The first waves were pumped, then ridden, at the long-heralded Surf Lakes facility, currently in its proof-of-concept phase at Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia, a coastal town near the larger Rockhampton, an hour’s flight north from Brisbane.
The pre-inauguration day saw Joel Parkinson, Laura Enever, Felicity Palmateer, Korbin Hutchinson, and Mitch Crews giving the new toy a go.
The wave pool company named their technology “5 Waves.” It uses a central wave machine to create multiple waves of varying difficulty, length and size to happen simultaneously around a specially designed lake.
Visitors can choose between “The Beach Break” (a gentle rolling wave for beginner surfers), “Occy’s” (a high-performance wave inspired by Duranbah, Occhilupo’s favorite surf spot), “The Point” (a fast and demanding wave), and “The Wedge” (an advanced, hollow wave designed for bodyboarders). According to the surf pool firm, the system allows for up to 200 surfers and learners each hour.
