The hype is real. And it was all worth the wait.
After years of testing and slowly releasing clips, the Palm Springs Surf Club has been unleashed upon the public with an official opening date on January 1st, 2024.
Palm Springs – about 100 miles from the ocean – is about to become surf central.
Laguna Beach skimboarder and soft-top connoisseur, Blair Conklin, has been making the drive to the desert to surf and skim for years now. He’s been somewhat of a test dummy for the wave. But now, with the PSSC officially opening to the public on January 1st, 2023, Blair headed out to California’s newest and hottest surf spot with a crew of pro surfers.
About the session, Conklin told SURFER:
“I would like to give a huge thank you to Kalani Robb and the rest of the team at PSSC for being open minded to different wave riding vehicles and allowing me to get wet’n’wild in their pool!”
The Palm Springs Surf Club resides in the Wet’n’Wild waterpark, which closed its doors (and waterslides) in 2018.
About the clip above, Blair captioned:
“Thanks to Kalani Robb and Cheyne Magnusson, we had the opportunity of a lifetime to ride some of the first waves being tested at the Palm Springs Surf Club. The lineup of surfers in the pool included Italo Ferriera, Parker Coffin, Jackson Dorian, Sierra Kerr, Josh Kerr, Caity Simmers, and many more heavy hitters. One of the most stacked lineups that I have ever had the honor sitting amongst. This day of surfing in a state of the art wavepool will be forever engrained in my memory and a huge inspiration for my future in wave riding.”
For a few specs, here’s some info from the Desert Sun:
“The new $80 million-plus club is located on the former site of another iconic water-focused attraction from the city’s past, the Wet N’ Wild (previously Knott’s Soak City) water park that closed in 2018 after 32 years of operation.
“[It] can accommodate 25 surfers who will be able to surf on artificial waves that can be individually customized for varying skill levels. Those waves will range from 2 to 7 feet.
“An hour surfing session will cost $100 to $200 depending on a surfer’s skill level (on top of the $20 club admission fee). Board rental is also offered at an additional fee.”
As for Blair, here’s his firsthand account of what the wave’s like:
“It’s the best time of your life,” Blair said, still shaking with excitement after the session. “I feel like the luckiest person ever. That was one of the most special moments of my life. That felt insane.”
For more about Palm Springs Surf Club, and to book a session, head here.
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