You Can Officially Ride Kelly Slater’s Wavepool… For $10,000

It’s a question that’s been on everyone’s lips, “How much would you pay to surf Kelly’s Wave?”

Two hundred dollars? Five? A cool grand? How do you put a dollar value on a chance to experience the newest, hottest, development in surfing since the widespread adoption of Brazilian cut bikinis?

Until today it’s been a purely academic discussion. Access was only for the privileged few. Pros, industry heavies, lucky media types gifted golden tickets. Rumors swirled, stories made the rounds, but the notion that your average joe would get a chance to flail across a miracle of human ingenuity seemed closer to fever dream than reality.

No longer!  Founders’ Cup tickets have gone on sale and the WSL has clearly stated what you’ll need to pay to play:

From the WSL: After an entire weekend of watching perfect waves, you’ll get your chance to join the very short list of people who have surfed Kelly’s creation. The Surf Ranch Experience provides a one-hour surf session in the pool on Monday, May 7. You’ll feel like the pros you just spent the weekend watching, with a personalized locker, coaching, and professional photography and videography from both land and water. The experience includes full VIP treatment through the event complete with VIP seating, lounge access, free food and beverage, premium gift bag, parking pass, and Tachi Palace hotel room for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. In addition, you’ll get an exclusive invite to the pre-event party and dinner on Friday, and the invite-only concert afterparty on Saturday. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime.

All that for a mere $9,500 + fees/taxes!

If you could surf the pool like anyone, wouldn’t it be Steph? Photo: WSL

It’s a truly capitalist approach. Supply is minuscule, demand mighty. At slightly under $10k the price is high, but within reach. You could be a tech company employee with a newly discovered salt water addiction, a trust fund shredder, a middle class work-a-day with decent credit and the ability to ignore pangs of fiduciary responsibility. Maybe you’re an asshole child willing to raid your mom’s savings and suffer the fallout later. If any of those are the case you’re in, you’re gold, and you’ve got an opportunity to taste an experience sure to stoke burning raging envy in the hearts of your nearest and dearest.

Even if you unable, or unwilling to purchase an hour-long session priced on par with a top-tier escort you needn’t feel left out. Single day spectator tickets range from $80 for those ten-and-under, and an easy-breezy $99 for full-grown adults. A weekend long pass will run you $149, and a swanky plush VIP package is only $499.

Not bad prices for those within driving distance of cows-and-meth-labs country. It’ll be a historic event within the context of competitive surfing and the roster of surfers is undeniably superb. The very best, the cream of the crop, couched within a team format sure to stoke your nationalistic fervor.

1. AUSTRALIA TEAM:

Captain: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Tyler Wright (AUS)

1. BRAZIL TEAM:

Captain: Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Taina Hinckel (BRA)

1. EUROPE TEAM:

Captain: Johanne Defay (FRA)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Frederico Morais (PRT)
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Frankie Harrer (DEU)

1. USA TEAM:

Captain: Kelly Slater (USA)
John John Florence (USA)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Carissa Moore (USA)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)

1. WORLD TEAM:

Captain: Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Paige Hareb (NZL)
Bianca Buitendag (ZAF)