Overview
Soon, Sydneysiders in search of the perfect wave won't have to sit in summer traffic to get to the coast. URBNSURF, a developer of man-made surf parks, has just announced that the development of Sydney's first-ever proper wave pool has gained approval from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment today, December 20. It's to be built in Sydney Olympic Park, across a 3.2 hectare area known as Pod 5B.
The idea is to give the Australian surfing team, who are preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a place to train. But that won't be the surf park's only mission. The park is just as much for amateur surfers and families — you can expect a variety of events throughout the year, including both amateur and pro surfing comps, as well as festivals dedicated to music, art, film, food, drink, culture and more. The complex will host a beach club, restaurant, bar, cafe, pop-ups and a concept retail space, in addition to the wave pool, which will take up two hectares.
"URBNSURF Sydney will be capable of generating up to 1000 surfing waves, of up to two metres in height every hour, and will provide customised surfing experiences to suit all ability levels and board types," said Andrew Ross, founder and chairman of URBNSURF.
The company expects to start construction in late 2018 and see surfers in action by late 2019. Two other surf parks are in development in Australia — one in Melbourne and the other in Perth. URBNSURF has plans to complete ten altogether by 2027.