as gutless as these wavepool burgers are likely to be.
The North Sea isn’t very deep (or wide) and the surfy results are insipid to say the least.
How does Wave garden compete with KSWC? Do they not have google in the Highlands Chazz?
I wondered that too. It’s one of two things, either they are total idiots and got shit all back to front – or perhaps the cliffs of the old quarry have been taken into consideration – a situation like that can create a back-eddy downwind of the cliff band. Let’s say a moderate westerly wind is coming over the top of the cliff. This creates a pocket of lower pressure underneath the cliff, where the wind flow is abruptly cut off and at ground level, you will usually have wind drawing towards the lower pressure – a light easterly in this case – possibly making your reverse-oriented wave pool a glassy, light offshore under the prevailing westerly winds.
Most likely, the top end of the pool will be very sheltered by the cliffs and further down the pool at the east end the wind will constantly be swirling and shifting I imagine, as the topography breaks up the flow and pockets of turbulent air impact the area beneath.
Might work out great, glassy little barrels at the top, bit of texture down the end for turns.
I would suggest that you have put considerably more thought and expertise into this comment than they have into planning.
I really hope not!
Oh shit good point, we’ve done it all squinty and on-shore! There’s reasons- it’s all good….to be fair having read your columns for years I’m surprised you didn’t rinse the arse out of us, fair play, plenty time for that I suppose! ….btw I can just about stand up and go left, Andy
FREEEDOM
You could throw a big fan at one end and it’d be offshore every day!
If they want authenticity we have a few spare sharks in WA
I can confirm I have neither the skill nor the will for competitive surfing, and I’m generally not a team player. I make an exception for my basketball friends, but even then I storm out of practice pretty regularly and have to be coaxed back with cuddles and praise and deliberately light guarding.
And Edinburgh is wonderful. An all round lovely place to spend time.
(P.s. I was, in my formative years, Scottish junior windsurfing champion! Well, for a year, until my cunting little brother robbed me next time round.)
Glasgow’s got more soul though eh?
I thought a good place to get glassed?
It’s my neck of the woods and the city of my birth, so I reserve a fondness. But what Longtom said…
I like to visit, but I couldn’t ever live there again.
Speaking of deep talent pools
“So I am very excited about the snow-sports training jump,…”
As well you should be! I believe they are alluding to Cocaine + Surfing. Committed training to snorts*.
*Snow + Sports
Good luck to all these mega wanks attempting to cash in. Hope they do well/fuckup whatever.
I’m gonna give up surfy wankerin the day I see a pair of tartan boardies. That will signal to me – surfing is officially fucked.
sorry
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
You bastard. Lol
That’s it, the sad sign of things to come.
Marauding Scottish sponnos with blue n white zinc. Faaarrrk
don’t be too concerned, too cold for shorts in Scotland, and they can’t wear shorts when they go to warmer climates. no sunscreen has been invented thats up to the task
Concerned ?
I am seriously fucking “disturbed”. They’re right up there with a mega lard wearing butt floss. Just. Not. Right.
I wasn’t going to look at that pic – but you got me.
Fugliest boardies ever and by god there have been some contenders for that title.
Imnsho, Quicksilver itself held it for years up until now with those short nut grabbers with the nifty scallop. No wonder Tom developed issues.
Are Tartan and Flannelette the same thing? The Bay City Rollers and Nirvana seemed to think so.
Bloke at Coolum made his own. But he was born in Scotland and is known as Fraser, so has some roots.
Golf, Scotland, wave pools turning surfing into golf country clubs, something something something, punchline.
saint andrews aquatic adventure facility.
I used to surf at St. Andrews.
It was terrible.
The surf wasn’t any good either.