The European Surf Park Forum is Coming Up. What Does Academic Research Tell Us About the State of the Industry?

By Jess Ponting

Academic Research Finds That Environmental Sustainability and Community Benefit are Both Achievable and Non-Negotiable for the European Surf Park Market.

With the European Surf Park Forum set for the end of the month, it is timely and topical to wonder about the state of the industry in Europe. 

In addition to the Eisbach, a naturally occurring hydraulic jump in Munich started the whole standing wave phenomenon leading to European installations by City Wave and UNIT Surf. Currently, there are three Wavegarden Lagoons in operation in England, Scotland and Switzerland along with the first Endless Surf installation in Munich, a Surfloch installation in a pre-existing urban canal in Rotterdam, and new technology AllWaves producing perfect waves with a novel pneumatic pillow technology in Belgium. With new additional European projects under way from Wavegarden, Endless Surf and AllWaves the market appears to be hot and this will be a focal point at the upcoming European Surf Park Industry Forum on April 30th at the Soller Business Hotel in Munich. 

There has been some recent academic investigation into European surf parks. Here we will explore work from Dr. Danny O’Brien, and a group of French Masters students under the direction of Dr. Christophe Guibert – the bottom line of all this research is that sustainability and community benefit are non-negotiable for the European surf park market.

Surf Park Developments and Community Capacity Building, O’Brien (2021)

My former co-author, girl dad, and skilled longboarder and photographer Dr. Danny O’Brien from Bond University on Australia’s Gold Coast published a paper, “Commercial Sport Organisations and Community Capacity Building: A Case Study of Two Surf Parks,” in 2021 in the academic journal Sports Management Review. 

Danny’s work views surf park development from the perspective that sports facility development can and should be a vehicle for community capacity building. His research essentially takes an existing 7-point framework for understanding community capacity building and asks if surf park developments have positive outcomes for local communities. Danny took a qualitative dual-case study approach, focusing on Adventure Parc Snowdonia in North Wales (which closed its Wavegarden Lagoon-powered surfing operations in 2023) and The Wave Bristol in England which is powered by Wavegarden Cove technology. Danny collected 25 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders including park managers, employees, local government representatives, and community members. Interviews were complemented by secondary data from media reports and were analyzed using thematic analysis informed by (as mentioned above) Edwards’ (2015) seven-dimension community capacity-building framework.

Key Findings From O’Brien (2021):

1. Skill and Resource Development: Both surf parks significantly increased local employment, provided training and vocational opportunities for young people, and strategically engaged with disadvantaged community groups to address local social issues.
2. Social Capital: Surf parks strengthened community pride and regional economic activity, attracting tourists and providing inclusive community activities, such as clubs and reduced-price sessions for underprivileged groups.
3. Community Dialogue: Parks fostered extensive cross-sector partnerships with public, private, and non-profit entities. These relationships opened new channels for communication, volunteerism, and civic engagement.
4. Leadership and Civic Participation: Commercial surf parks offered stable leadership resources, empowering local residents with the skills necessary for effective community leadership. Additionally, parks actively encouraged civic involvement through clubs and initiatives addressing environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
5. Value Systems: Balancing commercial objectives with robust social responsibility values, parks demonstrated a commitment to inclusive growth and environmental sustainability. Surf parks prioritized community integration and equitable access to resources.
6. Learning Culture: Parks adopted structured feedback mechanisms and transparent strategic planning processes, promoting continual organizational learning and accountability.

Conclusions:
Commercial surf parks effectively contribute to broader social and economic community objectives by fostering stable cross-sector partnerships, providing consistent leadership, and engaging actively in local issues beyond purely commercial imperatives. The findings illustrate the benefits of integrating commercial sports organizations within broader community and sport-for-development initiatives.

Implications for European Surf Park Developers:
For surf park developers across Europe, Danny’s research underscores the strategic advantage of embedding community-oriented practices into their business models. Creating strong partnerships with local entities, addressing local employment and training needs, and promoting sustainable practices can significantly enhance community acceptance, government support, and overall commercial success. Moreover, this approach positions surf parks as key players in community development, facilitating long-term sustainability and social impact, while also fostering positive brand perceptions and customer loyalty.

