An Australian artificial wave firm has teamed up with Mark Occhilupo to conquer the surf pool industry. Will Surf Lakes really stun the world?
The race for the golden wave is on.
The number of players seems to have increased in the last decade, but until now, only Wavegarden has managed to open a couple of structures.
After unveiling his magical formula in December 2015, Kelly Slater sold his surf pool company to the World Surf League (WSL), and only friends were allowed to experience it.
Recently, Wavegarden announced "The Cove," the second-generation wave pool that, according to the developers, will pump 1,000 waves per hour.
However, there's a new name joining the uber-competitive world of surf pools.
Mark Occhilupo, the 1999 world surfing champion, is endorsing Surf Lakes, a man-made wave technology with headquarters in Brisbane.
Surf Lakes promises to deliver up to 2,400 waves per hour - that's 40 waves per minute.
They say their concept mimics ocean waves, and there will be eight peaks breaking simultaneously.
"Occy's Peak," for instance, is a 7.8-foot (2.4 meters) barrelling left-hand wave that will peel across the pool for 65 yards (60 meters).
And it resembles Tahiti's Teahupoo.
"The other wave pools we've seen out there, they're pretty good, but this one is next level," notes Mark Occhilupo, surf industry advisor for Surf Lakes.
"That (Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch) was incredible, and I'm not being biased, but I really think this is going to outdo it. This is just a lot bigger, and we've got variety."
Aaron Trevis, surfer and CEO of Surf Lakes, says that the company is already building a demo facility in the north of Queensland.
The surf pool complex will store enough water to fill 20 Olympic swimming pools, and it will be ready by the end of 2017.