Wave pool technology is older than you think. The art of producing artificial surf dates back to the Great Depression and has since changed how people ride waves.
It all started in Europe, but the phenomenon has gone global.
Today, you'll find human-made waves of all types and for all tastes. All you need to do is press a button or a touchscreen.
There are many ways of creating and mimicking an ocean wave, which is why so many companies are currently operating in the market.
From America to Europe and Oceania to Asia, each system has its pros and cons.
To understand how we reached today's stage is to dream of what the future holds for modern surfers.
Is it an endless wave? Is it a 50-foot bomb? Is it a slow, barreling wave?
Let's take a look at the timeline of wave pools:
1845-1886: King Ludwig II of Bavaria electrifies one of his private lakes to create artificial waves;
1927: An outdoor artificial wave pool opens at Gellért Baths in Budapest, Hungary;
1929: A swimming pool in Germany's Munich generates artificial waves thanks to "agitators" that push water through grates in the diving zone;
1939: A public swimming pool in London's Wembley, England, was equipped with hydraulic technology that created ripples similar to the ocean's flowing motion;
1961: Oceana Park, the first-ever American non-rideable wave pool, opens in Newbury, Ohio;
1969: Big Surf, the first surfing wave pool in the United States, opens in Tempe, Arizona, and generates three-foot waves that can be ridden for up to 20 seconds;
1985: Wildwater Kingdom opens in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and hosts the first World Professional Inland Surfing Championships;
1989: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon opens in Orlando, Florida, and invites surfers to ride its three-foot waves for six seconds;
1993: The Sunway Lagoon opens in Malaysia and produces waves of up to nine feet thanks to its patented hydraulic pumping systems;
1993: The Seagaia Ocean Dome opens in Miyazaki, Japan, and sets a Guinness World Record for the world's largest indoor waterpark;
2005: José Manuel Odriozola and Karin Frisch found Wavegarden in the heart of Spain's Basque Country using a unique wave-generating formula specially designed for surfing;
2008: Siam Park opens in Tenerife, Canary Islands, equipped with technology developed by Murphys Waves Ltd and an onsite desalination plant. Waves produced here can reach 11 feet;
2011: Wadi Adventure opens in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. It's the Middle East's first surf pool and is capable of generating 10-foot high waves every 90 seconds;
2015: Surf Snowdonia, the world's first full-sized surf pool powered by Wavegarden, opens in Conwy Valley, in the heart of Wales. Its six-foot waves peel down the line for 20 seconds;
2015: Eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater unveils his 45-second long barreling wave located in his Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California;
2016: Nland Surf Park opens in Austin, Texas. It's America's first public wave pool, and it is also powered by Wavegarden. Surfers are invited to ride long left and right-hand waves;
2018: BSR Surf Resort unveils the first wave park by American Wave Machines. Located in Waco, Texas, the structure allows surfers to throw big airs and get barreled in conditions similar to ocean waves;
2018: Surf Lakes enters the wave pool industry with a groundbreaking concept - the concentric surfing lagoon;
2020: Wavegarden debuts its generation 2.0 surf pool formula - The Cove can produce 1,000 waves per hour at the cost of $0.10 each;
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com