Kelly Slater and John John Florence. who spent most of his time at the pool looking at yachts in catalogues, at 2018's Founder's Cup. | Photo: Steve Sherman/@tsherms

Persistent rumour: KSWaveCo to shutter Solana Beach HQ at end of year; mass staff lay-offs; Florida pool cancelled due to cost overruns!

Safety, marketing, finance and construction workers sacked, new lease-holder sought for HQ…

Two months back, Chas Smith loosed the rumour that Surf Ranch was going to be shuttered at the end of 2019 and that the Freshwater Pro would become nothing more than a historical curio.

Shortly after that story appeared, the WSL responded with a rare statement, 

“The Surf Ranch Lemoore facility continues to invest in new staff and experiences and the WSL is excited about the venue’s potential in 2020 and beyond.”

And, five days ago, the WSL confirmed the Freshwater Pro’s appearance on the 2020 schedule, putting an electric tremor in the pit of at least one surf writer. 

And, yet…yet…

From our source in Solana Beach, he, or maybe it’s a she, can’t be sure from the name, says the lay-offs are already happening, the company shedding around fifty-percent of its staff from finance, safety, marketing and construction. Staff have been informed, he/she said, and will work until the end of year with two months of severance pay for most.

Other news: the KSWaveCo built Lemoore for fifteen-million dollars and the now cancelled KSWaveCo pool that was going to be built on thirty-acres the WSL had bought for six-and-a-half mill in Orlando was shelved not because of “extremely high water table” but because of cost overruns.

A predicted eighty-to-hundred-mill build was a little too hot even for a billionaire investor.

But, let’s be clear, here, rumours.

The KSWaveCo, which doesn’t list a telephone number on its website, was contacted via email for comment. Crickets, as they say, thus far.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
51 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Justin Enjo
Justin Enjo
6 years ago

Haha. Go get’em BeachGrit. Apologies ahead of time for the Copy& Paste as I recently made this comment below on a Wavegarden Cove article, but it’s so pertienent to this article:

PREDICTION ALERT

1. Wavegarden Cove technology will become [f*** it], is now the new benchmark for surf pools around the world.

2.The WSL has had numerous failures trying to get another Surf Ranch off the ground. Tokyo failed. Jupiter Florida failed. Acquiring NLand could be one failure on top of another. And the proposed $100,000,000 Surf Ranch in Australia? lol

3. Surfing in the Olympics is going to be aHUGE SUCCESS next summer. Good waves or not, the planners are bringing the Surfing Culture to the Olympics including the lifestyle, culture and
all the related fesitivites. It’s going to be epic an Olpymic-themed beach party.

4. After the Olympics (again good waves or not) everyone will be asking the question: What if the Olympics were held in a Cove?

5. The ISA will manage future Olympic investments directed towards surfing, thus becoming the new global surfing superpower.

6.The ISA’s International format will become the new professional standard (especially with Olympic money and access to a far superior wave pool technology).

7. Olympic money will eventually be part of the total development package for an Olympic-Class Surf Pool.

8. And for the WSL as we know it? (Again, lol)

Surfing is about to get turned upside down ladies and gents. Everyone better grab a thicker leash.

J H
J H
6 years ago

That’s how those deals typically work. A few years ago Charles Wang who owned the Islanders tried to do a deal with Nassau County/Town of Hempstead where he would put in money to rehab Nassau Coliseum but would get the rights to empty land to build condos, apartments and retails space.

SSD
SSD
6 years ago

Fuck, I just read about they/them usage. Complete madness! The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
As a writer, are you expected to never refer to anyone as he or she? Totally confusing and seems offensive to people that aren’t gender confused.

Mr. Potz’s Opus
Mr. Potz’s Opus
6 years ago

https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

FLORIDA POOL WOULD’A BEEN SICK

Hippy
Hippy
6 years ago

80 M for a 15M pool discounting the land cost? What is the disparaging difference due to?

You’d think Florida would be cheaper to operate, plenty of water.

Hippy
Hippy
6 years ago
Reply to  Hippy

Something doesn’t smell right DR.

Sean Connery
Sean Connery
6 years ago

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phat-wan kerr
Phat-wan kerr
6 years ago

I like crickets. usually means you are in a nice quiet spot. enjoy them while you can. before you know it you will be back listening to car horns, obnoxious ring tones and message alerts, mis pronounced names by Starbucks staff and the ever present unwanted public announcement declaring”I am gluten intolerant”.

