You know you’ve made it when you have your own surf ranch, which is basically the water-based version of Tiger Woods’ massive home golf course.

Back in 2016 we did show a gnarly wave or two from Kelly’s ‘Holy Grail’, but now Slater’s ‘Surf Ranch’ is being touted as the future of surfing.

CNN says that it’s ” a revolutionary “wave system” located 100 miles from the ocean in dusty Lemoore, a farming town in California’s central San Joaquin Valley”, adding that it is “dubbed the world’s longest open-barrel artificial wave, and offers a variety of wave shapes and sizes”.

Slap in the face to Mother Nature, but OK.

You should know that revolutionary system didn’t come cheap:

The $30 million wave, powered by renewable energy, was 10 years in the making, inspired by Slater’s long-held dream.

The site in Lemoore was chosen for its affordability, the presence of an existing waterski lagoon, and its hidden location, perfect for building and testing prototypes away from the glare of the surf world.

…In 2006, Slater joined forces with Adam Fincham, a fluid dynamics specialist and an associate professor of engineering at the University of Southern California. Together they studied waves in the wild and applied science in the quest to produce perfect, repeatable waves.

At the Surf Ranch’s core is what is known as the “vehicle,” a giant hydrofoil on rails which creates a surfable wake as it trundles the length of the 2,000-foot pool.

The water it pushes up is shaped by scientifically designed bottom contours into perfect barreling waves up to 6.5 feet tall, with more performance-oriented sections ideal for turns and aerial maneuvers.

The size of the wave is determined by the speed at which the vehicle runs, while a computer system can select any number of pre-programmed wave types.

One thing that’s easy to understand is how Kelly has mastered the wave himself.

Look at this man glide:

This video gives you an aerial view of the mechanics in action:

And, from December last year, pretty much everything you need to know about the Surf Ranch:

The World Surf League (WSL), which runs pro surfing, initially invested in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) in 2016 and now wholly owns the Surf Ranch.

Still Kelly’s vision, though.

For the WSL, it’s a dream come true:

For the WSL, a predictable and programmable event tailored for sponsors, paying fans and a digital and TV audience — without the vagaries of flat spells, tides or sharks, which recently forced the cancellation of the Margaret River Pro — is an attractive proposition.

“I think this is going to change surfing forever,” the WSL’s chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt told CNN Sport by phone from California.

No sharks – maybe Mick Fanning will come out of retirement?

At least those big wave nutters will still have to charge the real thing to set world records.

I’m just glad everyone is gonna get pitted, man, so pitted.

[source:cnn]