Russia’s New Wave Pools Supercharge Olympic Surfing Push (Video)

“Our system uses pneumatic chamber-caissons,” Pavel Churin recently told WavePoolMag. “It does not rely on mechanical levers. The chambers sit above the water surface and are connected to the pool through submerged intake openings.”

Of the two pools, the first opened in 2024, with the second following in 2025. According to the website, the first pool, More Volnuetsa, offers a wave breaking to the right, across an 85-meter (278-feet) pool, and 1.5-meter (4.9-feet) waves; the second pool, Water and Surf, features a left breaking wave in a 120-meter (393-feet) pool and heights up to 1.7 meters (5.5 feet).

And it’s clear that Vertigo has high hopes for their technology, specifically when it comes to Russian surfers competing at the highest level.

“Since 2020, surfing has been included in the list of Olympic sports. Artificial waves open revolutionary opportunities for the development of surfing in Russia and countries without access to the ocean,” the website states. “This is a key technology for creating a regular training process for athletes.”

Recently, as you probably heard, the Olympic surfing qualification pathway underwent a controversial change, per the International Surfing Association. For upcoming games, like LA 2028, fewer surfers will come from the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, and more will come from the ISA World Surfing Games.

For Russia, however, the ISA has a current ban on Russia, due to the Ukrainian conflict.

“In line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations, the ISA’s sanctions mean no athletes and officials from Russia will be invited to participate or attend ISA events until further notice,” a statement reads.

Maybe one day? An Olympic surfer from Russia? Stay tuned.