Hands up and Wave, and Wave, and Wave, and Wave

I’ve had San Diego on the brain quite a bit lately, for a whole slew of reasons. I recently found myself strolling down the boardwalk in Mission Beach – enjoying the sun, sand, and company. Suddenly, a pulsing bass line assaulted my ear drums (in a nice way). My eyes were drawn to the source, a giant compound sitting right on the edge Mission Beach’s most traveled corner. Well tanned kids and adults of all ages were streaming into a giant building, with walls that seemed to vibrate to a separate beat. From what I could see inside, it looked like MTV’s Spring Break – but with blue rubber mats, surfboards, and powerful jet streams of H20. What’s this?

Ride it, Baby.

Oh, I was here. WaveHouse, San Diego. WaveHouse, you say? What’s WaveHouse? Only the best new entry to the Action Sports scene in years. Lets say you’re a surfer. But the waves aren’t great today, or there’s an oil spill, or you’re on top of a building in New York City (where the waves are never so great). What to do? Hit your friendly neighborhood WaveHouse and rip a generated curl, contained within a human-designed, padded pool, surrounded by a bunch of pretty people in bathing suits. Oh, and there’s music, lounging, bars, restaurants, and just about anything else you could want all contained within a 30 foot radius. Sounds rad, right?

The San Diego property is one of 4 world wide, with locations spanning from Durban, Santiago and Singapore and more on the way. The wave generator is called Wave Loch, and it was invented by surfergenius Tom Lochtefeld in 1988 (what took so long, pal?). There are two levels of wave intensity, The FlowRider and the FlowBarrel. No, really.

The basic technology behind flowboarding and “sheet waves” is the use of multiple, high-energy pumps to project a three inch layer of water over a surface that has been shaped to emulate an ocean wave. Essentially, this means that sheet waves are stationary waves with the movement derived from water flowing over this shaped surface. The water flows at between 20 and 30 miles per hour, with as much as 100,000 gallons of water a minute being propelled by the pumps.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Tom and Co have managed to literally take EVERYTHING that you associate with surfing, and make it completely portable. You could take this set up anywhere – places where people couldn’t imagine getting on a surfboard. Add in the bars, food, music (including live acts) and WH becomes destination party central.

Looking over the WaveHouse website, it seems like this new incarnation of wave riding could even kick up to the next level – how long before it becomes an official X-Games sport? People were going nuts for the whole package (myself included), and I honestly think this could be The Next Big Thing in Action Sports. Obviously it’s not going to substitute for being out in the ocean, but imagine the possibilities for the rest of the non-aquafided world. What a party. The potential!

DJ Tiesto @ WaveHouse

Read Full Post »

And I will then say to thee, you are my friend

Just back from a first time visit to Seattle, Washington. First time visit to the Pacific Northwest region, actually. I’ve long been fascinated by that part of the country, where I imagined people spent their days communicating telepathically with computers while sipping a latte, wrapped up in a red-checkered fleece blanket. I wasn’t too far off the mark.

Pike Place Market is quiet as the sun sets

Once my plane touched down, I couldn’t stop gulping the crispest, freshest air I’ve inhaled since I was in N. Ireland a few years ago. There’s green everywhere, and homeowners seem to landscape around their houses for the pure joy of it. Seattle residents genuinely love their hometown sports teams – apparently the Seattle Sounders FC have the biggest fan base in the nation. I found myself a curious observer in a corner coffee shop, where sitting down to enjoy your brew alongside interesting conversation is a given (and you’re not there to be seen in a sceney, lame Los Angeles way). There was hardly a chain-restaurant/store anywhere, it seems like every establishment within the city limits is independently owned and operated.

Street Art in Pioneer Square

I will totally cop to the fact that part of my interest in the social and outdoor ecology of the Pacific Northwest stems from two key events in my young life. One, my amazing 3rd grade teacher who encouraged my interests in all things environmental and Native American at the tender age of 8. Two, a little film called FREE WILLY. Let me know when you’ve stopped laughing. Done? Great.

Orcas on the wall at the Seattle Aquarium

I used to work with some people who had a hand in the development and production of FREE WILLY, and they often refer to it as “the perfect film.” I remember being completely enthralled in 1993 (not 2011 – I totally did not just re-watch it. At all. It’s not on instant Netflix. Nope) at the movie theater. Our young protagonist, Jesse, has a believable history, as a boy who’s been burned one too many times and won’t let anyone within a 1 mile emotional radius. The Northwestern Native American tribal folklore legitimizes the narrative, and I was pleased to see much of this same folklore displayed around the city. I’ve always been drawn to Orcas – intelligent, powerful killers – like wolves gliding through the waves. Now transformed into a plush toy by aquariums (or studios?) looking to make a buck. I didn’t get the commercialized Orca vibe in Seattle – hearing visitors speak of their whale watching adventures off shore sounded more like a religious experience. People in the state of Washington have a clear reverence and respect for the world around them. It really shows.

Sunset over the Puget Sound from the top of the Space Needle.

Seattle is probably the most eco-friendly city I’ve ever visited. Ironic, since the Port of Seattle is ginormous, and rivals what I’ve seen out of Long Beach and San Francisco. I heard another interesting statistic, that Washington has the most high school and college graduates per capita? Clearly there’s a lot of money floating around, but I appreciated that no one is flashy about it. Sure he’s driving a Bugatti, but I guarantee you it’s probably a hybrid.

Read Full Post »