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You will surely agree that Kelly’s Californian water feature is a marvellous feat of engineering. An excellent example of taking a first world problem and applying a Damonesque “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this” work ethic to its solution.
No one will argue the fact that the Surf Ranch produces the most exceptional human-made wave is without a doubt. We’ve covered the rise of the machines in the pages of the magazine. These contraptions are newsworthy, fascinating and if you get the chance at a slide in a lake fun as hell. But are they the future? Are they the future we want?
I couldn’t even bring myself to watch much of WSL Surf Ranch Pro. Witnessing minutes of my life steadily disappear while waiting for the machine to reset was painful. No surveying the horizon for sets, no wonder as to what curveballs nature would throw in the heat. Just painful predictability and repetitive surfing. The words ‘sterile’ and ‘boring’ kept flashing in my mind’s eye in giant neon letters.
Surf comps work because they’re a gladiatorial battle. The person vs person dynamic is vital. The dance of randomness provided by an oceanic canvas keeps it interesting. There are no buzzer beaters, paddle battles or sporting drama in the pool. A four-day event is worse than flipping cricket. No sport needs to last four days of repetition, especially with waves literally at the press of a button.
Surf comps aren’t fair. The ocean does not care what score anyone needs. It’s this capriciousness that keeps us on our toes. The pool’s only advantage is you can say the comp will start bang on the dot Saturday morning at 8:30. It’s a good time keeper, a level playing field. As long as you don’t need a scoring left.