Surf Ranch to build in Tokyo for their Olympic dream

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

The Tokyo Summer Olympics starts in just over two years and intrigue surrounds the venue for the surfing event. Fernando Aguerre, the head of the International Surfing Association (ISA), who's spent 36 years trying to get surfing into the games, is adamant the surfing event will be held in the ocean, at Tsurigasaki Beach in Chiba. He recently told Surfline, the organisers "have determined that surfing will take place in the ocean, and that, "The ISA is excited about showcasing surf culture and lifestyle through an innovative beach festival concept at the Games.”

Yet the Olympic Games, the largest sporting event on Earth, has often been used a springboard for commerce and Tokyo is proving no exception with two wavepool companies planning to build pools in the vicinity of the Olympic complex. No doubt motivated to show the superiority of their technology over the local beachbreaks and perhaps force their way into the Olympic spotlight. Exposure to four billion Olympic eyeballs being the main game here.

Late last year, Wavegarden announced they were building one of their pools in Tokyo and unashamedly called it a "Plan B" if the ocean went flat at Chiba during the Olympics.

More recently, plans by the WSL-backed Surf Ranch to build a pool in Tokyo have been made public. The confirmation came via a Japanese newspaper which stated that construction of the Tokyo Surf Ranch would begin in September 2018 and be completed by December 2019 - six months before the games begin.

It's location will be Kizaru City, midway between Tokyo and Chiba, and the site is 140 acres with the pool itself being 580 metres long and 150 metres wide. That's the same width as Lemoore yet just over 100 metres shorter.

To date, Fernando Aguerre has resisted the trojan horses but the wavepool companies will persist. Complicating matters is the Surf Ranch is owned by the WSL who employ the best surfers in the world and, at this stage, consent to their athletes competing in the games.

Also, unsanctioned companies cannot leverage the Olympics to advertise their product. Yet there's been rumours of the Surf Ranch running a Tokyo contest to display their product superiority which, if it doesn't transgress IOC rules, risks rubbing influential people up the wrong way.

Comments

Tarzan71's picture
Tarzan71's picture
Tarzan71 Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 12:04pm

So its a four way fight between ISA and WSL, Wavegarden and Surf ranch, refereed by Mother nature and the IOC for a fucken prize that dosent exist!!

This Olympic dream becomes more hallucinogenic by the minute

amb's picture
amb's picture
amb Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 1:43pm

Whats the odds they build the pools, then Huey has a nice typhoon form and it pumps for 1-2 weeks..

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 4:04pm

Totally. Just like the Quiksilver Pro New York. Everyone wrote off the location as soon as it was announced, and then a couple of hurricanes delivered some unreal waves. 

Smitdoggie's picture
Smitdoggie's picture
Smitdoggie Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 3:55pm

It's certainly great for the sport and bringing it more to the awareness of the world... I think... 4 billion eyes could mean a lot more new surfers in the future at already crowded breaks. Unless wave pools become as common as tennis and basket ball courts. Whatever happens it looks like the recreational surfers and lovers of surfing won't have much of a say but will undoubtedly pay the price in some way.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 4:07pm

It’ll be a great day for surfing when Fernando relents and takes to the Slater wave pool .

Then we can throw the plugged in toaster in as well and that’s business taken care of.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 4:08pm

Almost waiting for Greg Webber to jump from left of stage with a ready-to-go wavepool on the outskirts of Osaka.

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 4:25pm

It's that old hubris again. The notion that somehow the world hasn't noticed that competitive surfing exists and just a glimpse of that fabulous entrancing activity will draw in the mega bucks. Ha ha ha!

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 4:30pm

The worlds going to be a beautiful place when the dream comes true and every single person in the world shares the joy of surfing. It brings a tear to my eye just to think about it.

It’ll be like the John Lennon song. The whole world hand in hand united through surfing.

Just like a busy day at Snapper Rocks.

Tarzan71's picture
Tarzan71's picture
Tarzan71 Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 5:10pm

Lets hope they build them all indoors, out of reach from that nasty sunlight, with a bevy of blow up bitches who wont even need to be told, "No bites of me Chiko roll"

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Thursday, 28 Jun 2018 at 11:18pm

Surf Ranch & Wave Garden's muddy drag strip is not very viewer friendly.
Closed Pier design breaks toward prohibited Wavetrain.
Even the slops sidewall is rear ended- blinded & out of bounds.

As wave cranks toward the half blinded central Judging Outpost.
Jetski cam crew zeroes in on tower spraying Judges with Slops.
Judges train one dead eye on Kamakaze Jetski & Cast a crooked eye over Surfer...
At Wavepool sweet spot (Jet ski sandwiches Champ between Wavetrain crossing at rear)

Run it 100 x over...Every Pro's Money shot is devalued by Jet Ski/Wavetrain combo.
Cranking Barrel or Air rotisserie recipes rendered useless without a mechanics calendar.

