What happens when the newest indoor surfing facility in the US opens their doors to a few pro surfers and a videographer?
Surf’s Up New Hampshire and American Wave Machines decided to find out by inviting a few friends to try their SurfStream installation in Nashua, NH prior to its’ official opening this December. While the video certainly makes a compelling case for the fun factor of the facility, we’re all eager to know how it compares to the feeling of surfing in the ocean. Luckily for us, NJ-born professional surfer Rob Kelly, and world-renowned East coaster Todd Holland were part of the honorary cast and shared their opinions…
Todd Holland: “This is great. Once you get going down the line, it feels just like racing a big section.”
Rob Kelly wrote extensively on the experience in his blog. Here are some of the essential quotes:
“The most impressive thing about this wave as it relates to surfing is the barrel. The way the water rolls across the molds creates a barrel with a foam ball and little pocket to ride. Some barrels let you get deep, others don’t allow for more than a head dip. Some let you stay in for awhile and others never let you out. To me, this was the coolest part of this wave. It stays in place but is still always changing. This allowed us to ride the wave for 3 days straight without ever getting bored of it.”
“Before this experience I’ll admit I was a bit of an artificial wave skeptic. Had someone told that a standing wave could replicate some of the same movements used in surfing, it would be hard to believe. Nothing confined to a small pool will ever come close to fully replicating the movements and feelings of riding a wave in the ocean but as far as anything else I’ve ever ridden, this design does a pretty good job matching some of them.”
“Riding this wave will make your legs stronger, thats a fact. I’m not certain that riding this wave will heighten your technical skills, although I do think spending time in the barrel will help you feel more comfortable when it’s time to make small adjustments in the barrel of a real wave.”
“At the end of the day, this wave is fun to ride. You get psyched when you make it out of a good barrel or you do a turn that feels good. I left each session riding this wave feeling stoked, which is the same feeling I spend so much of my time and money chasing waves around the world to get. It’s the reason anyone that surfs is so addicted and the fact that this wave replicates even just that aspect of surfing alone makes it a homerun in my eyes.”
Our Takeaway: If it provides the stoke for Rob Kelly and Todd Holland to ride for 3 days straight sans nausea, then it sounds pretty damn good to us. We look forward to testing it out soon when the facility is open and delivering the stoke to the masses.
You can read Rob’s full opinion on his blog: Frothy Lip
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