Hippy
Hippy
6 years ago
Reply to  Phat-wan kerr

Golf clap

Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
6 years ago

No but others do but are some free parking spots too.

OffRocker
OffRocker
6 years ago

Just never, ever, “it”.

ricmatic
ricmatic
6 years ago

Ha! 1st world struggles. But yes and yes Sun.

ricmatic
ricmatic
6 years ago

Yep

ricmatic
ricmatic
6 years ago

I mean, How many employees do you need to push five Rich fucks into three foot waves all day.

Chief Hot stuff
Chief Hot stuff
6 years ago

You should get jizzy pee to launch a
gritcoin .
Then you could buy a wave pool.

Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
Derek Hynd's Missing Fins
6 years ago

Just a reminder that gas and parking to get to the beach is, depending on where one lives, 5 to 30 dollars. Whereas the Kelly pool has never been about democratizing surfing and never will be.

Jody Highroller
Jody Highroller
6 years ago

It just seemed so obvious from the very beginning that wavepool as business was not going to work out. An extremely expensive and complicated product for a weird, fickle market.

And of course I hate them because they are lame.

lorne
lorne
6 years ago

do they have crickets in Solana Beach?

Yeah_na
Yeah_na
6 years ago
Reply to  lorne

Plenty in Lorne apparently mate

Erik Bogan
Erik Bogan
6 years ago

WSL got sold a lemon.
Hopefully Dirks other businesses are doing well so he can write this one off as a failed investment. The sooner he cuts his losses the better. The KSWC model will never be profitable. Kelly should have stuck his name beside other technology.
How far along would the progression of Waco be today if he was involved in that technology.
Kelly is the ultimate salesman, out selling a billionaire on a dud investment.

Chief Hot stuff
Chief Hot stuff
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Bogan

Its good for washing his money.
He only uses Surf Powder.

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Bogan

The Wozzle have found
It’s not easy being green
With a huge footprint

Beef & Beer
Beef & Beer
6 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

They seem to talk shit
Promoting a green image
More like a huge fraud

Baz
Baz
6 years ago
Reply to  Erik Bogan

Kelly the leak? Can’t be sure a he or she from name… just sayin

Otto
Otto
6 years ago

Ba-Bye Surf Ranch. Hello Fish Farm..

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
6 years ago
Reply to  Otto

Pull down the barbed wire
And let those poor cows drink from
Kelly’s failed wet dream

Beef & Beer
Beef & Beer
6 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

He could grow salad
With the much needed water
Let the cows drink beer

Chief Hot stuff
Chief Hot stuff
6 years ago
Reply to  Otto

Dope farm more likely?

Otto
Otto
6 years ago

From Duped to Dope,
All Up in Smoke

Captain Goodvibes
Captain Goodvibes
6 years ago

Quik Bong Rip

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
6 years ago

Wanted! Loving home
Required for Raimana
Must have pool and ski

Wiggolly's Paddling Style
Wiggolly's Paddling Style
6 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

Is he picky? I think Fritzl prob had a pool of shit and a couple of old Volkls in his basement.

Eddie Haiku
Eddie Haiku
6 years ago

Long as Raimana
Reminds Hans to have fun he’ll
Have a home for life

The Bitchy Crab
The Bitchy Crab
6 years ago
Reply to  Eddie Haiku

Raimana welcome
In Bondi where girls run free
must bring own jet ski

Chief Hot stuff
Chief Hot stuff
6 years ago

After they’ve escaped your bondage cages.

Shampoo Poo
Shampoo Poo
6 years ago

And while Solana Beach bans plastic
The BG community reigns fantastic

Dogsnuts
Dogsnuts
6 years ago

Requires jacking off
With a cow vagina
To maintain cool head

Mystic
Mystic
6 years ago

Run free with every std

The Bitchy Crab
The Bitchy Crab
6 years ago

Those troublesome pronouns! I did want to push the unisex-name angle hence the clunk. Can you give me the pronoun for hermaphrodites without looking it up?

Karl Von Fanningstadt
Karl Von Fanningstadt
6 years ago

Coté?

Huli Opu
Huli Opu
6 years ago

pre-op ladyboy


51
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x