"There's a kid from back home in Western Africa who asked me if he could try it one day. I told him the prices. He thinks white people are crazy now."
In the sun-baked sprawl of Austin, Texas, Kelly Slater, 11-time world champion and undisputed godfather of modern surf tech, is spearheading the construction of his latest Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) pool, called Austin Surf Club, on the same hunk of dirt that Doug Coors built his ill-fated Wavegarden back in 2016.
The new Slater pool draws from the same hydrofoil tech that powers Slater’s iconic Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California.
But as crews, which include Kelly Slater himself, pour concrete and install the wave-generating machinery, which is expected switch on in 2026, the buzz ain’t just about the engineering marvel.
It’s igniting a fiery debate over accessibility, with accusations flying that this is surfing’s ultimate gated community.
The build itself is a feat of ambition and precision. Engineers are integrating energy-efficient systems to minimise the pool’s hefty operational footprint. Slater’s team touts it as a “sustainable surf paradise,” with solar arrays and recycled water loops.
More importantly, as per a previous story by Chas Smith,
The Austin Surf Club, which promises “a one-of-a-kind surf residential community where cutting-edge technology and classic surf culture converge. It is a fusion of urban energy and coastal serenity that embraces the adventurous spirit of Austin, Texas and brings the joy of surfing to your front door” has begun selling plots and according to the Austin Business Journal, Tony Hawk and Matthew McConaughey have swung in to purchase plots. The last time we saw Hawk, he was celebrating elderly gay men with an exciting new eatery. McConaughey was helping Griffin Colapinto lose to Filipe Toledo.
Enter the backlash, amplified on Slater’s IG.
West African surfer PapaSunny writes, “Surfing in pools is for the riches. There’s a kid from back home in Western Africa at the house at the moment who asked me if he could try it one day. I told him the prices. He thinks white people are crazy now. He’s not wrong. I call it the bubble. It has a wide range of meanings that all fit in the luxury world of surfing. Make pool affordable again.”
Slater’s reply?
“They’re not cheap to build, run, fix or staff. Market dictates value to some degree as well. My suggestion is to get an invite from someone who gets to go.”
In one breath, Slater acknowledged the brutal economics, the multi-million-dollar construction, sky-high energy bills, specialized crews, while dangling a velvet-rope loophole that only the connected can grab.
No discounts, no scholarships, just a lil wink and a nod to the surf world’s oldest currency: who you know.