UK: The Wave and Wavegarden Sign Exclusive Partnership for UK & Ireland
© Nick Hounsfield
After the first artificial surf facility under the name The Wave by the company of the same name, which is already equipped with the “Wavegarden Cove” wave-generating technology of the Basque company Wavegarden (see EAP 2/2020), was opened in Bristol in 2019, the two companies have now entered into an exclusive partnership to develop six further The Wave locations in the UK and Ireland with a total investment volume of 200 million British pounds (approx. 239 million euros).
“[…] We know there is a huge appetite for surfing and its many health and wellbeing benefits, and we are now looking to bring these unique experiences to other locations around the UK and beyond. Spurred by growth in surfing in general – and the Olympic effect – this burgeoning sector is definitely on the up. We will have 5 sites open, in planning or being built in the next 5 years, and we are in the process of actively searching for land. Predictions indicate there will be approximately 100 surf parks operating globally in the next 10 years. The Wave intends to be a leading international player in this market and we have been preparing ourselves for this ambition for a number of years,” commented Craig Stoddart, CEO of The Wave.
Fernando Odriozola, Chief Commercial Officer at Wavegarden, said: “We are delighted to have signed this strategic partnership with The Wave so we can continue to work with the team on many projects in the coming years. The very valuable experience and knowledge we have gained together at Bristol will allow us to move forward on a number of sites simultaneously. The future looks very bright […].”
Nick Hounsfield, founder and Chief Vision Officer of The Wave, adds: “[…] Our purpose is central to everything. We want to share the positive power of waves – and the pure joy of surfing – with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The epic thing about the Wavegarden Cove technology is that it caters to everyone, from a beginner stepping on a board for the first time, right up to pro surfers training for the Olympics, and hopefully future Paralympic surfers.” (eap)