After the trainwreck- Mr. Drone Cam makes all nervous by spooking the Wavetrain. (Safe?)

Nothing to see here! Only live tickets go to Surf Ranch Hollywood stunt team... Yee haw!

Current WSL crew say (1993) Miyazaki Ocean Dome has the sickest Pits!
Clearly has cleaner water and massive ticket sales in 1st class all weather Surfing Arena
Breaka Girls would easily rate Gold Coast pretend beach alongside Surfers Paradise.

Ask yourselves! Why Spic'n'Span Japan would ever dip a toe in Kelly's muddy V8 dragstrip.

experiencetokyo.net/tokyo-olympics-2020-shizuoka-plans-to-develop-a-giant-wave-pool

CryptoKnight's picture
CryptoKnight's picture
CryptoKnight Friday, 29 Jun 2018 at 1:27pm

That surfy dream is becoming an even bigger debacle!!!!

https://thewest.com.au/sport/surfing/ballito-pro-surf-competition-prize-...

Imagine when the women take to the podium and the winner gets half a plastic medal!!!??

And imagine the murmurs, turning into shrieks of horror, when the fans start realizing that the women are bigger than the men!?!?? And yet getting paid less!!!!

As davo pointed out, what a lousy vibe!!!

How could this have happened!!! On sopho's and slattso's watch!!!

There are only two plausible explanations.

One, outright revenge. That's what the women get for constantly making the men look like squibs. And for having full heads of hair as well.

Or simply just another case of the old surfy standby, the 'just happened to look away (again) and miss it', technique.

Anyway, the WSL, well, all surfees and surfers for that matter, can only hope the press don't start digging deeper. Because if they do, they are bound to come across the likes of this.

https://eos.surf/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bronzed_Aussies_Ian_Cairns.jpg

https://eos.surf/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bronzed_Aussies_Peter_Townen...

And, if they do, not even the re-release of the galaxy shattering, life changing, greatest movie ever, 'Breath' (less) as a Broadway musical will save the day. Again.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Friday, 29 Jun 2018 at 9:25pm

I imagine all ocean goers are gobsmacked over outrage Cryptoknight.

Sexism : Equal Pay for boys & girls?
Ageism : Big bucks now luring Under 18 Groms? (Past Groms can now sue for back pay?)
Surfism: WSL lockdown permits only boardriders to profit from our surf reserves .
I'm sure there are endless then some more 'isms' to fire up social media.

Ocean's fittest & finest be they rich or poor have long resisted profiteering from surf.

Since 1851 The wealthiest ocean competitors in America's Cup win $0.00
2015 Sydney to Hobart winner Gold Coast skipper Kristy Hinze as menfolk won $0.00
Over 6,000 Aussies Surf Competitors in 450 events...Most you can earn is $0.00
Since 1864 Gold Coast Bodybasherz earnings proudly amount to $0.00
Never ever one solitary complaint of zero earnings from traditional masters of surf.

Enter the era of the egotistical Boardrider..." Mind my Towel ... DID YOU SEE ME!"
The waves traded as meal tickets outta squares'ville...An Endless Summer!
The ocean now a commodity giving rise to a Surf Industry...Surfing is now the Biggest MAN.

Ties in nicely with this article... WSL Olympism
Climate control jumpsuits lifelined to pool floaties- Level 10 bubbles-ladders up...Lets Surf !
How much...for WSL 'athletes' to boycott Olympic Games?

davetherave's picture
davetherave's picture
davetherave Saturday, 30 Jun 2018 at 7:02am

ha ha, you fellas crack me up and yeah, olympics-what is the definition-criteria they use to define surfing. just wondering cause I been training to go. I be gold medalist at two events at same olympics. Got my gut happening to win the sumo event, then I can go across and use it as a bodysurfing stall to get totally shacked and win the surfing gold. I can see my golden statue outside cooly maccas now, Davetherave-the sumosurfer. Better get Gary G to give me some tips on oiling myself up for the pose.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Saturday, 30 Jun 2018 at 2:08pm

Sumosurfer must possess superhero powers to be flirting with Gary G.
I highly doubt Gary G needs an invitation for a Happy Meal !
See : "Mc Flurry Wrestling" [Sumosurfer vs Gary G] ...in Gold Medal Bout. (Lovely!)

CryptoKnight's picture
CryptoKnight's picture
CryptoKnight Saturday, 30 Jun 2018 at 4:00pm

'Climate control jumpsuits lifelined to pool floaties- Level 10 bubbles-ladders up...Lets Surf !'

Those disgusting, sickening, depraved suits.

No wonder the incredibly bronzed USozzo's look so smug, so resplendent in their matching, immaculately fitted, and posed jump suits. Yet, only revealing just enough to whet the appetite of the brainwashed puppets, the fawning masses. Whilst literally jumping, boogying into the future. The innerknown????!!?

https://www.japantrendshop.com/kuchofuku-airconditioned-jumpsuit-p-3521....

