Wavegarden Spills How The Sausage Is Made - Stab Mag

Live Now: Cheat Codes With Coco Ho

3773 Views

Wavegarden Spills How The Sausage Is Made

BTS of their global air wave rollout ft. Yago Dora, Dion Agius, Reef Heazlewood and Luke Swanson.

cinema // Mar 18, 2023
Words by Ethan Davis
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In October 2022, Wavegarden rolled out a bunch of new air waves in Brazil, Switzerland, South Korea and Australia. It was remarkable because they created new waves without changing pool bathymetry or using a one-size-fits-all formula. Using software, each pool built bespoke air waves based on the feedback of surfers and the expertise of engineers over the course of a few days. 

“We have a great application that gives us more freedom to move every panel in each module,” WG CEO Josema Odriozola told Stab. “It’s a new equation that allows us to create new kinds of waves. The biggest improvement is with air sections, but also we’ve been doing some new barrels and turn waves as well.”

The top 1% of surfers who can do airs aren’t the only beneficiaries here. 

“We are able to change almost everything on the wave in regards to their feedback,” Josema continues. “For example, we can change how fast the waves are peeling in the lead-up so surfers get the right amount of speed. We can change the steepness — making it more vertical or more flat, faster or slower. We can create a little bit more lip or less lip on the ramp. We can turn the wave against the surfer, and bend it as much as they want.” 

The question on the tip of everyone’s tongue is – when will these be available to the public? The answer to that is: it’s at the discretion of the wavepool developers and operators – “I would say it’ll be similar to what happens in Waco where you can rent the facility after or before the public hours,” Josema explains. 

The biggest takeaway for me in all of this is just how involved in the trenches Josema is for a CEO. Literally poolside (in Melbourne) acting as a conduit between surfers and engineers. With a background in mechanical engineering and as a serial entrepreneur who previously founded a yacht and propshaft design company, he’s got some of that obsessive Musk-like gravitas (minus an unhealthy relationship with Twitter) that makes him one of the most compelling characters in the wavepool space. “At Wavegarden we create toys so that we can enjoy them,” he finishes. 

One of surfing’s most influential brains – read more about him here

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley On Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024

The Secret Behind Lungi Slabb’s Inconceivable Greenmount Funnel

Six broken boards, one leaking forehead, and five days of Superbank mysticism.

Mar 16, 2024

Cheat Codes: 2,000 Hours Worth Of Travel Advice From Coco Ho

Hard-earned wisdom from 989,000 miles in the troposphere.

Mar 15, 2024

Dane Reynolds On The Best + Worst Surfboard He’s Designed, Why The ‘Neckbeard’ Is A Misnomer, And How To Appear Cultured When Sizing Up A New Stick

Plus, an introduction to the newly-minted CI Dumpster Diver 2.

Mar 14, 2024

The Most Cinematic Surf Film Since ‘View From A Blue Moon?’

The best wave of Noah Beschen's life at sinister Chopes and 540s with Tyler, The…

Mar 13, 2024

Watch: ‘Vacation 2’ Presented By Monster Energy

Stab Highway Europe winners visit House of Somos, Costa Rica.

Mar 13, 2024

DHD Wins Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino

Plus, which Orwellian Premium members best prophesied our Stab In The Dark winners?

Mar 12, 2024

The Shortest Day At Supertubos

Early bird gets the skunk.

Mar 12, 2024

Watch: Kelly Slater Bails On Onshore Portugal, Gets Supertubed at Kirra Instead

“No ski. No runarounds. No snaps.”

Mar 12, 2024

Rumor: 8x World Champion Stephanie Gilmore To Leave Roxy For Another Legacy Surf Brand

The woman who Kelly Slater called 'God's gift to surfing' ignites a bidding war.

Mar 12, 2024

The Longest Day At Supertubos

Much to love, little to hate.

Mar 12, 2024

Joel Parkinson, Jay Davies, And Mark Zuckerberg Jog Into A Jingoistic Surf Biathlon…

An American's POV of the Australian Boardriders Battle.

Mar 11, 2024

No SuperToobs Today, But We’ll Never Turn Down A Rippable Wedge

Any port in a storm.

Mar 10, 2024

The Serendipitous Tale Of A Barnacle-Encrusted 10’0” That Survived 300 Days + 700kms On The East Australia Current

Paddy Power’s big wave gun was lost at Wedding Cake Island, Sydney and collected (by…

Mar 10, 2024

Was Fiji Last Week As Special As The Thundercloud Swell Of 2012?

“I’ve never seen so many people get so many good ones,” said 2023 SSOTY Nathan…

Mar 9, 2024

SEOTY: Hughie Vaughan Discovered A New Wave In Indonesia — But He Doesn’t Know Where It Is

Watch 'Nibbler' — the 17-year-old's bite-sized 2024 Stab Edit of The Year entry.

Mar 9, 2024
Advertisement