Surf Park Summit 2026: What’s On the Stage This September

Surf Park Summit is upon us! Virginia Beach, September 1st–3rd. 

Three days. Three stages. One surf park. Zero excuses. This is the place to be.

At a glance, the Summit includes:

• Walking Tour of Atlantic Park Surf
• Committee Meetings
• Industry Workshops
• 2026 Consumer Data Updates
• 2 Keynote Presentations
• 15 Panel Discussions
• 14 Expert Presentations
• Surf Park Sharks – Investment Competition
• 2 Wave Tech Lightning Rounds
• A record 40+ exhibitors
• Annual Surf Park Awards 
• Networking happy hours and lunches
• Access to the vast majority of the world’s surf park developers and operators

Here’s a first look at what’s on deck.

---

2026 Surf Park Consumer Data

I’ll be opening up the conference with my usual address that includes a round up of the latest consumer trends data. I’ll be reflecting on changes over time and analyzing the latest 2026 data for actionable insights. New this year is a new data partnership with Flowstate, who are going to facilitate bringing aggregated data on surf park utilization and observed user behavior into the data mix. I’ll also be launching a new data-driven initiative that, if adopted, could see the surf park industry completely revolutionize global surf conservation efforts. 

Keynotes: Two Conversations You Won’t Want to Miss

Community, Collaboration, and the Next Era of Surf Parks — Cole Cannon (Cannon Beach / Revel Surf)

Cole Cannon doesn’t do rehearsed speeches. Cultural maverick and founder of Cannon Beach and Revel Surf in Mesa, Arizona, he’s now on track to become the first independent, US-based developer to build and operate two surf-anchored mixed use real estate developments under the same flag. Add in his day job running a successful law firm, and you get a keynote speaker who negotiates for a living and isn’t afraid to say the quiet part out loud. Expect a candid, no-holds-barred breakdown of what it really takes to build and scale a surf park. Cole will explore what’s fueling the industry’s momentum, what’s standing in the way, and why rivals might have more to gain by teaming up than going it alone. He will also share hard-won advice on building identity and community around a park, plus a battle-tested roadmap for scaling from one location to multiple states.

Surfing’s Next Frontier: The WSL, Surf Parks, and the Future of the Sport

For the FIRST TIME ever, the World Surf League is joining Surf Park Summit in an official capacity — and it’s a headline conversation. Graham Stapelberg, WSL President of Tours, and Dave Prodan, Chief Strategy Officer and host of The Lineup podcast, sit down with Sam McIntosh, co-founder of Stab Magazine, the outlet that redefined surf journalism with sharp, unfiltered coverage surfers actually trust. McIntosh has built a career on asking the questions that get real answers, and this session promises exactly that: candid, substantive perspective on how surf parks could become hubs for WSL-sanctioned competition, athlete appearances, media production, and new forms of surf entertainment built for mainstream audiences.

For developers, operators, and investors, this is a rare strategic look at how one of surfing’s most influential organizations sees the next decade of the industry. The session wraps with an extended audience Q&A, giving attendees direct access to top WSL leadership in what’s shaping up to be one of the defining conversations of Summit 2026.

---

Panels

There are 15 panels covering everything from capital strategies and feasibility, community approval, design and engineering, water filtration and pumping, operations and safety, revenue and membership models, event programming, surf-anchored real estate development, surf-anchored destinations in the Middle East, and the launch of a surf conservation fund. All the panels are going to be fantastic – here is a taste of a just a few. Review the entire agenda here.

Surf-Anchored Real Estate: How Surf Parks are Driving Residential Value

Surf parks are increasingly the anchor amenity for residential developments — but is the lagoon a profit center or just a really expensive landscaping feature? This panel brings together experienced surf-anchored real estate developers to talk about home values, sales pace, access structuring between residents and the public, and the less glamorous realities of permitting, phasing, and long-term management.

Feasibility Assumptions vs. Operating Reality: Bridging the Gap Between Projections and Performance

Every feasibility study looks great on paper. This is the session for operators willing to admit where the pro forma and reality parted ways — where utilization, pricing, and demand assumptions missed, and what operational and marketing pivots actually closed the gap. Should be one of the more refreshingly honest hours of the Summit.

Surf Without the Sprawl: Building Successful Surf Venues with Less Land and Less Capital

For years, this industry has been defined by nine-figure, destination-scale developments. This panel flips that script, digging into compact-footprint venues, adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure, and phased development strategies — repurposed industrial sites, underutilized parking lots, retrofitted aquatic facilities. If the “surf park = massive capital raise” assumption has been holding you back, this is the session that challenges it.

See the full lineup of all 15 panels here.

---

More Expert Information

There are 14 expert presentations, including 2026 updates from legacy Surf Park Summit supporters who are heavily involved in an array of surf park projects like AO (Architects Orange).

Groups with a long history at Surf Park Summit who have new approaches to saving developers money are returning with new offerings on products including highly specialized lagoon liners, geo membranes, and thermoplastic piping systems produced by Agru, to stainless steel basins of Myrtha Pools, and the pump and filtration expertise of Aquify, who pump and clean the 1.7 million gallons of water at The Lineup at Wai Kai, the world’s largest standing wave.

Newer members of the Surf Park Summit family, like construction management and owner’s representation firm Cooperative LA, will be bringing their 40 years of experience making expensive builds less painful to the surf park industry, and Elevate Surf will add their voice, for the first time at Surf Park Summit, to the standing wave attraction conversation. 

We can really only scratch the surface here of a jam-packed three days of all things surf-anchored real estate development. The lineup of speakers is the best we have ever assembled, and plenty of first-time developer, operator, and investor attendees have registered. 

If you haven’t registered, you’d better get on that before we reach capacity. See you all Sept. 1-3 in Virginia Beach!

See the agenda here.