The plot thickens!!!??? Science??? Also, don't forget that rabs.... OOOHHHH NNOOOOOO!!!! NNNOOOOO!!! NNNNNNNOOOOOOO!!! SURELY NOT!!!!!

Jumpsuits, the 'innerknown', science, rabs (abs), Japan... Doc Tanzi.... puppets... please surely.... NNNOOOOO!!!

'Breathless', the musical...

Et tu blinde!!!! Again!!!!??? Really!!!! Blinder...

davetherave's picture
davetherave's picture
davetherave Saturday, 30 Jun 2018 at 5:21pm

classis swellnot exchange, mcflurry wrestling cumin to the cooly hotel soon. Just thought i would spice it up with that one. Needless to say, i will just commentate from the sidelines whilst garry could do some roving interviews with his microphone. Nah, think I'll stay at home and watch skeleton bay go pro footage dreaming it's me whilst being pissed off I'm not getting paid royalties for my tube riding skills. The wipeout royalty rewards that is.

chef6969's picture
chef6969's picture
chef6969 Sunday, 1 Jul 2018 at 3:47pm

ahh the taste of selling ones soul to lowest bidder

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Wednesday, 25 Dec 2019 at 3:36pm

Nov 3rd, 2019 Surfer interview with Kelly : Talks about Japan Olympic wave pool.
'Kelly just expected Japan would automatically wheel out a hi tech back-up!'
Maybe just maybe cometh the hour it might pay to have a back up wave pool.
200km south of Tokyo via Freeway / Bullet Train (Further away from Radiation zone!)

AWM American Wave Machines + SSJ Surf Stadiums Japan (Olympic Name?)
New Japanese Wave Pool will be surfable one month before 2020 Surfing Olympics?
https://wavepoolmag.com/japan-to-open-surf-stadium-with-waco-tech-prio-o...
https://www.medianet.com.au/releases/182964/
https://blooloop.com/news/american-wave-machines-ssj-shizunami/
Recall IOC also ruled out Teahupoo...read into that what you will...

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Sunday, 28 Feb 2021 at 1:41pm

Aug 2019 SSJ Site Prep
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x601a5d43b1a4e7d1%3A0x6a43af78a536...

Dec 2019 SSJ begins construction
https://www.medianet.com.au/releases/182964/

Dec 2020 Shizunami AWM Surf Stadium Under Construction...near completion
https://www.surfparkcentral.com/surf-stadium-japan-is-coming-soon/

Almost continuous Wave Height 1.6m / Length 10 secs / 3 set waves each 30 secs

Feb 2021 {See}: Test Wave peels off in 43% capacity AWM Shizunami Surf Stadium

&feature=emb_logo

WavePool is on the Beach surrounded by Surf Shops...looking more like a Skate Bowl.
https://www.ausleisure.com.au/images/ausleisure/files/_news-main/Perfect...
Seaway fed large canal is that dark line running along the bottom of image.
tbb is unsure if pool is fed by incoming Saltwater or drained into outgoing canal tides.

Built in a record 389 days...
The compact minimal resource powerhouse design can slot into affordable CBD sites!

{See} : Temporal Distortion-
{See} : [L][M][P] in a New Dimension of Hydrodynamic "Dual Control"
Wave Size changes from [L] > [M] > [P] every Hourly session

Stadium Surfie Chix can paddle out with the Towel between Pro sessions.
Should cut down on slut shaming from flicking gravel over their Masters...Go Gurlz!

Breakthru...
SSJ can closely mimic ocean tide size & frequency...

tbb : (Meaning! Tech is there for an Ocean fed & modelled real time surf extension)
SSJ hooks up the digital Turntable to perfectly time delay Wave trains hitting Piers
Toy like tsunami action sets rolling as one from the ocean thru to WavePool.
Out the Back surfers Echo thru to wave Pool > Out the Back.
Effectively an extension of the beach by harmonizing the Oceanic majesty.
> sun, moon, wind, tides, sea water, temp, sand, bathymetry, wave size- sets, stoke.

There's no reason that Wave Pools couldn't closer wed the Ocean for Surf Stoke.
Life Guards chalking up same Dual Surf Comp Tides / wind / Swell
Future Surfers may prefer companion surf pools over cold Bossy alien Breakwalls.

It's only natural that SSJ wishes to reclaim Shizunami Surf Lagoon, by any means.
Surfing river waves restores, replenishes & powers several town's natural resources.
So why not Surf a Lagoon to heal the Town...it's only natural.

Google Earth : Direct narrow Seaway Tidal Canal feeding this WavePool & it looks sad...
Wave Pool In-take/Out-take will breathe a natural healthy lifeline to Ocean.

On the flip it might flush Pool dregz & chems killing Ocean crew & fish...Oops!

SSJ watered down Skate Stadium opens in Spring 2021

seaslug's picture
seaslug's picture
seaslug Sunday, 28 Feb 2021 at 1:29pm

Thanks TBB