America’s First $350M Wavegarden Surf Park Teases Opening

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 3:03 PM ET

Here’s a fun, perhaps little known, fact: East Coast surfing began in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1912, when a local teen named James M. Jordan Jr. paddled out on a redwood surfboard that was brought to the coast from Hawaii from his uncle. And now, that long surfing tradition is heading for the future.

Atlantic Park Surf, the first Wavegarden Cove facility in the United States, is slated to open any day now, with the company showing glimpses of the pool being filled, and the first waves being pumped out imminently. The project is backed by music mogul, fashion influencer, and funny hat aficionado Pharrell Williams (who hails from Virginia Beach), and with its myriad other accommodations (offices, residences, restaurants, etc.) is reported to have a price tag around $350 mill.

Synthetic surf fans snarling like rabid dogs for a bite; see the tease below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Atlantic Park Surf - Virginia Beach (@atlanticparksurf)

The pool is filled; the wave-making motors primed; the first waves coming any day now.

For more on the pool, and the operation at large, here’s a past announcement from Wavegarden:

“Opening in early Summer 2025, Atlantic Park (@atlanticparkvb) in Virginia Beach will introduce the USA’s first Wavegarden Cove and a $350 million mixed-use entertainment complex, in partnership with Virginia Beach native @pharrell. Set to transform the 10.35-acre site of the former Virginia Beach Dome, the park will include a compact 2.67-acre (approximately 10,800 m²) Wavegarden Cove (46 modules), a live entertainment venue, modern offices, residences, and unique shopping and dining options, establishing a year-round coastal destination.”

In a sneak peek behind the scenes, before the first waves roll through the lagoon, east coast novelty wave specialist Ben Gravy got a glimpse at the coming pool, and commented on the Virginia Beach surfing community:

“Virginia Beach is one of the most stoked surf cultures I know about,” Gravy said. “It’s like a perfect place for it. People around here are stoked to surf.”

Stay tuned for the first waves coming soon.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: