Last week, a brand-new wave pool came out of nowhere, with Ben Gravy and Blair Conklin surfing perfect, wedging, barreling waves somewhere in Arizona.
The operation, dubbed The Wave Source, took us (and the surf world at large) somewhat by surprise. Who built this backyard surf oasis? Where was this DIY surf park located exactly? And how had it remained totally under wraps in an industry where new wave pools are announced practically on the daily? Well, we got some answers.
Exactly one week after Gravy and Conklin dropped their unveiling videos of The Wave Source, the guys behind the project announced that it was up for sale for $14,995,000.00. And so, we called up Ash, one of the company’s co-founders, to hear the scoop.
“Things have been pretty crazy since we released this thing into the wild,” Ash said. “We acquired an acquisition to build a commercial pool, so that we can take this to the next level. And obviously, we don’t want to sell our souls like everyone else has in the industry, so the best decision for us to go and sell the ranch real fast. That way we can move forward on the next project.”
As for the business, it’s fully legit. It’s patented, and ready to be built in other locations. However, speaking about he and his cofounders Tony and Ryan, Ash admits: “It’s not like we’re a couple idiots in a garage, although we kinda are. [Laughs.]”
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The backstory goes like this: A couple buddies got together, each with their own specialties. Ash owned the land – which is in Prescott, Arizona – with access to water. And like all good mad scientist projects, it all started with a drawing on a napkin in a bar. Only this one has its own twist.
“It was literally a piece of cardboard,” Ash said. “That’s how it all started. It was like that classic thing you see in movies. But this was a piece of cardboard in ghetto little sandwich place in Phoenix. And we agreed to go for it. We’re self-funded. We’re both severely dyslexic [Ash and another co-founder], and so we did this thing a little backwards. We got all our patents from the government and then we started building this thing.”
Whereas most wave pool builds take years to get through bureaucratic red tape, the first pool did have its hurdles to jump with the city, but they came to an agreement. Then, once construction started, The Wave Source was built in two months.
“It was cross your fingers, hope, and pray,” Ash said.
The result has been shockingly good. According to Gravy, who was one of the first to surf the pool, he was a little skeptical before surfing the pool. But he quickly changed his mind:
“About a month ago I received a random dm about visiting a wave pool that was built in a guys backyard,” he wrote. “The pictures weren’t very impressive & I had no way of telling how big the waves were, but as the novelty guy of course I agreed to visit. When I arrived in Arizona & got to experience the first set my perspective changed immediately. It was a massive layout with 3-4ft perfect waves pumping through on command. I’m honored to tell Tony, Ash & Justin’s, amazing wave pool story today, through my platform.”
This pool was always a proof-of-concept for the guys at The Wave Source. And now, that the concept has officially been proven, they’re deciding to sell the first product, so that they can move onto bigger and better iterations.
But they’re doing things a little differently than others in the wave pool space.
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“We’re going to sell pools, just like all these other guys,” Ash said. “But we want to change the industry. We don’t want to do $150-$200 million pools. To me, it’s just not worth it. When did surfing need a Louis Vuitton store next door to the wave? That’s what it’s coming to in this industry. It feels like the culture is being lost. It’s about the wave when it comes down to it.”
If you’re interested in buying the Prescott pool, contact the guys here; and be sure to keep an eye on The Wave Source. Big things are coming.