Weep: The forgotten original wave tank!

The pioneers left unloved on the sideline. But wait!

With all eyes turned toward Lemoore, California for this weekend’s Founders’ Cup let us take a few moments and weep for the wave pools that came before and did not capture CNN’s imagination. Let us think about that one pool in Dubai that produces two foot waves but doesn’t allow surfboards. Let us also remember Big Surf in Tempe, Arizona where Rick Kane won a drawing set plus a trip to Oahu’s North Shore.

They are all dead. Done. Washed up. Over. Financially bereft.

Oh.

Wait.

Big Surf in Tempe is hosting some fantastic concert series and let’s read about it real quick.

‘Tis the season for pool parties, outdoor music festivals, and events put on by local radio stations. And for events like ALT AZ 93.3’s first-ever Band Splash, which takes place this weekend at Big Surf Waterpark in Tempe.

The outdoor concert event, which is being put on by the local radio station on Sunday, April 29, will feature eight hours of live performances by a mix of indie and alternative bands, including Dreamers, The Unlikely Candidates, and Robert DeLong.

According to Alt AZ morning show host Mo Rodriguez, Band Splash came about because the station’s staff wanted to do “something unique and cool.”

“We were trying to do something different where it wasn’t just about seeing bands at a concert,” she says. “It was also about the experience of having fun with your friends and other things to do in between checking out bands.”

Son of a bitch. Are these bastards drafting off of Surf Ranch popularity? Is the pool made for the masses actually still valuable?

Shit.

Who’s playing Founders’ Cup?

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dickie toledo
dickie toledo
8 years ago

North shore, a movie so pure and brazzo free.

systems_analyst
systems_analyst
8 years ago

Fun fact: The wave pool scenes in North Shore were actually shot at a wave pool in Palm Springs, which, believe it or not, made the real Big Surf look epic in comparison. My friends and I visited Big Surf the day after we happened to watch North Shore on television, in 1991. We caught waves on rented surf mats and spent the afternoon yelling, “No, Rick…It’s too big!” every time they flushed the tank (dumping water into the pool to create the wave).
Another fun fact: I’m a huge kook.

Phat-wan kerr
Phat-wan kerr
8 years ago

hopefully they will start opening some pools as “sanctuary’s” for SUPpers
after all the subtle hints have been missed, something has started a more direct approach to handling the problem
https://www.youtube.com/wat…

Krill
Krill
8 years ago

Fuck that sounds juicy bro wish I could tease it outta ya

DrunkenAngel
DrunkenAngel
8 years ago

Breaking news! “Scotland has today introduced a minimum price for alcohol – sparking warnings that Scots will flock to wave pools on ‘booze cruises’ to save money (and shit in them).” Not fake news!

Krill
Krill
8 years ago
Reply to  DrunkenAngel

Fuck yes!

Krill
Krill
8 years ago

Spillsy Twillsy we all love celebrating someone elses fuck up

Bin_Chook
Bin_Chook
8 years ago

They used to have ‘dive in movies’ in the wave pool at Wet ‘n Wild on the Gold Coast when I was a kid.

Tomas' silky smooth arms
Tomas' silky smooth arms
8 years ago
Reply to  Bin_Chook

I may have been caught stealing there as a drunk 14 year old. My parents liquor cabinet produced excellent rocket fuel at the time. 25 years later and still nothing has changed. I’m still a piece of shit. Which leads me to query the self esteem of other BG readers. I’d imagine it’s low. That’s why we are all here right.

Krill
Krill
8 years ago
Reply to  Bin_Chook

Basically marinating in piss for 80 mins while dad finger blasted mum in the shallow end.

Tronald Dump
Tronald Dump
8 years ago

I believe the prize purse for the famed Big Surf event in Tempe all those years ago was a “sterling silver surfer’s belt buckle” and the aforementioned trip to Oahu’s North Shore

ricmatic
ricmatic
8 years ago
Reply to  Tronald Dump

Super powers is a pretty cool prize though.

J H
J H
8 years ago

According to Google maps I am but 8 mins away as we speak.

I may stop by tomorrow on the way home from work and check in on Rick Kane.

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  J H

He’s probably just a fat sleaze stuck in the office. He’ll wander round to the refreshments stand and letch on the pre-pubescent girls working there, trying to wow them with tales of his glory days, while scratching his mangy pelt.

J H
J H
8 years ago
Reply to  channelbottom

But he gets free pool time, right? That’s gotta be worth something.

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  J H

Better than a kick in the nadgers, that’s fer sure.

Barney Cools
Barney Cools
8 years ago

i forgot about that.

Neal Kearney
Neal Kearney
8 years ago

details!:)

janeausten
janeausten
8 years ago

Hey, on the subject of Arizona etc…anyone paid enough attention to whatever happened to WSL’s Surf and Leisure ambassador or whatever the fuck?

J H
J H
8 years ago
Reply to  janeausten

I’ve been in Phoenix on and off for the past 6 months and I ain’t seen him.

janeausten
janeausten
8 years ago
Reply to  J H

To paraphrase the Beach Boys, You Get Around.

