Kelly Slater’s Artificial Wave Company Sold to WSL

It has been no secret that 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater has lead the creation of a newly developed man made wave.  New to the equation is information that WSL Holdings, the parent company of the World Surf League, reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Kelly Slater Wave Company.

Located in San Jose, California, the Kelly Slater Wave Company launched its first engineered wave garden.  The internet was set ablaze with people all over the world watching in marvel as Kelly Slater surfed his newly crafted perfect wave 110 miles from the nearest coastline or beach.  The first video that was launched to reveal this new wave has nearly 1 million views on Youtube and is still growing.

The perfection and caliber of this man made wave has caught the attention of the World Surfing League who see’s this as a opportunity to grow the sport of surfing on a broader scale.

The partnership between the WSL and KSWC will be dedicated to promoting the growth of high-performance surfing around the world, according to a statement released by WSL Holdings.  The WSL and the KSWC envision the build-out of a global network of WSL-branded high-performance training centers utilizing this wave technology.

This partnership can change the face of surfing for land locked territories and area’s that do not have the access to the ocean as coastal states and countries.

Kelly is thrilled about the new partnership and looks forward to the growth of the sport. “While surfing for me will always be about adventure, travel and the ocean, this wave brings a new opportunity to the sport without taking away the soulfulness that attracted many of us to surfing in first place,” said Slater in a statement.

“Surfing great waves in a controlled environment adds a new dimension, as there is no hassling for waves, no stress over who got the best wave – they are all good. Everyone can relax, have fun and focus on improving their surfing,” he said.

*Video courtesy: Kelly Slater Wave Company via WSL

Kelly Slater surfs his own creation. Photo: Todd Glaser/WSL

Future of Surfing. Photo: Todd Glaser/WSL

The Green Room created by the KSWC. Photo: Todd Glaser/WSL