French Resistance to Surf Park Development Explored. Yann Vilboux, Carlo Grigoletto and Jules Raimondo (2024)

In 2023 I delivered a keynote presentation at the Global Wave Conference in Portugal where I encountered the fabled French surf park resistance movement led by the French-led European arm of the Surfrider Foundation. These folks bragged about their success in having surf park developments in France scrapped. I pointed out excellent sustainability practices at surf parks around the world, real community benefits and the potential for surf parks to be surf ecosystem conservation partners – but they were not having it. I wrote in a Surf Park Central article at the time:  

While their opposition remained steadfast I think it is now transparently philosophical rather than scientific. In a side conversation, one member was most concerned about marauding hordes of surf park trained newbies arriving at ‘their’ surf breaks. Another sent me an anonymous message asking how I could possibly be in support of surf parks if I truly love waves – a question it seems to me answers itself. I’m still not sure why an organization mandated to protect surfing resources has an opinion on recreation anchored real estate developments that are often hundreds of miles from the ocean. 

This resistance to surf park development caught the attention of my French surf research counterpart Christophe Guibert at the Université d’Angers. He recently supervised a group of Masters students, Yann Vilboux, Carlo Grigoletto and Jules Raimondo in their production of a 2024 report titled “Wave pools in France, localized controversies.“ The research employed qualitative methodology, consisting primarily of semi-structured interviews and thorough documentary analysis, including press articles, social media, and stakeholder-produced content to analyze the social dynamics, stakeholder strategies, and political contexts surrounding the development of surf parks in France. I think that understanding these dynamics has the potential to assist developers in navigating the complex European surf park market and its constituents.

French Surf Park Stakeholders and Their Strategies

• Proponents of Surf Park Developments
  Surf park project promoters included entrepreneurs and developers. Their main arguments focused on economic development, tourism attraction, and regional prestige. Promoters leveraged economic and symbolic capital—highlighting local economic benefits, tourism stimulation, and enhancing the area’s reputation—to build support among local authorities and potential investors​.
  
• Opponents of Surf Park Developments
  Opposition groups, prominently including environmental associations such as “Surfrider Europe Gironde” and the activist group “Non au surf en boîte,” focused on ecological arguments and potential disruptions to local ecosystems and communities. These groups were adept at mobilizing cultural and social capital, leveraging their strong organizational skills and robust social networks. They used social media campaigns effectively to disseminate information, engage the local community, and raise broader ecological concerns, thus framing the narrative around environmental preservation and social responsibility​​.
  
• Public and Political Actors
  Local elected officials were pivotal, balancing public sentiment, economic arguments, and ecological concerns. Their support or opposition was decisive in legitimizing or delegitimizing projects. Interestingly, while some officials publicly supported economic arguments for attracting tourism, others expressed caution, reflecting local community sentiments against environmental and societal impacts​.
  

Key Findings and Conclusions

The study concluded that despite surf park developments presenting potential economic benefits and tourist attraction, ecological and social arguments significantly shaped public opinion and political support. Key factors influencing outcomes included the effectiveness of stakeholders’ communication strategies and the specific local socio-political context. Projects with strong local opposition groups and effective environmental narratives faced greater resistance.

Significantly, the study revealed an evolution in arguments over time, showing that initial economic and tourism attractiveness arguments can trigger community apprehension about disruptions to local ecosystems and societal balance​.

Strategic Insights for Developers
For surf park developers in Europe, the research emphasizes the importance of:

• Early, transparent, and genuine community engagement to build trust and understand local sentiment.
  
• Proactively addressing ecological concerns, including rigorous environmental assessments and sustainability-focused planning.
  
• Forming strategic alliances with local authorities by clearly articulating potential economic and social benefits, while demonstrating sincere commitment to environmental responsibility.
  

Surf park developers are advised to recognize that controversies are not merely hurdles but opportunities to actively engage communities and align projects with broader environmental and social expectations. By understanding stakeholder dynamics and employing effective communication and engagement strategies, developers can significantly improve project acceptance and success.

As the European Surf Park Forum approaches, the work of Danny O’Brien and the team led by Christophe Guibert offer some clear guidance: authentic environmental sustainability and tangible community benefits are both highly achievable and non-negotiable in European surf park developments. Understanding and proactively managing local ecological concerns, community expectations, and stakeholder dynamics will not only mitigate resistance but also significantly enhance project viability. These studies highlight the necessity for developers to engage authentically and transparently with communities, positioning surf parks as genuine trusted partners in sustainable community development. As Europe’s surf park market continues to expand, integrating these principles will be essential in achieving long-term commercial success and broader societal acceptance.