Surfers in Huntington Beach may one day find the perfect wave -- a few blocks inland. A proposal to construct a commercial, $10-million wave pool -- where operators will be able to spoil surfers by summoning perfect, 8-foot barrels -- is making the rounds at City Hall. For the good surfers who don't like crowds and people in their way, this would be a wonderful place to practice. I questioned them about having the ocean nearby, but they validated their points. It doesn't take a lot of research to realize that Southern California is a very likely market. They don't have time to waste with sloppy wave conditions, think about this: What if you could tell your wife or buddies that you'll be surfing good waves Tuesday at 8 a.m.
We have the technology to build a perfect 10-foot barrel that can peel off 100 yards or more. The first generation of wave pools, which debuted in the 1970s, created 3- to 8-foot waves by the sudden release of water from behind walls. More than 300 operate today, primarily for swimmers. But with improved technology, a few parks are suited for surfing. The largest proposed open-air wave pools would be about the size of a football field. Our Company and other boosters believe surf pools would prove as popular in wave-challenged Kansas as in Redondo Beach and other Southern California coastal locales already stocked with surfers, snowboarders, skateboarders and others up for the challenge.