J H
J H
8 years ago
Reply to  janeausten

We’re at almost 85,000 miles flown so far this year.

But hey, I’m home next week so I’m not always traveling.

janeausten
janeausten
8 years ago
Reply to  J H

“We”…Royalty or an Entourage? Either is impressive.

J H
J H
8 years ago
Reply to  janeausten

Of course I’m the Royal We! But I have been traveling with a bit of an entourage lately…two Brits, a Swede, an Austrian and a dude from Atlanta. But I end up driving them around so…

janeausten
janeausten
8 years ago
Reply to  J H

You be the Royal bitch.

J H
J H
8 years ago
Reply to  janeausten

That too.

Phat-wan kerr
Phat-wan kerr
8 years ago
Reply to  janeausten

He is an air hostess.

Nick Carroll
Nick Carroll
8 years ago

This is how so many wave pools will end up — as sidebars to bad music festivals.

astro
astro
8 years ago
Reply to  Nick Carroll

In the words of Don – but they will be bigly sidebars. The bestest.

I just saw that North Shore trailer – uurrghh. I’d forgotten that movie.

Kimbos
Kimbos
8 years ago
Reply to  Nick Carroll

You have been to the ranch , what is in the water ? Must be some chlorine otherwise it would be dangerous no

?uzzled
?uzzled
8 years ago

Oh, and I got banned from Stab the other day. I commented about a board review they did for Lost… I noted how they poached Lost… from BeachGrit but that was ok since they obviously still paid their add bills in trade for surfboards. I’m now a ghost. There is no evidence that I have ever been there.

Chas Smith
Chas Smith
8 years ago
Reply to  ?uzzled

The thin skin over there is performance art!

Abscessed Llama
Abscessed Llama
8 years ago
Reply to  Chas Smith

Can we now talk about Mayhem’s arrest for f’sake.

astro
astro
8 years ago

ooh, what’s the story with that ? Recently ?

Poop Stance
Poop Stance
8 years ago
Reply to  ?uzzled

I tried to comment on how just how shitty the shitty fin boxes are on those boards and I couldn’t even leave a comment at all.

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  Poop Stance

I stopped visiting much less commenting there many many months ago.

The stench of rot is overpowering there.

ricmatic
ricmatic
8 years ago
Reply to  channelbottom

If ashton lived to 100 he’d never live the table jump/litigation down

slater thenewdonkey
slater thenewdonkey
8 years ago
Reply to  Poop Stance

I tried to go and read the 27 comments that were said to be under Rory’s story about the wave tank bullshit and they wouldn’t load. Tried for 2 days. Now they are disappeared. Shady. Only reason I visit that site is to try and catch a glimpse of poser rory arguing with people in the comment section who are talking shit to him.

turts
turts
8 years ago
Reply to  ?uzzled

Stab tried to poach me for their comments section. Told them I was to busy writing for the Inertia

Wiggolly's Paddling Style
Wiggolly's Paddling Style
8 years ago
Reply to  ?uzzled

Ashton is a pie faced spineless cunt and I would’ve hung myself with his track record of ruining every form of publication he has touched. For the record I am a fictional half man/half goat creature living in the Underworld and this is merely my fictional opinion based on being banned from STAB. I reckon he’s desperate enough to get litigious at the moment so better mention that……

Krill
Krill
8 years ago

Haha Pie Face pies in Surfers have given me my fair share of 2nd degree mouth burns at 2am fuck they are HOT. Me mate once pegged a fresh lamb curry pie into the face of shirtless Maori lad who tried to roll him for his phone
Mate reckons he just vaporized the pie on his head and left him on the ground screaming tryin to rub and blink molten mince out of his eyes

Kook Dahanamoku
Kook Dahanamoku
8 years ago
Reply to  Krill

Straya

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago

I thought you were the Prince of Ubatuba?

Same thing?

Wiggolly's Paddling Style
Wiggolly's Paddling Style
8 years ago
Reply to  channelbottom

That was before I fell off tour and took on a new persona.

ricmatic
ricmatic
8 years ago

Youre Ricky Bassnett. I knew it. Or peter Drouyin. Narrowing it down.

Krill
Krill
8 years ago
Reply to  ricmatic

Westerly’s Piddiling Style?

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago

Wiggoly’s Pitchforking Style.

Krill
Krill
8 years ago

….

Poop Stance
Poop Stance
8 years ago

I would have to imagine Kelly’s bff Jackie J. will be there performing his three-chord nursery rhymes.

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  Poop Stance

Maybe Iggy crooning some lounge hits.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

Krill
Krill
8 years ago
Reply to  channelbottom

Cunt looks like he just remembered the 8 ball he shelved 25 years ago

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  Krill

Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon river…
Whiter than denial…

Krill
Krill
8 years ago
Reply to  channelbottom

Him and fkn Rollins

channelbottom
channelbottom
8 years ago
Reply to  Krill
?uzzled
?uzzled
8 years ago

I was in Orlando around the time of the Clark foam shutdown and Ron Jon had a wave pool under construction. I never heard anything more about it, but when I saw it they were about half done and were not working on it.


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