Spanish wave pool company Wavegarden and Daewon Plus Group opened the gates to the world's largest surf park in South Korea.
Wave Park, Asia's largest wave park, was officially opened in Siheung with a formal ceremony and a testing surf session.
The centerpiece of Wave Park, a mixed-use real estate development, is the world's largest Wavegarden Cove surfing lagoon.
New technology means the South Korean site offers longer waves and barrels and a wider variety of waves than any other surf park.
The landmark surfing lagoon opened its door to the public this weekend.
Wavegarden's newest project offers over 20 different types of waves ranging from small knee-high beginner waves to long, steep barrels.
New to the wave menu is a world-class air section that rivals any other on the planet.
"I have surfed every credible wave park in the world, and this was my best surf experience," said professional surfer Jacob Szekely.
"The clear water and the wide variety of awesome open face and barrel waves is incredible. However, the air new section is simply insane. On the first day of testing, I landed the best aerial of my life."
A $2 Billion Project
Wave Park is located on a new 167,000-square-meter waterfront development on Turtle Island, less than an hour's drive from Seoul.
The first stage of the $2 billion project was completed in just 18 months and provides aquatic activities like kayaking, SUP, and swimming in zones with and without waves.
The second stage of the development includes six hotels, convention centers, marinas, and museums.
"We are delighted to bring the incredible sport of surfing and beach lifestyle to South Korea," says Josema Odriozola, CEO of Wavegarden.
"With consistent waves of different sizes and shapes, Wave Park is going to be the new beach of Seoul and the place to surf for families, professional surfers, and everyone in between."
The Wavegarden Cove technology aims to lead the industry in not only the quality and quantity of waves but also in terms of economic and environmental sustainability.
The surf pool company says that studies reveal that Wavegarden's technology uses ten times less energy than other pneumatic wave generation systems in the market today.
Wavegarden's innovative water treatment system, developed specifically for wave lagoons, keeps the water transparent and clean throughout the year.
The system is based on a series of sustainable treatments, including fine filtration, ozone and UV disinfection, and low chemical chlorination.
The function was attended by 100 VIPs, the maximum number of guests permitted due to Covid-19 regulations.
The gathering assembled the key people responsible for bringing the project to life, including the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, the Mayor of Siheung City, and the founders of Wavegarden.