Oahu might be the location of a new wake pool park and attraction center like this one. Wikipedia photo.
Brian Keaulana, a legend of Hawaiian big wave lore, is looking into developing a 19-acre plot on the western side of Oahu for a new wave pool and surf park. The announcement comes after the Hawaiian Community Development Authority authorized exploration for the project, which would be called the Honokea Surf Village.
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The development’s wave pool alone would occupy five acres, complete with both large and small waves to cater to a variety of ability levels. The Village will also have a lazy river, a skate park, and many as-of-yet undisclosed buildings.
The project would cost around $72 million and bring hundreds of new jobs to Oahu locals, however it’s still under a great amount of scrutiny by the public. Some local critics as well as SURFING Magazine's former editor and current author Beau Flemister propose that the park is unnecessary, as Oahu arguably boasts some of the best winter waves and best year-round surfing in the world. Wave pools certainly aren’t new to the surfing world; there have even been competitions at some of the larger ones. Generally those are in land-locked areas though.
The aspect that draws the most criticism is that wave pools remove the natural and cultural aspects of surfing. They deplete the necessity for in-depth knowledge. Wave pool surfers don’t need to know about swells, currents, weather and wind patterns, ocean flora and fauna, or the general level of information necessary to succeed as a skilled surfer. Basically, wave pools create an information and cultural deficit.
However, there are many proponents for the park who support the addition of local jobs, the income to the local area, and the Village concept as a whole. The project would use land that is currently vacant as well as free up big waves for competitions and experts. As there is not yet a date announced for construction, we will have to wait and see who wins out in this battle of the breaks.
