New Arizona Wave Pool Officially Opens

Originally posted on SURFER | By Jake Howard | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 10:01 PM ET

The wave pool revolution continues as the Revel Surf Park celebrates its official opening. Truly, there's never been a better time to take a surf trip to ... Arizona?!

Rick Kane joke aside, the Mesa, Arizona, facility is now open and ready for you to book your next surf session. With a variety of different packages available, they currently offer four different wave types to patrons. From whitewater beginner surf, to slow-rolling San Onofre-style wave, to a Trestles-inspired performance setting, and finally, they've got those eye-catching specialty waves that are created with air sections, tubes and more. They also offer lessons for those just starting out. There really is something for everyone.

"We're open, it's on! What a way to celebrate the holidays," Shane Beschen, who's played a pivotal role in turning the dream into reality, told SURFER.

The rates listed online are reasonable. A beginner session starts at $119, while the more performance oriented waves are $139 a session. Considering an adult lift ticket at Mammoth Mountain is currently $219, it's a better deal to go surf in the desert than it is to hit the slopes. There are also a private booking option for groups looking to take the joint over.

The Revel Surf Park is a 37-acre, $280-million “retail and entertainment complex" that has been developed around the surf park. The primary technology is largely the creation of Matt Gunn, John Bushey, and Beschen, who operate under Swell Manufacturing.

The Revel Surf Park also features a UNIT Surf Pool that's best described as an "endless" standing wave. Revel is the first facility in the world to host both technologies, which means you're guaranteed to be surfed out at the end of the day.

A 115-room hotel is planned for the site. It's all being developed by Cole Cannon, hence the venue's name, "Cannon Beach."

Dominating the wave pool headlines over the last week, it was also just announced that a site in McKinny, Texas, was the next site the team had identified as their next project. Similar in scope, it will feature the wave-making tech, along with a hotel and other entertainment options.

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

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