When Kelly Slater set out to build a wavepool, he had one thing in mind:
The world’s most perfect wave. On demand. A manmade recreation of real-world surf spots, but without the need for swell, without crowds, and with a remote control.
Waves sorta like…Kirra.
Well, Slater has been in Australia recently, playing hooky from the Championship Tour, and risking further strain to his already tenuous hip…and scoring natural perfection. It’s been absolutely cranking on the Superbank, in case you haven’t heard, with mutant moments behind the rock up at Snapper, and reeling barrels down at Kirra.
And it looks eerily familiar. Almost exactly like the Surf Ranch, no?
Based on the vision behind what the creators of Slater’s Lemoore, California surf pool were going for, it’s safe to say that waves like this were the inspiration. Clean, long, stretched out barrels, with an open face for carves and hacks.
Related: Video: Mayhem and Mutant Waves from Snapper Rocks
“The wave form is inspired and designed by world class ocean waves,” Surf Ranch’s website notes. “This includes large open-barrels for tube riding and long sloped faces for turns and airs. These characteristics coupled with other wave profiles provide the ultimate conditions for skill progression and fun for all types of surfers.”
The only thing is, Kirra, at this size and this level, is not for “all types of surfers.” This is the “expert” level, if we’re talking in Surf Ranch terms.
But still, the resemblance is uncanny.
So, let’s play a little game: Would you rather…Slater’s Surf Ranch or firing Kirra?
Tough one.
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