Spitting Wave Pool Tubes in 115° Arizona Heat (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 5:39 PM ET

In the sweaty suburbs of Arizona, caked in desert dust, a surfer emerged. An unlikely hero, of sorts. One who had rose to fame at his inland wave pool, becoming a local legend, then set his sights on the big leagues. Not California, the obvious nearest coastline. But Hawaii. Oahu. The Bonzai.

That was the fictional Rick Kane from the cult classic 1987 film, North Shore. And the wave pool portion of Kane’s tale – before his jaunt to Hawaii, before he was mistakenly there when the wave breaks here, per the beloved quote from Turtle – the film really did take place in Arizona. It was at a now-defunct wave pool, Big Surf, which was America’s first of its kind, opening in 1969.

But Big Surf is no longer. Now, however, there’s a new, bigger-and-better wave pool, pumping out spitting tubes in the Arizona desert: Revel Surf. And the Catch Surf crew paid a visit to the new synthetic surf park, living out their Rick Kane fantasies, trading off tubes, all in 115-degree heat.

The newly-opened Revel Surf has been gaining attention since it started pumping out waves earlier this year. And this lagoon is a bit different than the others – Wavegarden, American Wave Machines, Kelly Slater Surf Co., Endless Surf, et all – on the market. It comes from a company called Swell Manufacturing, who describe the tech as producing:

“Natural ever-changing waves at the click of a button. Dishing out fun, fresh, unpredictable rides for all skill types. Wedging barrels offering up steep take-offs to easy roll ins with drawn-out rights and lefts for max ride time. Versatility offering either Lefts or Rights in 1 acre of the lagoon or “A” frame style in the full 2-acre lagoon. Split peak waves with 10 – 12 second rides, where you can surf rights and lefts in the same lagoon.”

As for the Catch Surf crew?

“It’s amazing,” says Ben Gravy. “Five years ago, it was a dream to surf a wave pool. Now there’s multiple wave pools popping up. This place is beautiful. It’s amazing to be part of this era in history, where there’s wave pools showing up across the United States. It’s mind-blowing.”

Stand by for the next Rick Kane…

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

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